German submarine U-20 (1936)

German submarine U-20 was a Type IIB U-boat of Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine. Her keel was laid down on 1 August 1935, by Germaniawerft of Kiel as yard number 550. She was commissioned on 1 February 1936. During World War II, she conducted operations against enemy shipping.

U-9, a typical Type IIB boat
History
Nazi Germany
NameU-20
Ordered2 February 1935
Builder
Yard number550
Laid down1 August 1935
Launched14 January 1936
Commissioned1 February 1936
FateScuttled 11 September 1944, off the coast of Turkey in the Black Sea
General characteristics
Class and typeType IIB coastal submarine
Displacement
  • 279 t (275 long tons) surfaced
  • 328 t (323 long tons) submerged
Length
  • 42.70 m (140 ft 1 in) o/a
  • 27.80 m (91 ft 2 in) pressure hull
Beam
  • 4.08 m (13 ft 5 in) (o/a)
  • 4.00 m (13 ft 1 in) (pressure hull)
Height8.60 m (28 ft 3 in)
Draught3.90 m (12 ft 10 in)
Installed power
  • 700 PS (510 kW; 690 bhp) (diesels)
  • 410 PS (300 kW; 400 shp) (electric)
Propulsion
Speed
  • 13 knots (24 km/h; 15 mph) surfaced
  • 7 knots (13 km/h; 8.1 mph) submerged
Range
  • 1,800 nmi (3,300 km; 2,100 mi) at 12 knots (22 km/h; 14 mph) surfaced
  • 35–43 nmi (65–80 km; 40–49 mi) at 4 knots (7.4 km/h; 4.6 mph) submerged
Test depth80 m (260 ft)
Complement3 officers, 22 men
Armament
Service record
Part of:
Identification codes: M 29 241
Commanders:
  • Kptlt. Hans Eckermann
  • 1 February 1936 – 30 September 1937
  • Oblt.z.S. / Kptlt. Karl-Heinz Moehle
  • 1 October 1937 – 17 January 1940
  • Kptlt. Harro von Klot-Heydenfeldt
  • 17 January – 15 April 1940
  • Oblt.z.S. Heinrich Driver
  • 2 – 15 April 1940
  • Oblt.z.S. Hans-Jürgen Zetzsche
  • 16 April – 7 June 1940
  • Oblt.z.S. Ottokar Arnold Paulshen
  • 8 June 1940 – 5 January 1941
  • Kptlt. Herbert Schauenburg
  • 6 January – 19 May 1941
  • Oblt.z.S. Wolfgang Sträter
  • 20 May – 4 December 1941
  • Oblt.z.S. Kurt Nölke
  • 5 December 1941 – 27 March 1942
  • Oblt.z.S. / Kptlt. Clemens Schöler
  • 7 May – 26 August 1942
  • 27 May – 31 October 1943
  • Oblt.z.S. Karl Grafen
  • 1 November 1943 – 10 September 1944
Operations:
  • 16 patrols:
  • 1st patrol:
  • a. 24 – 31 August 1939
  • b. 1 – 20 September 1939
  • 2nd patrol:
  • a. 29 September – 17 October 1939
  • b. 6 – 7 November 1939
  • 3rd patrol:
  • 18 – 24 November 1939
  • 4th patrol:
  • 7 – 13 December 1939
  • 5th patrol:
  • 6 – 16 January 1940
  • 6th patrol:
  • a. 21 January 1940
  • b. 23 – 31 January 1940
  • c. 4 February 1940
  • 7th patrol:
  • 27 February – 4 March 1940
  • 8th patrol:
  • a. 14 – 20 March 1940
  • b. 21 – 22 March 1940
  • 9th patrol:
  • 22 – 29 June 1943
  • 10th patrol:
  • 11 July – 7 August 1943
  • 11th patrol:
  • a. 16 – 22 September 1943
  • b. 24 September – 12 October 1943
  • 12th patrol:
  • 8 November – 9 December 1943
  • 13th patrol:
  • 1 – 26 January 1944
  • 14th patrol:
  • a. 22 February – 1 March 1944
  • b. 2 – 27 March 1944
  • 15th patrol:
  • 11 June – 11 July 1944
  • 16th patrol:
  • 19 August – 10 September 1944
Victories:
  • 12 merchant ships sunk
    (30,058 GRT)
  • 1 warship sunk
    (9 tons)
  • 2 merchant ships total loss
    (8,446 GRT)
  • 1 merchant ship damaged
    (1,846 GRT)

U-20 went on 16 war patrols, sinking 13 ships totalling 30,058 GRT and 9 tons , damaging one more of 1,846 GRT.

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