German submarine U-3 (1935)

	U-1, the first Type II boat
History
Nazi Germany
Name	U-3
Ordered	2 February 1935
Builder	Deutsche Werke, Kiel
Cost	1,500,000 Reichsmark
Yard number	238
Laid down	11 February 1935
Launched	19 July 1935
Commissioned	6 September 1935
Stricken	1 August 1944 at Gotenhafen
Fate	Stricken, 1 August 1944. Scrapped 1945
Badge
General characteristics
Class and type	Type IIA coastal submarine
Displacement	254 t (250 long tons) surfaced; 303 t (298 long tons) submerged; 381 t (375 long tons) total;
Length	40.90 m (134 ft 2 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);
Height	8.60 m (28 ft 3 in)
Draught	3.83 m (12 ft 7 in)
Installed power	700 PS (510 kW; 690 shp) (diesels); 360 PS (260 kW; 360 shp) (electric);
Propulsion	2 × propeller shafts; 2 × 0.85 m (2 ft 9 in) three-bladed propellers; 2 × diesel engines; 2 × double-acting electric motors;
Speed	13 knots (24 km/h; 15 mph) surfaced; 6.9 knots (12.8 km/h; 7.9 mph) submerged;
Range	1,050 nmi (1,940 km; 1,210 mi) at 12 knots (22 km/h; 14 mph) surfaced; 35 nmi (65 km; 40 mi) at 4 knots (7.4 km/h; 4.6 mph) submerged;
Test depth	80 m (260 ft)
Complement	3 officers, 22 men
Armament	3 × 53.3 cm (21 in) torpedo tubes; 5 × torpedoes or up to 12 TMA or 18 TMB mines; 1 × 2 cm (0.79 in) anti-aircraft gun;
Service record
Part of:	U-boat School Flotilla; 1 August 1935 – 1 February 1940; 1 March – 1 April 1940; 1 May – 30 June 1940; 21st U-boat Flotilla ; 1 July 1940 – 1 August 1944;
Identification codes:	M 01 385
Commanders:	Oblt.z.S. Hans Meckel; 6 August 1935 – 29 September 1937; Kptlt. Ernst-Günter Heinicke; 30 September 1937 – July 1938; Oblt.z.S. / Kptlt. Joachim Schepke; 29 October 1938 – 2 January 1940; Kptlt. Gerd Schreiber; 3 January – 28 July 1940; Kptlt. Helmut Franzke; 29 July – 10 November 1940; Kptlt. Otto von Bülow; 11 November 1940 – 2 July 1941; Oblt.z.S. Hans-Hartwig Trojer; 3 July 1941 – 2 March 1942; Oblt.z.S. Joachim Zander; 3 March – 30 September 1942; Oblt.z.S. Herbert Zoller; 1 October 1942 – 18 May 1943; Oblt.z.S. Ernst Hartmann; 19 May 1943 – 9 June 1944; Lt.z.S. Hermann Neumeister; 10 June – 16 July 1944;
Operations:	5 patrols:; 1st patrol:; 4 – 8 September 1939; 2nd patrol:; 13 – 24 September 1939; 3rd patrol:; 27 September – 3 October 1939; 4th patrol:; 16 – 29 March 1940; 5th patrol:; 12 – 19 April 1940;
Victories:	2 merchant ships sunk ; (2,348 GRT)

German submarine U-3 was a Type IIA U-boat laid down at the Deutsche Werke in Kiel on 11 February 1935 as yard number 238. She was commissioned into the Kriegsmarine on 6 August 1936 under the command of Oberleutnant zur See (Oblt.z.S.) Hans Meckel.

U-3 carried out a total of five combat patrols; she sank two ships while under the command of Joachim Schepke. During April 1940, she was part of the fleet that supported the German invasion of Norway, Operation Weserübung.

As the Type II submarines were too small for combat duty in the Atlantic Ocean, she was assigned to the Baltic for training duties with the 21st U-boat Flotilla, a training outfit.

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