German World War II submarine
German submarine "U-735" was a Type VIIC U-boat built for Nazi Germany's "Kriegsmarine" for service during World War II.
Design.
German Type VIIC submarines were preceded by the shorter Type VIIB submarines. "U-735" had a displacement of when at the surface and while submerged. She had a total length of , a pressure hull length of , a beam of , a height of , and a draught of . The submarine was powered by two Germaniawerft F46 four-stroke, six-cylinder supercharged diesel engines producing a total of for use while surfaced, two AEG GU 460/8–27 double-acting electric motors producing a total of for use while submerged. She had two shafts and two propellers. The boat was capable of operating at depths of up to .
The submarine had a maximum surface speed of and a maximum submerged speed of . When submerged, the boat could operate for at ; when surfaced, she could travel at . "U-735" was fitted with five torpedo tubes (four fitted at the bow and one at the stern), fourteen torpedoes, one SK C/35 naval gun, 220 rounds, and two twin C/30 anti-aircraft guns. The boat had a complement of between forty-four and sixty.
Service history.
"U-735" served as a training boat preparing U-boat crews for service in the Atlantic Ocean. Her home base was Horten Naval Base in Norway, from which she operated on short coastal patrols, practicing in fjords and channels for submarine warfare. A Type VIIC U-boat, "U-735" was very useful for preparing sailors and officers for service in modern boats, as opposed to the new models usually used in training.
Commissioned at Christmas 1942 in Danzig after an exceptionally long building period, "U-735" was given to "Oberleutnant zur See" Hans-Joachim Börner, who remained in command of the boat right up to her destruction exactly two years later, when he was killed on board his ship. Dispatched to Norway, Börner soon became an expert on the Norwegian seaways, and was able to train a large number of sailors on his practice missions from Horten.
On the 28 December 1944, RAF Bomber Command sought to eradicate the menace of submarines sailing from Norwegian bases, and launched a major raid on Horten with 57 Avo Lancaster bombers. "U-735" was anchored in the naval harbour at Horten. When the air raid alarm came at 21.30, "U-735" eventually succeeded in leaving the harbour, having had trouble starting her diesels. At 23.30 NE of Horten she caught the full force of a bomb, sinking just outside the harbour, south of Mølen Island, with 26 men killed and ten missing, including her captain. Only one crew member survived, plus ten crew members who were on leave in Horten. She was the only U-boat to be lost in the attack. The wreck was rediscovered in a depth of 190 meters by a Royal Norwegian Navy divers from sub-sea surveillance ship, in 1999. A high-resolution SAS image of the wreck which is in upright position made the cover of Sea Technology Magazine in June 2006 , and another SAS image of U-735 is made available by the Norwegian Defence Reseasrch Establishment. Two other ships were also sunk in the air attack: and .
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