German World War II submarine
German submarine "U-336" was a Type VIIC U-boat of Nazi Germany's "Kriegsmarine" during World War II. The submarine was laid down on 28 March 1941 at the Nordseewerke yard at Emden as yard number 208, launched on 4 December and commissioned on 14 February 1942 under the command of "Kapitänleutnant" Hans Hunger.
Design.
German Type VIIC submarines were preceded by the shorter Type VIIB submarines. "U-336" 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-336" 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 a C/30 anti-aircraft gun. The boat had a complement of between forty-four and sixty.
Service history.
After training with the 5th U-boat Flotilla, she moved to the 1st flotilla for front-line service in December 1942.
The boat carried out five patrols, sinking one ship.
She was a member of ten wolfpacks.
First patrol.
The boat's first patrol was very brief; starting and finishing in Kiel on 12 and 13 November 1942.
Second patrol.
Her second foray also started in Kiel, but terminated in Brest in occupied France after passing between the Faroe and Shetland Islands. She sank the Belgian tanker "President Francqui" on 29 December 1942 north of the Azores. The ship had already been hit by two torpedoes. "U-336" finished her off with a 'coup de grâce'.
Third patrol.
The submarine's third sortie was again into the mid-Atlantic. She spent days scouring the empty wastes, but returned to Brest without success.
Fourth patrol.
"U-336"'s fourth patrol was, at 71 days, her longest. She was attacked by an unidentified aircraft on 10 July 1943 west of Lisbon. Slight damage was the result.
Fifth patrol.
"U-336" left Brest for the last time on 14 September 1943. Initially she headed west, out of the Bay of Biscay. On the 24th, she turned north.
Fate.
On 5 October, she was sunk by rockets fired by a British Lockheed Hudson of No. 269 Squadron RAF in the Denmark Strait, (between Greenland and Iceland).
Fifty men died; there were no survivors.
Wolfpacks.
"U-336" took part in ten wolfpacks, namely:
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