German World War II submarine
German submarine "U-718" was a short-lived Type VIIC U-boat built by Nazi Germany's "Kriegsmarine" for service during World War II. Due to an accident during training exercises five months after completion, "U-718" never saw active service in the "Kriegsmarine". Built at Hamburg during 1942 and 1943 and taking a year to complete, "U-718" was a Type VIIC submarine and was intended for service in the Battle of the Atlantic.
Design.
German Type VIIC submarines were preceded by the shorter Type VIIB submarines. "U-718" 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-718" 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.
On the 18 November 1943, "U-718" was conducting training as part of a "wolfpack" near Bornholm in the Baltic Sea under "Oberleutnant zur See" Helmut Wieduwilt, when she was accidentally rammed by . The submarines had been maneuvering to attack the same target in the dark, and "U-476" ran aboard "U-718" whilst the submarines were running on the surface. "U-718"'s hatch was closed to prevent water entering the hull, and thus only the seven personnel in the conning tower, including "Kapitänleutnant" Wieduwilt, survived. The boat's hull was ruptured by the force of the impact, causing the submarine to fill and sink very rapidly, taking 43 sailors to the bottom with her. The survivors were rescued from the water by other German naval units and transferred to other boats.
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