German World War II submarine
German submarine "U-325" was a Type VIIC/41 U-boat of Nazi Germany's "Kriegsmarine" during World War II.
The submarine was laid down on 13 April 1943 at the Flender Werke at Lübeck, launched on 25 March 1944, and commissioned on 6 May 1944 under the command of "Oberleutnant zur See" Erwin Dohrn.
Design.
German Type VIIC/41 submarines were preceded by the heavier Type VIIC submarines. "U-325" 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 Garbe, Lahmeyer &amp; Co. RP 137/c 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-325" 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), one Flak M42 and two C/30 anti-aircraft guns. The boat had a complement of between forty-four and sixty.
Service history.
"U-325"'s first patrol took her from Kiel in Germany to Horten Naval Base in Norway, between 1 and 4 December 1944. She then sailed from Horten on 9 December 1944, and around the British Isles into the western English Channel, before returning to Trondheim on 14 February 1945, although she recorded no successes.
Loss.
"U-325" sailed from Trondheim on 20 March 1945 for her third and final patrol and was ordered to return to the waters off Lands End. Even though her last report was received on 7 April, when Germany surrendered on 8 May 1945 "U-325" was still considered operational by the U-boat High Command. However it soon became apparent that the submarine was lost.
The British initially attributed the loss of "U-325" to a depth charge attack by the destroyers and on 30 April 1945. However, after later analysis of German records that submarine was re-identified as , and "U-325"'s fate was officially classified as "unknown".
Discovery.
The wreck of "U-325" was finally discovered by Scuba divers in 2006, South of Lizard Point at position . To counter the increasing number of schnorkel-fitted U-boats in UK coastal waters, the First Sea Lord ordered a heavy anti-U-boat mining programme to be undertaken in the Western Approaches, Plymouth and Portsmouth Commands on 15 January 1945. By April 1945, nine different fields (Serial B1, part 1 to 4, Serial B2, part 1 to 4, and Serial B3, part 1), comprising 900 Mk XVII/XVII(8) mines were laid off Lizard Head. "U-325" struck a mine in field B3, part 1. This field was laid by the coastal minelayer escorted by the minesweepers and .
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