German submarine U-718
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-718s 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. References

Bibliography

External links

World War II submarines of Germany
German Type VIIC submarines
U-boats sunk in collisions
U-boats commissioned in 1943
U-boats sunk in 1943
U-boats sunk by German warships
World War II shipwrecks in the Baltic Sea
1943 ships
Ships built in Hamburg
Maritime incidents in November 1943