U-511
Type | IXC | |||||||||
| Ordered | 20 Oct 1939 | |||||||||
| Laid down | 21 Feb 1941 | Deutsche Werft AG, Hamburg (werk 307) | ||||||||
| Launched | 22 Sep 1941 | |||||||||
| Commissioned | 8 Dec 1941 | Kptlt. Friedrich Steinhoff | ||||||||
| Commanders |
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| Career 4 patrols |
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| Successes | 5 ships sunk for a total of 41,373 GRT 1 ship damaged for a total of 8,773 GRT | |||||||||
| Fate | Sold to Japan at Kure, Japan on 16 Sept, 1943 and became the Japanese submarine RO 500. Surrendered at Maizuru in August 1945. Scuttled in the Gulf of Maizuru by the US Navy on 30 April, 1946. | |||||||||
Wolfpack operations
U-511 operated with the following Wolfpacks during its career:
Pirat (29 Jul 1942 - 3 Aug 1942)
Schlagetot (9 Nov 1942 - 21 Nov 1942)
Delphin (3 Jan 1943 - 14 Feb 1943)
Robbe (16 Feb 1943 - 5 Mar 1943)
Attacks on this boat
12 Feb 1943
The boat was damaged by convoy escorts off Cape Finisterre and was forced to abort her attack. (Sources: Blair, vol 2, page 195)
1 recorded attack on this boat.
General notes on this boat
31 May 1942. During the summer of 1942 the boat under the command of Kptlt. Steinhoff took part in some of the most interesting experiments of the entire world war. Steinhoff's brother, Dr. Erich Steinhoff was working at Peenemünde on the rockets program and they worked it out so that U-511 was used for rocket tests.
A rack for 6 30 cm rockets was installed and somewhat extensive tests were carried out. These were concluded with a successful launch of rockets from a depth of 12 meters. These amazing tests did not convince Dönitz' staff of their merit and they were not carried out. The rockets in question, the 30cm Wurfkörper 42 Spreng, was by no means advanced enough to target ships but it might have been used to bombard shore installations such as oil refineries in the Caribbean. That idea was born in late 1944 when type XXI boats were to tow V-2 launchers which would attack shore bases. The launchers, nor the XXI boats, were not available in time though.
Men lost from U-boats
Unlike many other U-boats, which during their service lost men due to accidents and various other causes, U-511 did not suffer any casualties (we know of) until the time of her loss.
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