U-652
Type | VIIC | |||||||||||||
| Ordered | 9 Oct 1939 | |||||||||||||
| Laid down | 5 Feb 1940 | Howaldtswerke Hamburg AG, Hamburg (werk 801) | ||||||||||||
| Launched | 7 Feb 1941 | |||||||||||||
| Commissioned | 3 Apr 1941 | Oblt. Georg-Werner Fraatz | ||||||||||||
| Commanders |
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| Career 8 patrols |
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| Successes | 2 ships sunk for a total of 8,152 GRT 1 auxiliary warship sunk for a total of 558 GRT 2 warships sunk for a total of 2,740 tons 2 ships damaged for a total of 9,918 GRT 1 auxiliary warship damaged for a total of 10,917 GRT | |||||||||||||
| Fate | Badly damaged by depth charges from a British Swordfish aircraft and scuttled on 2 June, 1942 in the Mediterranean in the Gulf of Solum, in position 31.55N, 25.11E, by torpedoes from U-81. 46 survivors (no casualties). | |||||||||||||
Wolfpack operations
U-652 operated with the following Wolfpacks during its career:
Grönland (23 Aug 1941 - 27 Aug 1941)
Markgraf (27 Aug 1941 - 16 Sep 1941)
Attacks on this boat
4 Sep 1941
On 4 September 1941, the American destroyer USS Greer had been signalled by a British bomber, that a German submarine was hiding in the vicinity. Greer found sound contact, and started to pursue the U-boat (U-652) from close range. The aircraft dropped 4 depth charges, and left the scene, leaving the two fighting ships. Soon after the U-boat fired a torpedo at the US warship, perhaps believing she dropped the four bombs. After this USS Greer went into attack, and a 2 hour battle followed, during which she dropped 19 depth charges, and the U-boat fired another torpedo, without results. President Roosevelt used this event in his campaign to convince the US to go to war, and the "undeclared war" between U-boats and US escorts escalated dramatically.
1 recorded attack on this boat.
Men lost from U-boats
Unlike many other U-boats, which during their service lost men due to accidents and various other causes, U-652 did not suffer any casualties (we know of) until the time of her loss.
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