Allied Warships

Submarines

U class

48 ships


The submarine ORP Sokol (N 97) of the Polish Navy.

Technical information

TypeSubmarine
Displacement540 / 730 BRT 
Length191.5 feet 
Complement27 men 
Armament3 MG AA
6 21" torpedo tubes (4 bow, 2 bow external)
10 torpedoes 
Max speed11.75 / 9 knots (surfaced/submerged)
EnginesDiesel / Electric, 2 shafts 
Power615 / 825 HP  (surfaced/submerged)
Notes on class

The U class were originally developed as unarmed training boats to replace the WWI H-class. They were fitted with torpedo tubes to allow them to be used operationally. Small and manoeuvrable (630 tons) they were well suited to the confined waters of the North Sea and Mediterranean. They were succeeded by the very similar but partially welded V-class. Cheap, reliable and quickly produced, these were the workhorses of the wartime submarine service.

The specifications as given above are for the first group.

Further specifications on the later groups;
2nd Group;
Same as the first group except;
Complement: 31 men
Length: same as for the first group except: Umpire, Una, Unbeaten ,Undaunted, Union and Urchin 196.75 feet
Armament:
1 3" gun
3 MG AA
As designed: 6 21" torpedo tubes (4 bow, 2 bow external) except Umpire, Una, Unbeaten ,Undaunted, Union and Urchin 4 21" torpedo tubes (4 bow)
As designed: 10 torpedoes except Umpire, Una, Unbeaten ,Undaunted, Union and Urchin 8 torpedoes

It appears that all submarines of the 2nd group were not equipped with the external torpedo tubes although the ships not listed in the above text were fitted with a different type of bow which could accomodate the external tubes.

3th group;
Same as the first group except;
Displacement: 545 / 740 BRT
Complement: 31 men
Length: 196.75 feet
Armament:
1 3" gun
3 MG AA
4 21" torpedo tubes (4 bow)
8 torpedoes
Speed:14.25 / 9 knots

Undine, Unity and Ursula are often listed as a special Unity class of Small Patrol Submarines. When that is the case the Second group below becomes the first and the Third becomes Group II.

Submarines of this class that have detailed patrol info added are shown in bold in the list below.

 


All ships of the U class


First Group


Royal Navy Royal Navy (more on Royal Navy)

HMS Undine (i) (N 48) Lost on 7 Jan 1940
HMS Unity (N 66) Lost on 29 Apr 1940
HMS Ursula (N 59) (Became the Soviet submarine V-4)


Soviet Navy Soviet Navy (more on Soviet Navy)

V-4 (ex. HMS Ursula)

Second Group


Royal Navy Royal Navy (more on Royal Navy)

HMS Umpire (N 82) Lost on 19 Jul 1941
HMS Una (N 87)
HMS Unbeaten (N 93) Lost on 11 Nov 1942
HMS Undaunted (i) (N 55) Lost on 11 May 1941
HMS Union (N 56) Lost on 20 Jul 1941
HMS Unique (N 95) Lost on 24 Oct 1942
HMS Upholder (N 99) Lost on 14 Apr 1942
HMS Upright (N 89)
HMS Urchin (i) (N 97) (Became the Polish submarine Sokol)
HMS Urge (N 17) Lost on 27 Apr 1942
HMS Usk (i) (N 65) Lost on 3 May 1941
HMS Utmost (N 19) Lost on Nov 1942


Polish Navy Polish Navy (more on Polish Navy)

ORP Sokol (N 97) (ex. HMS Urchin)

Third Group


Free French Navy Free French Navy (more on Free French Navy)

FFL Curie (P 67)


Royal Navy Royal Navy (more on Royal Navy)

HMS P 32 (P 32) Lost on 18 Aug 1941
HMS P 33 (P 33) Lost on Aug 1941
HMS P 36 (P 36) Lost on 1 Apr 1942
HMS P 38 (P 38) Lost on 23 Feb 1942
HMS P 39 (P 39) Lost on 26 Mar 1942
HMS P 48 (P 48) Lost on 25 Dec 1942
HMS Ultimatum (P 34)
HMS Ultor (P 53)
HMS Umbra (P 35)
HMS Unbending (P 37)
HMS Unbroken (P 42) (Became the Soviet submarine B-2)
HMS Unison (P 43) (Became the Soviet submarine B-3)
HMS United (P 44)
HMS Universal (P 57)
HMS Unrivalled (P 45)
HMS Unruffled (P 46)
HMS Unruly (P 49)
HMS Unseen (P 51)
HMS Unshaken (P 54)
HMS Unsparing (P 55)
HMS Unswerving (P 63)
HMS Untamed (P 58)
HMS Untiring (P 59)
HMS Uproar (P 31)
HMS Upstart (P 65)
HMS Usurper (P 56) Lost on Oct 1943
HMS Uther (P 62)
HMS Vandal (P 64) Lost on 24 Feb 1943
HMS Varangian (P 61)


Royal Dutch Navy Royal Dutch Navy (more on Royal Dutch Navy)

HNMS Dolfijn (P 47)


Royal Norwegian Navy Royal Norwegian Navy (more on Royal Norwegian Navy)

HNoMS Ula (P 66)
HNoMS Uredd (P 41) Lost on 24 Feb 1943


Polish Navy Polish Navy (more on Polish Navy)

ORP Dzik (P 52)


Soviet Navy Soviet Navy (more on Soviet Navy)

V-2 (ex. HMS Unbroken)
V-3 (ex. HMS Unison)


48 Submarines (53 names) of the U class. 20 of them were lost.

Full wartime service history on this vessel.

See all Submarine classes.



Fighting Captain, The

Burn, Alan

Books dealing with this subject include:

Abandon Ship!, Newcomb, Richard F., 2000
Above Us the Waves, Warren, C.E.T. and Benson, James, 1971 (transl.)
Advance Force - Pearl Harbor, Burlingame, Burl, 2002
Air war over the nore, Jonathan Sutherland, 2010
Aircraft Versus Submarine, Price, Alfred, 1980 (transl.)
Airships vs. Submarines, Van Treuren, Richard G., 2009
Allied Submarine Attacks of World War Two, Rohwer, Jürgen, 1997
Allied Submarines, Watts, Anthony J., 1977
Allied Submarines of World War Two, Poolman, Kenneth, 1990 (transl.)
American Submarine War Patrol Reports: U.S.S. Wahoo (SS-238), McDaniel, J.T. (editor), 2003
American Submarines, Lenton, H.T., 1973
Assault on a Queen, Finney, Jack, 1959
Axis Submarines, Watts, Anthony J., 1977
Bacalao, McDaniel, J.T., 2004
Back from the Deep, LaVO, Carl, 1998



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