German submarine U-192

German submarine U-192 was a very short-lived Type IXC/40 U-boat of Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine built during World War II for service in the Battle of the Atlantic. During her maiden voyage in May 1943, she was sunk by a British warship, HMS Loosestrife on 6 May 1943.

History
Nazi Germany
Name	U-192
Ordered	4 November 1940
Builder	DeSchiMAG AG Weser, Bremen
Yard number	1038
Laid down	27 November 1941
Launched	30 July 1942
Commissioned	16 November 1942
Fate	Sunk 6 May 1943 by British warship in position 53°6′N 45°44′W
General characteristics
Class and type	Type IXC/40 submarine
Displacement	1,120 t (1,100 long tons) surfaced 1,232 t (1,213 long tons) submerged
Length	76.76 m (251.8 ft) o/a 58.75 m (192 ft 9 in) pressure hull
Beam	6.90 m (22 ft 8 in) o/a 4.40 m (14 ft 5 in) pressure hull
Height	9.60 m (31 ft 6 in)
Draught	4.70 m (15 ft 5 in)
Installed power	4,400 PS (3,200 kW; 4,300 bhp) (diesels) 1,000 PS (740 kW; 990 shp) (electric)
Propulsion	2 shafts 2 × diesel engines 2 × electric motors
Speed	18.3 knots (33.9 km/h; 21.1 mph) surfaced 7.3 knots (13.5 km/h; 8.4 mph) submerged
Range	13,850 nmi (25,650 km; 15,940 mi) at 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph) surfaced 117 nmi (217 km; 135 mi) at 4 knots (7.4 km/h; 4.6 mph) submerged
Test depth	230 m (750 ft)
Complement	4 officers, 44 enlisted
Armament	6 × torpedo tubes (4 bow, 2 stern) 22 × 53.3 cm (21 in) torpedoes 1 × 10.5 cm (4.1 in) SK C/32 deck gun (180 rounds) 1 × 3.7 cm (1.5 in) SK C/30 AA gun 1 × twin 2 cm FlaK 30 AA guns
Service record
Part of:	4th U-boat Flotilla 16 November 1942 – 30 April 1943 10th U-boat Flotilla 1 – 6 May 1943
Identification codes:	M 50 188
Commanders:	Oblt.z.S. Werner Happe 16 November 1942 – 6 May 1943
Operations:	1 patrol: 13 April – 6 May 1943
Victories:	None

Design

German Type IXC/40 submarines were slightly larger than the original Type IXCs. U-192 had a displacement of 1,144 tonnes (1,126 long tons) when at the surface and 1,257 tonnes (1,237 long tons) while submerged. The U-boat had a total length of 76.76 m (251 ft 10 in), a pressure hull length of 58.75 m (192 ft 9 in), a beam of 6.86 m (22 ft 6 in), a height of 9.60 m (31 ft 6 in), and a draught of 4.67 m (15 ft 4 in). The submarine was powered by two MAN M 9 V 40/46 supercharged four-stroke, nine-cylinder diesel engines producing a total of 4,400 metric horsepower (3,240 kW; 4,340 shp) for use while surfaced, two Siemens-Schuckert 2 GU 345/34 double-acting electric motors producing a total of 1,000 shaft horsepower (1,010 PS; 750 kW) for use while submerged. She had two shafts and two 1.92 m (6 ft) propellers. The boat was capable of operating at depths of up to 230 metres (750 ft).

The submarine had a maximum surface speed of 18.3 knots (33.9 km/h; 21.1 mph) and a maximum submerged speed of 7.3 knots (13.5 km/h; 8.4 mph). When submerged, the boat could operate for 63 nautical miles (117 km; 72 mi) at 4 knots (7.4 km/h; 4.6 mph); when surfaced, she could travel 13,850 nautical miles (25,650 km; 15,940 mi) at 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph). U-192 was fitted with six 53.3 cm (21 in) torpedo tubes (four fitted at the bow and two at the stern), 22 torpedoes, one 10.5 cm (4.13 in) SK C/32 naval gun, 180 rounds, and a 3.7 cm (1.5 in) SK C/30 as well as a 2 cm (0.79 in) C/30 anti-aircraft gun. The boat had a complement of forty-eight.

Service history

She was built in Bremen during 1942 and was ready to sail in April 1943, following four months of training and working-up trials in the Baltic Sea, under the command of Oberleutnant zur See Werner Happe (Crew 36).

U-192 left Kiel for operations in the West Atlantic on 13 April 1943. The U-boat participated in three wolfpacks, Meise, Star, and Fink at the end of April 1943. Two attacks on Allied shipping had failed, when U-192 was picked up by an escort of convoy ONS 5, HMS Loosestrife, early on 6 May 1943. The escort sank the U-boat with depth charges, killing its entire crew of 55.

Wolfpacks

U-192 took part in three wolfpacks, namely:

• Meise (25 – 27 April 1943)
• Star (27 April - 4 May 1943)
• Fink (4 – 6 May 1943)

Bibliography

• Busch, Rainer; Röll, Hans-Joachim (1999). German U-boat commanders of World War II : a biographical dictionary. Translated by Brooks, Geoffrey. London, Annapolis, Md: Greenhill Books, Naval Institute Press. ISBN 1-55750-186-6.
• Busch, Rainer; Röll, Hans-Joachim (1999). Deutsche U-Boot-Verluste von September 1939 bis Mai 1945 [German U-boat losses from September 1939 to May 1945]. Der U-Boot-Krieg (in German). Vol. IV. Hamburg, Berlin, Bonn: Mittler. ISBN 3-8132-0514-2.
• Edwards, Bernard (1996). Dönitz and the Wolfpacks - The U-boats at War. Cassell Military Classics. pp. 195, 199. ISBN 0-304-35203-9.
• Gröner, Erich; Jung, Dieter; Maass, Martin (1991). U-boats and Mine Warfare Vessels. German Warships 1815–1945. Vol. 2. Translated by Thomas, Keith; Magowan, Rachel. London: Conway Maritime Press. ISBN 0-85177-593-4.
• Sharpe, Peter (1998). U-Boat Fact File. Great Britain: Midland Publishing. ISBN 1-85780-072-9.

External links

• Hofmann, Markus. "U 192". Deutsche U-Boote 1935-1945 - u-boot-archiv.de (in German). Retrieved 30 January 2015.
• Helgason, Guðmundur. "The Type IXC/40 boat U-192". German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net. Retrieved 7 December 2014.