German submarine U-392


German submarine U-392 was a Type VIIC U-boat of Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine during World War II. She carried out two patrols. She did not sink or damage any ships. She was sunk by US aircraft and British warships in the Strait of Gibraltar on 16 March 1944.

Design

German Type VIIC submarines were preceded by the shorter Type VIIB submarines. U-392 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 Garbe, Lahmeyer & Co. RP 137/c 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-392 was fitted with five torpedo tubes, 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

The submarine was laid down on 10 January 1942 at the Howaldtswerke at Flensburg as yard number 24, launched on 10 April 1943 and commissioned on 29 May under the command of Oberleutnant zur See Henning Schümann.
The boat was a member of five wolfpacks.
She served with the 5th U-boat Flotilla from 29 May 1943 and the 1st flotilla from 1 December of the same year.

First patrol

The boat departed Kiel on 2 December 1943. She passed through the gap that separates Iceland and the Faroe Islands, turned about and headed northeast of Iceland; she then turned about once more and made for the northern Atlantic Ocean. She docked in Brest in occupied France on 20 January 1944.

Second patrol and loss

U-392 had departed Brest on 29 February 1944, heading south. On 16 March, she was attacked and sunk by depth charges from three US PBY Catalinas, the British frigate and the British destroyer in the Strait of Gibraltar.
52 men died in the U-boat; there were no survivors.

Wolfpacks

U-392 took part in five wolfpacks, namely:
  • Coronel 1
  • Amrum
  • Rügen 4
  • Rügen 3
  • Rügen