German submarine U-401
German submarine U-401 was a Type VIIC U-boat of Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine during World War II.
She carried out one patrol. She sank or damaged no ships.
On her first patrol, she was sunk with all hands in mid-Atlantic on 3 August 1941 by Allied warships.
Design
German Type VIIC submarines were preceded by the shorter Type VIIB submarines. U-401 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 Brown, Boveri & Cie GG UB 720/8 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-401 was fitted with five torpedo tubes, fourteen torpedoes, one SK C/35 naval gun, 220 rounds, and a C/30 anti-aircraft gun. The boat had a complement of between forty-four and sixty.
Service history
The submarine was laid down on 8 April 1940 at the Danziger Werft at Danzig as yard number 102, launched on 16 December and commissioned on 10 April under the command of Kapitänleutnant Gero Zimmermann.She served with the 1st U-boat Flotilla from 10 April 1941 and stayed with that organization from 1 July until her loss.
The boat's only patrol was preceded by the short journey from Königsberg to Trondheim.
Patrol and loss
U-401 departed Trondheim on 9 July 1941. On 3 August she was sunk by depth charges dropped from the British destroyer, the Norwegian-crewed destroyer and the British corvette.Forty-five men died in U-401; there were no survivors.