German submarine U-342
German submarine U-342 was a Type VIIC U-boat of Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine during World War II.
She was on her first patrol when she was sunk by a Canadian aircraft, Canso patrol flying boats, on 17 April 1944, with 51 casualties, lost with all hands.
She did not sink or damage any ships.
Design
German Type VIIC submarines were preceded by the shorter Type VIIB submarines. U-342 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 AEG GU 460/8–27 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-342 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 7 December 1941 at the Nordseewerke yard at Emden as yard number 214, launched on 10 November 1942 and commissioned on 12 January 1943 under the command of Oberleutnant zur See Albert Hossenfelder.U-342 served with the 8th U-boat Flotilla, for training and then with the 7th flotilla for operations from 1 March 1944.
Patrol
U-342 had sailed from Kiel in Germany to Bergen in Norway in March 1944, but her patrol began when she departed Bergen on 3 April and headed for the Atlantic Ocean. She had passed through the gap between Iceland and the Faroe Islands, but was attacked and sunk by a Canadian Canso of No. 162 Squadron RCAF southwest of Iceland on 17 April.Fifty-one men died; there were no survivors.