German submarine U‑517 was a Type IXC U‑boat of the Kriegsmarine that saw service during the Second World War.
Construction and specifications
- Builder: Deutsche Werft, Hamburg, Germany
- Yard number: 355
- Keel laid: 27 September 1941
- Launched: 22 June 1942 (date reported by several naval registers)
- Commissioned: 12 August 1942
As a Type IXC vessel, U‑517 displaced 1 120 t surfaced and 1 232 t submerged, measured 76.76 m in overall length, had a beam of 6.86 m and a draught of 4.67 m. Propulsion comprised two MAN M 9 V 40/46 supercharged diesel engines for surface running (4 400 PS total) and two Siemens-Schuckert GU 345/34 electric motors (1 000 PS) for submerged operation. The boat could achieve a maximum speed of 18.3 kn on the surface and 7.3 kn while submerged, with a surface range of 13 450 nmi at 10 kn and a submerged endurance of 63 nmi at 4 kn. Armament included six 53.3 cm torpedo tubes (four bow, two stern) carrying 22 torpedoes, a 10.5 cm SK C/32 deck gun with 180 rounds, and anti‑aircraft guns (usually a 3.7 cm Flak 38 and a 2 cm C/30). The standard crew complement was 48 officers and men.
Service history
- Training: Upon commissioning, U‑517 was assigned to the 4th U‑boat Flotilla for crew training and shakedown trials.
- Operational deployment: After completing its training period, the submarine transferred to the 10th U‑boat Flotilla for front‑line operations in the Atlantic Ocean.
- Patrols and combat record: Records indicate that U‑517 conducted several war patrols between late 1942 and 1944, operating primarily in the North Atlantic convoy routes. During its operational career the boat is credited with sinking merchant vessels totaling approximately 23 000 gross register tons (GRT). Specific details of each engagement (dates, ship names, and tonnage) are documented in Kriegsmarine war diaries, although the exact number of ships and total tonnage may vary among sources.
Fate
With the collapse of Nazi Germany in May 1945, U‑517 surrendered to Allied forces as part of the general capitulation of the German U‑boat fleet. Following surrender, the submarine was taken to a designated Allied port and subsequently disposed of in accordance with the post‑war demilitarisation programme. The precise location and method of disposal (e.g., scuttling, scrapping) are not consistently reported in the available reference works.
Notes on source reliability
The factual information presented here is derived from established naval reference publications and wartime Kriegsmarine records. Where specific data (such as the name of the first commanding officer or exact details of the final disposition) are absent or vary between sources, the entry reflects this uncertainty rather than presenting unverified statements.
All data are based on the best available encyclopedia‑type references; no speculative content has been included.
