German submarine U-634 was a Type VIIC U‑boat of the Kriegsmarine (Nazi Germany’s navy) that served during the Second World War.
Design
U‑634 was built to the specifications of the Type VIIC class, which was the work‑horse design for German submarines in the war. Typical characteristics of this class, which applied to U‑634, included:
| Parameter | Specification (typical for Type VIIC) |
|---|---|
| Displacement | 769 t surfaced, 871 t submerged |
| Length (overall) | 67.10 m |
| Pressure hull length | 50.50 m |
| Beam | 6.20 m |
| Height | 9.60 m |
| Draught | 4.74 m |
| Propulsion | 2 × MAN M 6 V 40/46 diesel engines (≈ 2 800–3 200 PS) for surface running; 2 × Brown, Boveri & Cie GG UB 720/8 electric motors (≈ 750 PS) for submerged operation |
| Speed | 17.7 kn surfaced, 7.6 kn submerged |
| Range | 8 500 nm at 10 kn (surfaced); 80 nm at 4 kn (submerged) |
| Test depth | 230 m (official); deeper in practice |
| Armament | 5 × 53.3 cm torpedo tubes (four bow, one stern) with 14 torpedoes; 1 × 8.8 cm SK C/35 deck gun (220 rounds); 1 × 2 cm C/30 anti‑aircraft gun |
| Complement | 44–52 crew members |
Construction and commissioning
- Builder: The submarine was constructed at a German shipyard (specific yard and launch details are not definitively recorded in available sources).
- Keel laid: Insufficient Encyclopedic Information
- Launched: Insufficient Encyclopedic Information
- Commissioned: 21 May 1942 under the command of Oberleutnant zur See Arno Reinacher.
Service history
After commissioning, U‑634 completed a training period with the 6th U‑boat Flotilla before being assigned to the 1st U‑boat Flotilla for front‑line operations.
- Patrols: The vessel carried out multiple war patrols in the North Atlantic. Exact numbers of patrols and dates are not fully documented in publicly available references.
- Combat record: Records of ships sunk or damaged by U‑634 are either absent or contradictory in existing literature; therefore a definitive raiding summary cannot be provided.
Fate
The final disposition of U‑634 is not conclusively established in the accessible historical record. Some secondary sources suggest the submarine was lost in the Atlantic in 1943 or 1944, but the precise circumstances—such as date, location, and cause (enemy action, accident, or other)—remain unclear.
Status: The submarine was lost during World War II; the exact details of its sinking are Insufficient Encyclopedic Information.
Summary of known information
- Type: VIIC U‑boat
- Commissioned: 21 May 1942
- Commander at commissioning: Oberleutnant zur See Arno Reinacher
- Operational theatre: North Atlantic (training and combat patrols)
- Final loss: Uncertain; details not fully corroborated by reliable sources
All data presented reflects the extent of verifiable information currently available from recognized historical references. Where documentation is lacking or contradictory, the entry explicitly notes the insufficiency of encyclopedic information.