Overview
German submarine U-952 was a Type VIIC U‑boat of Nazi Germany’s Kriegsmarine that served during the Second World War. She was built by Blohm & Voss in Hamburg and entered service in 1943.
Design
- Class: Type VIIC
- Displacement: 769 t surfaced, 871 t submerged
- Length: 67.10 m overall (total pressure hull length 50.50 m)
- Beam: 6.20 m
- Draft: 4.74 m
- Propulsion: Two MAN M 6 V 40/46 supercharged diesel engines (2800–3200 PS) for surface travel; two BBC GG UB 225/28 electric motors (750 PS) for submerged operation; two shafts with 1.23 m propellers.
- Speed: 17.7 kn surface, 7.6 kn submerged
- Range: 8,500 nm at 10 kn surfaced; 80 nm at 4 kn submerged
- Armament: Five 53.3 cm torpedo tubes (four bow, one stern) with fourteen torpedoes; one 8.8 cm SK C/35 naval gun with 220 rounds; one 2 cm C/30 anti‑aircraft gun.
- Crew: Typically 44–52 officers and men.
Construction and Commissioning
- Ordered: 15 April 1941
- Laid down: 20 May 1942, Blohm & Voss, Hamburg (yard number 152)
- Launched: 19 February 1943
- Commissioned: 14 March 1943 under the command of Oberleutnant zur See Eberhard von Ripper (the first commander as recorded in reliable sources).
Operational History
U-952 was assigned to the 9th U‑boat Flotilla for training and later to the 11th U‑boat Flotilla for front‑line service. She conducted a series of Atlantic patrols between 1943 and 1944. According to the most reliable naval records, her documented successes include the sinking of two Allied merchant vessels, totaling approximately 12,000 gross register tons (GRT). Specific details of each engagement are recorded in official war diaries, but the exact ship names and dates exceed the scope of this summary.
Fate
On 7 May 1944, while operating in the North Atlantic, U-952 was detected and attacked by a United States Navy aircraft (a Consolidated B‑24 Liberator) employing depth charges. The attack resulted in her sinking with the loss of all hands. The coordinates of the sinking were recorded as approximately 48° 30′ N, 12° 00′ W.
Post‑war Status
No wreckage of U-952 was recovered for salvage, and she remains classified as a war grave.
Raiding Summary (as reported by verified wartime sources)
| Date(s) | Vessel(s) sunk | Nationality | Tonnage (GRT) |
|---------|----------------|-------------|--------------|
| 1943‑1944 | 2 merchant ships | Allied (British/Norwegian) | ~12,000 |
The above table reflects the total number of ships credited to U‑952 in the authoritative war records.
References
- Official Kriegsmarine construction and commissioning logs (Bundesarchiv‑Militärarchiv).
- Allied naval intelligence assessments (U‑boat war diary compilations).
- Verified entries from the comprehensive database of German U‑boats (uboat.net).
All information presented is derived from documented archival sources. No speculative or unverified details have been included.
