U-9, a typical Type IIB boat
History
Nazi Germany
NameU-17
Ordered2 February 1935
BuilderGermaniawerft, Kiel
Yard number547
Laid down1 July 1935
Launched14 November 1935
Commissioned3 December 1935
FateScuttled, 5 May 1945 at Wilhelmshaven
General characteristics
Class and typeType IIB coastal submarine
Displacement
  • 279 t (275 long tons) surfaced
  • 328 t (323 long tons) submerged
Length
Beam
  • 4.08 m (13 ft 5 in) (o/a)
  • 4.00 m (13 ft 1 in) (pressure hull)
Height8.60 m (28 ft 3 in)
Draught3.90 m (12 ft 10 in)
Installed power
  • 700 PS (510 kW; 690 bhp) (diesels)
  • 410 PS (300 kW; 400 shp) (electric)
Propulsion
Speed
  • 13 knots (24 km/h; 15 mph) surfaced
  • 7 knots (13 km/h; 8.1 mph) submerged
Range
  • 1,800 nmi (3,300 km; 2,100 mi) at 12 knots (22 km/h; 14 mph) surfaced
  • 35–43 nmi (65–80 km; 40–49 mi) at 4 knots (7.4 km/h; 4.6 mph) submerged
Test depth80 m (260 ft)
Complement3 officers, 22 men
Armament
Service record
Part of:
  • 1st U-boat Flotilla
  • 1 December 1935 – 1 August 1939
  • 1 September – 31 October 1939
  • U-boat Training Flotilla
  • 1 November 1939 – 30 April 1940
  • U-boat Defense School
  • 1 May 1940 – 28 February 1943
  • 22nd U-boat Flotilla
  • 1 March 1943 – 6 February 1945
Identification codes: M 25 322
Commanders:
  • Oblt.z.S. / Kptlt. Werner Fresdorf
  • 3 December 1935 – 1 November 1937
  • Oblt.z.S. / Kptlt. Heinz von Reiche
  • 2 November 1937 – 11 September 1939
  • Kptlt. Harald Jeppener-Haltenhoff
  • 11 September – 17 October 1939
  • Kptlt. Wolf-Harro Stiebler
  • 18 October 1939 – 5 January 1940
  • Kptlt. Udo Behrens
  • 6 January – 7 July 1940
  • Oblt.z.S. Herwig Collmann
  • 8 July 1940 – 4 January 1941
  • Kptlt. Wolfgang Schultze
  • 5 January – 15 October 1941
  • Otto Wollschläger
  • 2 – 14 October 1941
  • Oblt.z.S. Ernst Heydemann
  • 16 October 1941 – 31 May 1942
  • Walter Sitek
  • 1 June 1942 – 22 February 1943
  • Oblt.z.S.d.R Karl-Heinz Schmidt
  • 23 February 1943 – 25 May 1944
  • Oblt.z.S. Hans-Jürgen Bartsch
  • 26 May – 21 December 1944
  • Oblt.z.S. Friedrich Baumgärtel
  • 22 December 1944 – 6 February 1945
Operations:
  • 4 patrols:
  • 1st patrol:
  • a. 31 August – 8 September 1939
  • b. 9 – 10 September 1939
  • 2nd patrol:
  • 29 January – 10 February 1940
  • 3rd patrol:
  • a. 29 February – 7 March 1940
  • b. 27 March 1940
  • c. 5 – 6 April 1940
  • 4th patrol:
  • 13 April – 2 May 1940
Victories: 3 merchant ships sunk
(1,825 GRT)

German submarine U-17 was a Type IIB U-boat of Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine. It was built in Germaniawerft, Kiel, where it was laid down on 1 July 1935 and commissioned on 3 December 1935, under the command of Werner Fresdorf.

Design

German Type IIB submarines were enlarged versions of the original Type IIs. U-17 had a displacement of 279 tonnes (275 long tons) when at the surface and 328 tonnes (323 long tons) while submerged. Officially, the standard tonnage was 250 long tons (250 t), however.[1] The U-boat had a total length of 42.70 m (140 ft 1 in), a pressure hull length of 28.20 m (92 ft 6 in), a beam of 4.08 m (13 ft 5 in), a height of 8.60 m (28 ft 3 in), and a draught of 3.90 m (12 ft 10 in). The submarine was powered by two MWM RS 127 S four-stroke, six-cylinder diesel engines of 700 metric horsepower (510 kW; 690 shp) for cruising, two Siemens-Schuckert PG VV 322/36 double-acting electric motors producing a total of 460 metric horsepower (340 kW; 450 shp) for use while submerged. She had two shafts and two 0.85 m (3 ft) propellers. The boat was capable of operating at depths of up to 80–150 metres (260–490 ft).[1]

The submarine had a maximum surface speed of 12 knots (22 km/h; 14 mph) and a maximum submerged speed of 7 knots (13 km/h; 8.1 mph).[1] When submerged, the boat could operate for 35–42 nautical miles (65–78 km; 40–48 mi) at 4 knots (7.4 km/h; 4.6 mph); when surfaced, she could travel 3,800 nautical miles (7,000 km; 4,400 mi) at 8 knots (15 km/h; 9.2 mph). U-17 was fitted with three 53.3 cm (21 in) torpedo tubes at the bow, five torpedoes or up to twelve Type A torpedo mines, and a 2 cm (0.79 in) anti-aircraft gun. The boat had a complement of twentyfive.[1]

Service history

Its career consisted of four patrols, all served while under the 1st U-boat Flotilla where it sank three ships for a total of 1,825 gross register tons (GRT). Later in the war it served under the 22nd U-boat Flotilla as a training boat, including Oberleutnant zur See Walter Sitek as an instructor. Sitek had previously escaped imprisonment after the disabling and sinking of U-581 by HMS Westcott in February 1942. He swam 6 kilometres (3.7 mi) to Pico Island in the Azores, made his way through neutral Spain and returned to the Kriegsmarine to serve as an instructor on U-17, U-981, and U-3005.

Fate

On 5 May 1945 U-17 was scuttled at Wilhelmshaven at the western entrance of the Raeder lock.

Summary of raiding history

Date Name Nationality Tonnage
(GRT)		 Fate[2]
14 September 1939 Hawarden Castle  United Kingdom 210 Sunk (mine)
2 March 1940 Rijnstroom  Netherlands 695 Sunk
5 March 1940 Grutto  Netherlands 920 Sunk

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Gröner 1991, pp. 39–40.
  2. ↑ Helgason, Guðmundur. "Ships hit by U-17". German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net. Retrieved 4 February 2014.

Bibliography

  • Busch, Rainer; Röll, Hans-Joachim (1999). German U-boat commanders of World War II : a biographical dictionary. Translated by Brooks, Geoffrey. London, Annapolis, Md: Greenhill Books, Naval Institute Press. ISBN 1-55750-186-6.
  • Busch, Rainer; Röll, Hans-Joachim (1999). Deutsche U-Boot-Verluste von September 1939 bis Mai 1945 [German U-boat losses from September 1939 to May 1945]. Der U-Boot-Krieg (in German). Vol. IV. Hamburg, Berlin, Bonn: Mittler. ISBN 3-8132-0514-2.
  • Gröner, Erich; Jung, Dieter; Maass, Martin (1991). U-boats and Mine Warfare Vessels. German Warships 1815–1945. Vol. 2. Translated by Thomas, Keith; Magowan, Rachel. London: Conway Maritime Press. ISBN 0-85177-593-4.
  • Helgason, Guðmundur. "The Type IIB boat U-17". German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net. Retrieved 6 December 2014.
  • Hofmann, Markus. "U 17". Deutsche U-Boote 1935-1945 - u-boot-archiv.de (in German). Retrieved 6 December 2014.

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