German submarine U-192

German submarine U-192 was a Type VIIC U-boat of Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine during World War II. Commissioned in late 1942, the vessel conducted a single, brief war patrol in the North Atlantic as part of the Battle of the Atlantic. Its operational career was cut short in May 1943 when it was sunk with all hands by a Royal Air Force (RAF) aircraft.

Design and description

The Type VIIC was the workhorse of the Kriegsmarine's U-boat fleet, an evolution of the earlier Type VIIB design. U-192, constructed by Blohm & Voss in Hamburg, was one of over 700 Type VIIC boats built. It had a displacement of 769 tonnes when surfaced and 871 tonnes submerged, with an overall length of 67.1 meters. Propelled by Germaniawerft diesel engines and Siemens-Schuckertwerke electric motors, it could reach speeds of 17.7 knots on the surface and 7.6 knots underwater. Its standard armament consisted of five torpedo tubes (four bow, one stern) and it carried fourteen torpedoes or mines. For anti-aircraft defense, it was equipped with an 8.8 cm deck gun and various 2 cm Flak cannons. The boat had a complement of between forty-four and sixty officers and men.

Service history

U-192 was ordered on 15 August 1940 and its keel was laid down on 30 December 1940 at the Blohm & Voss shipyard in Hamburg. It was launched on 24 September 1942 and commissioned on 12 November 1942 under the command of Kapitänleutnant Werner Happe. Following its commissioning, the boat was assigned to the 5th U-boat Flotilla based in Kiel for training and crew work-up. In April 1943, it was transferred to the 9th U-boat Flotilla, a front-line unit operating from Brest and Lorient. U-192 departed on its first and only war patrol from Kiel on 4 April 1943, transiting through the GIUK gap to join a wolfpack in the central North Atlantic.

Fate

On 6 May 1943, while operating as part of the wolfpack "Fink" east of Newfoundland, U-192 was attacked and sunk. A B-24 Liberator bomber (aircraft "U" of No. 120 Squadron RAF) piloted by Flight Lieutenant H. J. Debbage, spotted the submarine on the surface. The aircraft dropped "Fido" acoustic homing torpedoes, one of which struck U-192. The U-boat sank immediately at position 52°01′N 45°12′W with the loss of all 56 men on board. The sinking occurred during the pivotal and disastrous month of May 1943, known to the Kriegsmarine as "Black May", which saw heavy losses for the U-boat arm and a decisive turn in the Battle of the Atlantic.

Summary of raiding history

During its sole patrol, U-192 did not sink or damage any allied ships. It was assigned to the "Fink" wolfpack, which was engaged in attacking Convoy SC 129 and later Convoy ONS 5, but the boat itself did not achieve any successes before its loss.

Category:World War II submarines of Germany Category:Type VIIC submarines Category:Ships built in Hamburg Category:Maritime incidents in May 1943