German submarine U-28 (1936)

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German submarine U-28 was a Type VIIA U-boat of Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine during World War II.

Her keel was laid down on 2 December 1935, by DeSchiMAG AG Weser of Bremen. She was launched on 14 July 1936, and commissioned into Kriegsmarine on 12 September 1936, with Kapitänleutnant Wilhelm Ambrosius in command. Ambrosius was succeeded by nine other commanding officers over the next eight years.<ref name="uboatnet"/>

U-28 conducted seven war patrols between 19 August 1939 and 15 November 1940, all under the command of Kapitänleutnant Günter Kuhnke, sinking 13 ships totaling Template:GRT and damaging two others totaling Template:GRT.<ref name="uboatnet"/>

After her third patrol, U-28 became a training vessel and was used to bring new U-boat crews up to standard. She was sunk in a training accident on 17 March 1944 and stricken on 4 August 1944.<ref name="uboatnet"/>

Construction and design

Construction

U-28 was ordered by the Kriegsmarine on 1 April 1935 as part of the German Plan Z in violation of the Treaty of Versailles. Her keel was laid down in the AG Weser shipyard in Bremen as yard number 909 on 2 December 1935. After about ten months of construction, she was launched on 14 July 1936 and commissioned into the Kriegsmarine as the third Type VIIA submarine on 12 September 1936 under the command of Kapitänleutnant Wilhelm Ambrosius.<ref name="uboatnet"/>

Design

{{#invoke:Labelled list hatnote|labelledList|Main article|Main articles|Main page|Main pages}} Like all Type VIIA submarines, U-28 displaced Template:Convert while surfaced and Template:Convert when submerged. She was Template:Convert in overall length and had a Template:Convert pressure hull. U-28Template:'s propulsion consisted of two MAN 6-cylinder 4-stroke M 6 V 40/46 diesel engines that totaled Template:Convert. Her maximum rpm was between 470 and 485. The submarine was also equipped with two Brown, Boveri & Cie GG UB 720/8 electric motors that totaled Template:Convert. Their maximum rpm was 322. These power plants gave U-28 a maximum speed of Template:Convert while surfaced and Template:Convert when submerged. She had a range of Template:Convert while traveling at Template:Convert on the surface and Template:Convert at Template:Convert when submerged.

The U-boat's test depth was Template:Convert but she could go as deep as Template:Convert without having her hull crushed. U-28Template:'s armament consisted of five Template:Convert torpedo tubes, four in the bow and one astern. She could carry up to 11 torpedoes, 22 TMA mines, or 33 TMB mines. U-28 was also equipped with a C35 88 mm gun/L45 deck gun with 220 rounds. Her anti-aircraft defenses consisted of one [[2 cm FlaK 30|Template:Convert]] anti-aircraft gun.Template:Sfn

Service history

First patrol

U-28Template:'s first war patrol took place from 19 August to 29 September 1939. On 14 September, near the mouth of St George's Channel, U-28 sank a 5,000 GRT freighter, her only success of the patrol.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Second patrol

U-28Template:'s second war patrol took place from 8 November to 12 December 1939. She was tasked with laying a minefield near the port city of Swansea. En route to Bristol, U-28 sank two ships: the 5,000 GRT Dutch tanker MV Sliedrecht and the 5,100 GRT British freighter SS Royston Grange. U-28 then laid her minefield and returned to port in Germany. While the minefield was not an immediate success, it sank the 9,600 GRT British freighter Template:SS 60 days after it was laid.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Third patrol

U-28Template:'s third sortie took place from 18 February to 25 March 1940. She was instructed to lay mines off the British Naval Base at Portsmouth. After laying the minefield, she went on to sink two ships for 11,200 GRT.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Fourth patrol

U-28Template:'s fourth war patrol took place from 8 June to 7 July 1940. She was sent to the Western Approaches and turned in an average performance of sinking three ships totalling 10,300 GRT.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The Irish government sought an explanation from Germany for the sinking of the neutral Greek ship Adamandios Georgandis "the entire cargo of which comprised grain for exclusive consumption in Éire".<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> She had been sailing from Rosario, Argentina to Cork with a cargo of wheat when she was torpedoed and sunk<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> south-west of Ireland at Template:Coord.

Fifth patrol

U-28Template:'s fifth war patrol took place from 11 August to 17 September 1940 and was one of Kuhnke's most productive. In August, she sank two ships for 5,500 GRT. On 10 September, U-28 found and tracked Convoy OA 210. In the early morning darkness of 11 September, U-28 attacked the convoy, claiming two large freighters (13,000 GRT each) sunk and one 10,000 GRT tanker damaged, bringing Kuhnke's total for the patrol to five ships for 30,000 GRT. However, during the postwar analysis, he was only credited with sinking a 2,000 GRT Dutch freighter and damaging a 4,700 GRT British freighter, which, combined with his earlier sinkings, brought his total to four ships for 9,945 GRT. On his return to Lorient, France, Kuhnke was awarded the Knight's Cross for his work.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Sixth patrol

U-28Template:'s sixth and final war patrol took her from Lorient back to Germany. Hampered by heavy seas and foul weather, U-28 sank only half a ship for 2,694 GRT.; U-28 and Template:GS shared credit for the sinking of the SS Matina. On 15 November 1940, she returned to Germany and was turned over to the training command. Günter Kuhnke proceeded to command Template:GS.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Fate

U-28 sank by accident on 17 March 1944, at the U-boat pier in Neustadt, Germany. During a training exercise, the boat had passed under a dummy freighter used for target practice. The commander-in-training failed to note the position of the stationary freighter, and the U-boat's conning tower was ripped off. Water flooded the control room, but the other compartments remained intact. The crew escaped by slowly equalizing the water pressure in the boat and swimming to the surface. The boat was raised in March 1944, but was stricken on 4 August. The submarine's crew suffered no casualties during her career.<ref name="uboatnet"/>

Wolfpacks

U-28 took part in one wolfpack, namely:

• Prien (12 – 17 June 1940)

Summary of raiding history

Date	Name of Ship	Nationality	Tonnage<ref group=Note name=tonnage>Merchant ship tonnages are in gross register tons. Military vessels are listed by tons displacement.</ref>	citation	CitationClass=web }} </ref>
14 September 1939	Vancouver City	Template:Flag	4,955	Sunk
17 November 1939	Sliedrecht	Template:Flag	5,133	Sunk
25 November 1939	Royston Grange	Template:Flag	5,144	Sunk
21 January 1940	Protesilaus	Template:Flag	9,577	Total loss (mine)
9 March 1940	P. Margoronis	Template:Flag	4,979	Sunk
11 March 1940	Eulota	Template:Flag	6,236	Sunk
18 June 1940	Samartia	Template:Flag	2,417	Sunk
19 June 1940	Adamandios Georgandis	Template:Flag	3,443	Sunk
21 June 1940	HMS Prunella	Template:Navy	4,443	Sunk
27 August 1940	Eva	Template:Flag	1,599	Sunk
28 August 1940	Kyno	Template:Flag	3,946	Sunk
9 September 1940	Mardinian	Template:Flag	2,434	Sunk
11 September 1940	Harpenden	Template:Flagcountry	4,678	Damaged
11 September 1940	Maas	Template:Flag	1,966	Sunk
26 October 1940	Matina	Template:Flag	5,389	Damaged

Bibliography

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External links

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