German submarine U-195

History
Nazi Germany
Name:	U-195
Ordered:	4 November 1940
Builder:	DeSchiMAG AG Weser, Bremen
Yard number:	1041
Laid down:	15 May 1941
Launched:	8 April 1942
Commissioned:	5 September 1942
Fate:	Taken over by Japan, May 1945
Japan
Name:	I-506
Acquired:	May 1945
Commissioned:	15 July 1945
Fate:	Surrendered, August 1945; scuttled by the RN, broken up, 1947
General characteristics
Class and type:	Type IXD1 submarine
Displacement:	1,610 t (1,580 long tons) surfaced 1,799 t (1,771 long tons) submerged
Length:	87.60 m (287 ft 5 in) o/a 68.50 m (224 ft 9 in) pressure hull
Beam:	7.50 m (24 ft 7 in) o/a 4.40 m (14 ft 5 in) pressure hull
Height:	10.20 m (33 ft 6 in)
Draught:	5.40 m (17 ft 9 in)
Installed power:	9,000 PS (6,620 kW; 8,880 bhp) (diesels) 1,000 PS (740 kW; 990 shp) (electric)
Propulsion:	2 shafts 2 × diesel engines 2 × electric motors
Range:	12,750 nmi (23,610 km; 14,670 mi) at 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph) surfaced 213 nmi (394 km; 245 mi) at 4 knots (7.4 km/h; 4.6 mph) submerged
Test depth:	230 m (750 ft)
Complement:	55 to 63
Armament:	6 × torpedo tubes (four bow, two stern) 22 × 53.3 cm (21 in) torpedoes 1 × 10.5 cm (4.1 in) SK L/45 deck gun (150 rounds) anti-aircraft guns
Service record (Kriegsmarine)
Part of:	4th U-boat Flotilla 5 September 1942 - 31 March 1943 12th U-boat Flotilla 1 May 1943 - 30 September 1944 33rd U-boat Flotilla 1 October 1944 - 8 May 1945
Commanders:	K.Kapt. Heinz Buchholz 5 September 1942 - 17 October 1943 Oblt.z.S. Friedrich Steinfeldt 16 April 1944 - 8 May 1945
Operations:	Three 1st patrol: 20 March - 23 July 1943 2nd patrol: 24 August - 28 December 1944 3rd patrol: 19 January - 4 March 1945
Victories:	Two commercial ships sunk (14,391 GRT) One commercial ship damaged (6,797 GRT)

German submarine U-195 was a Type IXD1 transport U-boat which served in World War II. The submarine was laid down on 15 May 1941 at the DeSchiMAG AG Weser yard in Bremen as yard number 1041, launched on 8 April 1942, and commissioned on 5 September 1942 under the command of Korvettenkapitän Heinz Buchholz.

U-195 was one of two IX-D1 transport U-boats that had their forward torpedo tubes removed and the compartment converted into a cargo hold. The other IX-D1 was U-180, which was lost in the Bay of Biscay in 1944 whilst setting out for a voyage to Japan. (U-180 had been trialled originally with six diesel engines driving two propeller shafts, but overheating proved such a problem that these engines were removed and replaced with a pair of 2,200 hp MAN diesel engines). It is unclear if U-195 underwent the same engine history as U-180, but it seems likely.

German Type IXD2 submarines were considerably larger than the original Type IXs. U-195 had a displacement of 1,610 tonnes (1,580 long tons) when at the surface and 1,799 tonnes (1,771 long tons) while submerged. The U-boat had a total length of 87.58 m (287 ft 4 in), a pressure hull length of 68.50 m (224 ft 9 in), a beam of 7.50 m (24 ft 7 in), a height of 10.20 m (33 ft 6 in), and a draught of 5.35 m (17 ft 7 in). The submarine was powered by two MAN M 9 V 40/46 supercharged four-stroke, nine-cylinder diesel engines plus two MWM RS34.5S six-cylinder four-stroke diesel engines for cruising, producing a total of 9,000 metric horsepower (6,620 kW; 8,880 shp) for use while surfaced, two Siemens-Schuckert 2 GU 345/34 double-acting electric motors producing a total of 1,000 shaft horsepower (1,010 PS; 750 kW) for use while submerged. She had two shafts and two 1.85 m (6 ft) propellers. The boat was capable of operating at depths of up to 200 metres (660 ft).

...
Wikipedia