German submarine U-20 (1936)

U-9, a typical Type IIB boat
History
Nazi Germany
Name:	U-20
Ordered:	2 February 1935
Builder:	Germaniawerft, Kiel Galați shipyard, Romania
Yard number:	550
Laid down:	1 August 1935
Launched:	14 January 1936
Commissioned:	1 February 1936
Fate:	Scuttled 10 September 1944, off the coast of Turkey in the Black Sea
General characteristics
Class and type:	IIB coastal submarine
Displacement:	279 t (275 long tons) surfaced 328 t (323 long tons) submerged
Length:	42.70 m (140 ft 1 in) o/a 27.80 m (91 ft 2 in) pressure hull
Beam:	4.08 m (13 ft 5 in) (o/a) 4.00 m (13 ft 1 in) (pressure hull)
Height:	8.60 m (28 ft 3 in)
Draught:	3.90 m (12 ft 10 in)
Installed power:	700 PS (510 kW; 690 bhp) (diesels) 410 PS (300 kW; 400 shp) (electric)
Propulsion:	2 shafts 2 × diesel engines 2 × electric motors
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 depth:	80 m (260 ft)
Complement:	3 officers, 22 men
Armament:	3 × 53.3 cm (21 in) torpedo tubes 5 × torpedoes or up to 12 TMA or 18 TMB 1 × 2 cm (0.79 in) anti-aircraft gun
Service record
Part of:	Kriegsmarine 1st U-boat Flotilla 3rd U-boat Flotilla 21st U-boat Flotilla 30th U-boat Flotilla
Identification codes:	M 29 241
Commanders:	Hans Eckermann Karl-Heinz Moehle Harro von Klot-Heydenfeldt Heinrich Driver Hans-Jürgen Zetzsche Ottokar Arnold Paulshen Herbert Schauenburg Wolfgang Sträter Kurt Nölke Clemens Schöler Karl Grafen
Operations:	16; 1st patrol: 24–31 August 1939 2nd patrol: 29 September – 17 October 1939 3rd patrol: 18–24 November 1939 4th patrol: 7–13 December 1939 5th patrol: 6–16 January 1940 6th patrol: a. 21–21 January 1940 b. 23–31 January 1940 c. 4–4 February 1940 7th patrol: 27 February – 4 March 1940 8th patrol: 14–20 March 1940 9th patrol: 22–29 June 1943 10th patrol: 11 July – 7 August 1943 11th patrol: a. 16–22 September 1943 b. 24 September–12 October 1943 12th patrol: 8 November – 9 December 1943 13th patrol: 1–26 January 1944 14th patrol: a. 22 February – 1 March 1944 b. 2–27 March 1944 15th patrol: 11 June – 11 July 1944 16th patrol: 19 August – 10 September 1944
Victories:	13 ships sunk for a total of 30,067 GRT One ship damaged, of 1,846 GRT. Two ships declared a total loss for a total of 8,446 GRT

German submarine U-20 was a Type IIB U-boat of Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine. Her keel was laid down on 1 August 1935, by Germaniawerft of Kiel as yard number 550. She was commissioned on 1 February 1936. During World War II, she conducted operations against enemy shipping.

U-20 went on 16 war patrols, sinking 16 ships totalling 39,637 GRT and damaging one more of 1,846 GRT.

German Type IIB submarines were enlarged versions of the original Type IIs. U-20 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. 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).