German submarine U-30 (1936)

U-33, a typical Type VIIA boat
History
Nazi Germany
Name:	U-30
Ordered:	1 April 1935
Builder:	DeSchiMAG AG Weser, Bremen
Cost:	4,189,000 Reichsmark
Yard number:	911
Laid down:	24 January 1936
Launched:	4 August 1936
Commissioned:	8 October 1936
Decommissioned:	January 1945
Fate:	Scuttled, 4 May 1945, Flensburg Firth, Kupfermühlen Bay, raised 1948 broken up
General characteristics
Class and type:	Type VIIA submarine
Displacement:	626 t (616 long tons) surfaced 745 t (733 long tons) submerged
Length:	64.51 m (211 ft 8 in) o/a 45.50 m (149 ft 3 in) pressure hull
Beam:	5.85 m (19 ft 2 in) o/a 4.70 m (15 ft 5 in) pressure hull
Height:	9.50 m (31 ft 2 in)
Draught:	4.37 m (14 ft 4 in)
Installed power:	2,100–2,310 PS (1,540–1,700 kW; 2,070–2,280 bhp) (diesels) 750 PS (550 kW; 740 shp) (electric)
Propulsion:	2 shafts 2 × diesel engines 2 × electric motors
Range:	6,200 nmi (11,500 km; 7,100 mi) at 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph) surfaced 73–94 nmi (135–174 km; 84–108 mi) at 4 knots (7.4 km/h; 4.6 mph) submerged
Test depth:	220 m (720 ft) Crush depth: 230–250 m (750–820 ft)
Complement:	4 officers, 40–56 enlisted
Sensors and processing systems:	Gruppenhorchgerät
Armament:	5 × 53.3 cm (21 in) torpedo tubes (four bow, one stern) 11 × torpedoes or 22 TMA mines 1 × 8.8 cm (3.46 in) deck gun (220 rounds) 1 × 2 cm (0.79 in) AA gun
Service record
Part of:	2nd U-boat Flotilla 8 October 1936 – 30 November 1940 24th U-boat Flotilla 1 December 1940 – 30 November 1943 22nd U-boat Flotilla 1 December 1943 – 12 January 1945
Identification codes:	M 05 559
Commanders:	Kptlt. Hans Cohausz 8 October 1936 – 31 October 1938 Hans Pauckstadt 15 February 1938 – 17 August 1938 Kptlt. Fritz-Julius Lemp November 1938 – September 1940 Robert Prützmann September 1940 – 31 March 1941 Oblt.z.S. Paul-Karl Loeser 1 April – April 1941 Oblt.z.S. Hubertus Purkhold April 1941 – 22 April April 1941 Oblt.z.S. Kurt Baberg 23 April 1941 – 9 March 1942 Oblt.z.S. Hermann Bauer 10 March – 4 October 1942 Lt.z.S. Franz Saar 5 October – 16 December 1942 Oblt.z.S. Ernst Fischer May 1943 – 1 December 1943 Oblt.z.S. Ludwig Fabricius 2 December 1943 – 14 December 1944 Oblt.z.S. Günther Schimmel 17–23 January 1945
Operations:	1st patrol: 22 August – 27 September 1939 2nd patrol: 9–14 December 1939 3rd patrol: 23 December 1939 – 17 January 1940 4th patrol: 11–30 March 1940 5th patrol: 3 April – 4 May 1940 6th patrol: 8 June – 7 July 1940 7th patrol: 13–24 July 1940 8th patrol: 5–30 August 1940
Victories:	16 commercial ships sunk (86,165 GRT) one auxiliary warship sunk (325 GRT) one commercial ship damaged (5,642 GRT) one warship damaged (31,100 GRT)

German submarine U-30 was a Type VIIA U-boat of Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine that served during World War II. She was ordered in April 1935 in violation of the Treaty of Versailles, which prevented the construction and commissioning of any U-boats for the German navy, and as part of the German naval rearmament program known as Plan Z. She sank the liner SS Athenia, the first ship sunk in World War II, on 3 September 1939, under the command of Fritz-Julius Lemp. She was retired from front-line service in September 1940 after undertaking eight war patrols, having sunk 17 vessels and damaging two others. U-30 then served in a training role until the end of the war when she was scuttled. She was later raised and broken up for scrap in 1948.

U-30 was ordered by the Kriegsmarine on 1 April 1935 (as part of Plan Z and in violation of the Treaty of Versailles). Her keel was laid down on 24 January 1936 by AG Weser, Bremen as yard number 911. She was launched on 4 August and formally commissioned into the Kriegsmarine on 8 October under the command of Kapitänleutnant (Kptlt.) Hans Cohausz.

Like all Type VIIA submarines, U-30 had two MAN 6-cylinder 4-stroke M6V 40/46 diesel engines totalling 2,100–2,310 PS (1,540–1,700 kW; 2,070–2,280 bhp) as well as two Brown, Boveri & Cie GG UB 720/8 electric motors, that produced 750 PS (550 kW; 740 shp) and allowed her to travel at a maximum of 17 knots (31 km/h; 20 mph) while surfaced and 8 knots (15 km/h; 9.2 mph) submerged. She had a range of 6,200 nmi (11,500 km; 7,100 mi) at 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph) while on the surface and 73–94 nmi (135–174 km; 84–108 mi) at 4 knots (7.4 km/h; 4.6 mph) while submerged. U-30 had five torpedo tubes, (four in the bow, one in the stern). She could also carry a total of eleven 53.3 cm (21 in) torpedoes or 22 TMA mines or 33 TMB mines and had a 8.8 centimetres (3.5 in) C35/L45 deck gun (with 220 rounds). She was equipped with one 2 cm (0.79 in) C 30 anti-aircraft gun. After being commissioned and deployed, U-30 was stationed in the German port city of Wilhelmshaven.