History | |
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Nazi Germany | |
Name: | U-438 |
Ordered: | 16 October 1939 |
Builder: | Schichau-Werke, Danzig |
Yard number: | 1480 |
Laid down: | 25 April 1940 |
Launched: | 6 September 1941 |
Commissioned: | 22 November 1941 |
Fate: | Sunk, 6 May 1943 |
General characteristics | |
Class and type: | Type VIIC submarine |
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Height: | 9.60 m (31 ft 6 in) |
Draught: | 4.74 m (15 ft 7 in) |
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Complement: | 4 officers, 40–56 enlisted |
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Service record | |
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German submarine U-438 was a Type VIIC U-boat of Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine during World War II.
The submarine was laid down on 25 April 1940 at the Schichau-Werke yard as yard number 1480 in Danzig, launched on 6 September 1941 and commissioned on 22 November 1941 under the command of Kapitänleutnant Rudolf Franzius.
The city of Berlin adopted the submarine within the popular sponsorship programme (Patenschaftsprogramm), organising gifts and holidays for the crew and earning her the honorary name of U-438 Berlin. The U-boat served with the 8th U-Boat Flotilla for her training and later with the 9th Flotilla from 1 August 1942 to her loss on 6 May 1943. U-438 completed four patrols, sinking three ships, totalling 12,045 gross register tons (GRT) and damaging one ship totalling 5,496 GRT.
She was a member of ten wolfpacks.
German Type VIIC submarines were preceded by the shorter Type VIIB submarines. U-438 had a displacement of 769 tonnes (757 long tons) when at the surface and 871 tonnes (857 long tons) while submerged. She had a total length of 67.10 m (220 ft 2 in), a pressure hull length of 50.50 m (165 ft 8 in), a beam of 6.20 m (20 ft 4 in), a height of 9.60 m (31 ft 6 in), and a draught of 4.74 m (15 ft 7 in). The submarine was powered by two Germaniawerft F46 four-stroke, six-cylinder supercharged diesel engines producing a total of 2,800 to 3,200 metric horsepower (2,060 to 2,350 kW; 2,760 to 3,160 shp) for use while surfaced, two AEG GU 460/8–27 double-acting electric motors producing a total of 750 metric horsepower (550 kW; 740 shp) for use while submerged. She had two shafts and two 1.23 m (4 ft) propellers. The boat was capable of operating at depths of up to 230 metres (750 ft).