German submarine U-52 (1939)

Although this photograph is undated, it was probably taken pre-war, as U-52's number, here visible on the conning tower, was painted out on the commencement of hostilities
History
Nazi Germany
Name:	U-52
Ordered:	15 May 1937
Builder:	Germaniawerft, Kiel
Cost:	4,439,000 Reichsmark
Yard number:	587
Laid down:	9 March 1937
Launched:	21 December 1938
Commissioned:	4 February 1939
Struck:	October 1943
Fate:	Scuttled at Danzig, 3 May 1945, broken up, 1946-7
General characteristics
Class and type:	Type VIIB U-boat
Displacement:	753 t (741 long tons) surfaced 857 t (843 long tons) submerged
Length:	66.50 m (218 ft 2 in) o/a 48.80 m (160 ft 1 in) pressure hull
Beam:	6.20 m (20 ft 4 in) o/a 4.70 m (15 ft 5 in) pressure hull
Draught:	4.74 m (15 ft 7 in)
Installed power:	2,800–3,200 PS (2,100–2,400 kW; 2,800–3,200 bhp) (diesels) 750 PS (550 kW; 740 shp) (electric)
Propulsion:	2 shafts 2 × diesel engines 2 × electric motors
Range:	8,700 nmi (16,112 km; 10,012 mi) at 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph)surfaced 90 nmi (170 km; 100 mi) at 4 knots (7.4 km/h; 4.6 mph)
Test depth:	230 m (750 ft) Calculated crush depth: 250–295 m (820–968 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) 14 × torpedoes or 26 TMA mines 1 × 8.8 cm (3.46 in) deck gun (220 rounds) 1 × 2 cm (0.79 in) anti-aircraft gun
Service record
Part of:	7th U-boat Flotilla 4 February – 31 May 1939 1 September – 31 December 1939 1 January 1940 – 31 May 1941 26th U-boat Flotilla 1 June – 31 March 1942 24th U-boat Flotilla 1 April 1940 – 30 September 1943 23rd U-boat Flotilla 1 – 21 October 1943
Commanders:	Oblt.z.S. Wolfgang Barten 4 February – 17 September 1939 Kptlt. Otto Salman 14 November 1939 – 9 June 1941 Kptlt. Helmut Möhlmann 20 March – 15 April 1941 Kptlt. Otto Salman April – June 1941 Oblt.z.S. Wolf-Rüdiger von Rabenau 10 June – 6 July 1941 Oblt.z.S. Freiherr Walter von Freyberg-Eisenberg-Allmendingen 7 July 1941 – 13 January 1942 Oblt.z.S. Friedrich Mumm 16 January – 24 July 1942 Oblt.z.S. Hermann Rossmann 25 July 1942 – 31 March 1943 Oblt.z.S. Ernst-August Racky 1 April – 22 October 1943
Operations:	Eight: 1st patrol: 19 August – 17 September 1939 2nd patrol: 27 February – 4 April 1940 3rd patrol: 7–29 April 1940 4th patrol: 8 June – 21 July 1940 5th patrol: 27 July – 13 August 1940 6th patrol: 17 November – 28 December 1940 7th patrol: 22 January – 24 February 1941 8th patrol: 3 April – 1 May 1941
Victories:	Thirteen vessels sunk (56,333 GRT)

German submarine U-52 was a type VIIB U-boat of Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine during World War II. She was initially ordered on 15 May 1937, in violation of the terms of the Treaty of Versailles, and laid down on 9 March 1938, at the yards of Friedrich Krupp Germaniawerft AG in Kiel as yard number 587. Launched on 21 December 1938, she was commissioned on 4 February 1939, under the command of Kapitänleutnant (Kptlt.) Wolfgang Barten.

U-52 undertook eight war patrols in the Battle of the Atlantic, she sank thirteen ships before being scuttled at Danzig in 1945 and broken up in 1947.

German Type VIIB submarines were preceded by the shorter Type VIIA submarines. U-52 had a displacement of 753 tonnes (741 long tons) when at the surface and 857 tonnes (843 long tons) while submerged. She had a total length of 66.50 m (218 ft 2 in), a pressure hull length of 48.80 m (160 ft 1 in), a beam of 6.20 m (20 ft 4 in), a height of 9.50 m (31 ft 2 in), and a draught of 4.74 m (15 ft 7 in). The submarine was powered by two MAN M 6 V 40/46 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 BBC GG UB 720/8 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).