U-9, a typical Type IIB boat
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History | |
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Nazi Germany | |
Name | U-14 |
Ordered | 2 February 1935 |
Builder | Deutsche Werke, Kiel |
Yard number | 249 |
Laid down | 6 July 1935 |
Launched | 28 December 1935 |
Commissioned | 18 January 1936 |
Fate | Scuttled on 5 May 1945 at Wilhelmshaven |
General characteristics | |
Class and type | Type IIB coastal submarine |
Displacement | |
Length |
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Beam |
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Height | 8.60 m (28 ft 3 in) |
Draught | 3.90 m (12 ft 10 in) |
Installed power |
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Propulsion |
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Speed |
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Range |
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Test depth | 80 m (260 ft) |
Complement | 3 officers, 22 men |
Armament |
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Service record | |
Part of: |
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Identification codes: | M 28 451 |
Commanders: |
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Operations: |
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Victories: |
9 merchant ships sunk (12,344 GRT) |
German submarine U-14 was a Type IIB U-boat of Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine during World War II. It served with 3rd U-boat Flotilla from 18 January 1936 to 31 October 1939. U-14 completed six wartime patrols and sank nine ships totalling 12,344 GRT.
German Type IIB submarines were enlarged versions of the original Type IIs. U-14 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.[1] 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).[1]
The submarine had a maximum surface speed of 12 knots (22 km/h; 14 mph) and a maximum submerged speed of 7 knots (13 km/h; 8.1 mph).[1] When submerged, the boat could operate for 35–42 nautical miles (65–78 km; 40–48 mi) at 4 knots (7.4 km/h; 4.6 mph); when surfaced, she could travel 3,800 nautical miles (7,000 km; 4,400 mi) at 8 knots (15 km/h; 9.2 mph). U-14 was fitted with three 53.3 cm (21 in) torpedo tubes at the bow, five torpedoes or up to twelve Type A torpedo mines, and a 2 cm (0.79 in) anti-aircraft gun. The boat had a complement of twentyfive.[1]
Early in the war, on 3 September 1939, U-14 attacked a Polish submarine and claimed to have sunk it. In reality the Polish submarine, ORP Sęp, was not damaged as the torpedo launched by U-14 exploded prematurely.[2]
After serving on six operational patrols, U-14 was used as a training boat and transferred to U-boat training flotillas, serving with the 23rd and 24th U-boat Flotillas until the end of the war. Despite the high casualties suffered by the Unterseebootwaffen (German submarine arm), U-14 suffered no known casualties during the war.
U-14 was scuttled on 5 May 1945 at Wilhelmshaven.
Date | Name | Nationality | Tonnage (GRT) |
Fate[3] |
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25 January 1940 | Biarritz | Norway | 1,752 | Sunk |
15 February 1940 | Sliepner | Denmark | 1,066 | Sunk |
16 February 1940 | Liana | Sweden | 1,646 | Sunk |
16 February 1940 | Osmed | Sweden | 1,526 | Sunk |
16 February 1940 | Rhone | Denmark | 1,064 | Sunk |
7 March 1940 | Vecht | Netherlands | 1,965 | Sunk |
9 March 1940 | Abbotsford | United Kingdom | 1,585 | Sunk |
9 March 1940 | Akeld | United Kingdom | 643 | Sunk |
9 March 1940 | Borthwick | United Kingdom | 1,097 | Sunk |