Submarine U-27

U-27

Country	Germany
Ship Class	Type VII-class Submarine
Builder	Deutsche Schiff- und Maschinenbau AG
Yard Number	908
Ordered	1 Apr 1935
Laid Down	11 Nov 1935
Launched	24 Jun 1936
Commissioned	12 Aug 1936
Sunk	20 Sep 1939
Displacement	626 tons standard; 745 tons submerged
Length	212 feet
Beam	19 feet
Draft	14 feet
Machinery	Two MAN 6-cylinder 4-stroke M6V 40/46 diesel engines (2310bhp), two BBC GG UB 720/8 electric motors (750shp)
Speed	17 knots
Range	6,200nm at 10 knots surfaced, 90nm at 4 knots submerged
Crew	38
Armament	4x53.3cm forward torpedo tubes, 1x53.3cm aft torpedo tube, 11 torpedoes or 22 TMA mines or 33 TMB mines, 1x8.8cm SK C/35 gun, 1x2cm C/30 AA gun
Submerged Speed	8 knots

Contributor: C. Peter Chen

ww2dbaseU-27 was a German Type VIIA submarine. Under the command of Korvettenkapitän Johannes Franz, she departed Wilhelmshaven, Germany on her first and only war patrol on 23 Aug 1939, traveling through waters off Germany, Belgium, and the Netherlands to get to the Atlantic Ocean via the English Channel. After sinking a British trawler by gunfire and another by scuttling charges during the course of a week, she attacked British destroyers HMS Fortune and HMS Faulknor on 20 Sep 1939. The torpedoes exploded prematurely, and the destroyers counterattacked with depth charges, forcing U-27 to surface and surrender. All 38 aboard U-27 were captured, and the submarine became the second German submarine to be lost in the war.

ww2dbaseSource: Wikipedia

Last Major Revision: Oct 2014

Submarine U-27 Interactive Map

U-27 Operational Timeline

1 Apr 1935	The construction for U-27 was ordered.
11 Nov 1935	The keel of U-27 was laid down by AG Weser in Bremen, Germany.
24 Jun 1936	U-27 was launched at Bremen, Germany.
12 Aug 1936	U-27 was commissioned into service with Korvettenkapitän Hans Ibbeken in command; the submarine was assigned to 2nd Flotilla.
5 Oct 1937	Korvettenkapitän Johannes Franz was named the commanding officer of U-27, replacing Korvettenkapitän Hans Ibbeken.
6 Jun 1939	Korvettenkapitän Hans-Georg von Friedeburg was named the commanding officer of U-27, replacing Korvettenkapitän Johannes Franz.
8 Jul 1939	Korvettenkapitän Johannes Franz was named the commanding officer of U-27, replacing Korvettenkapitän Hans-Georg von Friedeburg.
23 Aug 1939	U-27 departed Wilhelmshaven, Germany for her first and only war patrol.
13 Sep 1939	U-27 sank British trawler Davara 39 kilometers (24 miles or 21 nautical miles) northwest of Tory Island, Ireland at 0255 hours. The 12 survivors were rescued by merchant ship Willowpool.
16 Sep 1939	U-27 attacked British trawler Rudyard Kipling 190 kilometers (120 miles or 100 nautical miles) west of Ireland at 0353 hours. The crew of U-27 boarded Rudyard Kipling and destroyed the ship with scuttling charges. U-27 rescued the survivors, gave them food and warm clothing, and sent them off in lifeboats.
20 Sep 1939	U-27 was sunk by British destroyers HMS Fortune and HMS Faulknor west of Scotland, United Kingdom.

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U-27