List of all U-boats

U-52

Type

VIIB

 
Ordered15 May 1937
Laid down9 Mar 1937 F. Krupp Germaniawerft AG, Kiel (werk 587)
Launched21 Dec 1938
Commissioned4 Feb 1939Kptlt. Wolfgang Barten
Commanders
4 Feb 1939 - 17 Sep 1939  Oblt. Wolfgang Barten
14 Nov 1939 - 9 Jun 1941  Kptlt. Otto Salman (German Cross in Gold)
20 Mar 1941 - 15 Apr 1941  Kptlt. Helmut Möhlmann (Knights Cross)
10 Jun 1941 - 6 Jul 1941  Kptlt. Wolf-Rüdiger von Rabenau
7 Jul 1941 - 13 Jan 1942  Oblt. Walter Freiherr von Freyberg-Eisenberg-Allmendingen (German Cross in Gold)
16 Jan 1942 - 24 Jul 1942  Oblt. Friedrich Mumm
25 Jul 1942 - 31 Mar 1943  Oblt. Hermann Rossmann
1 Apr 1943 - 22 Oct 1943  Oblt. Ernst-August Racky
Career
8 patrols
4 Feb 1939-31 Aug 1939  7. Flottille (active service)
1 Sep 1939-31 Dec 1939  7. Flottille (active service)
1 Jan 1940-31 May 1941  7. Flottille (active service)
1 Jun 1941-31 Mar 1942  26. Flottille (training)
1 Apr 1942-30 Sep 1943  24. Flottille (training)
1 Oct 1943-22 Oct 1943  23. Flottille (training)
Successes13 ships sunk, total tonnage 56,333 GRT
Fate

Decommissioned on 22 October 1943 at Danzig and used as instructional boat.

Sunk on 3 May 1945 at Neustadt, in position 54.07N, 10.50E, by rockets from four British Typhoon aircraft (175 Sqn RAF). Wreck broken up in 1946/47.

Final location

See the 13 ships hit by U-52 - View the 8 war patrols

Attacks on this boat and other events

4 Aug 1940
The boat was severely damaged by depth charges from British escorts requiring 4 months of repairs. Date given here may be an approximate. (Sources: Blair, vol 1, page 178)

1 recorded attack on this boat.

Men lost from U-boats

Unlike many other U-boats, which during their service lost men due to accidents and various other causes, U-52 did not suffer any casualties (we know of) until the time of her loss.

U-boat Emblems

We have 2 emblem entries for this boat. See the emblem page for this boat or view emblems individually below.


Stork with baby
Penguin with Bottle on Iceberg

Media links


U-Boat Operations of the Second World War - Vol 1
Wynn, Kenneth


German U-Boat Losses During World War II
Niestle, Axel


Hitler's U-boat War
Blair, Clay

There was another U-52 in World War One
That boat was launched from its shipyard on 8 Dec 1915 and commissioned into the Imperial Navy on 16 Mar 1916. The Naval war in WWI was brought to an end with the Armistice signed on 11 Nov, 1918. Read about SM U 52 during WWI.




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