U-7 28 July 1910

[Derek Hicks]

I have a rather nice u-boat (U-7) pin which is blue enamel with red U.7 and has the date 27.9.1925. I am aware that U-7 was misidentified and torpedoed off Dutch coast by U-22 so I assume this must be a reunion badge. I would like to obtain pictures/information of this U-boat and hope someone out there has something to share with me.
Derek Hicks
Oxford, England

[Troy Tempest]

Hi Derek, I have a great book called 'The Encyclopaedia of U-Boats From 1904 to the Present' by Eberhard Moller and Werner Brack, Greenhill (04), and on page 19 it has a good photo of U 7 under way at full speed. It says U5-8 were pre-war, ocean-going double-hull types, designed by Dr Techel and built by Germaniawerft, Kiel. 505 tonnes surfaced, 636 tonnes submerged, dimensions of 57.3x5.6x3.55 metres, speed of 13.4 knots surfaced and 10.2 knots submerged, range of 3,300nm at 9 knots surfaced, 80nm at 5 knots submerged, propulsion suraced was two 6-cylinder two stroke and two 8-cylinder two stroke Korting petrol engines making 600hp, and submerged was two SSW electric motors making 760kW. Armanent was two 45cm bow and two 45cm stern torpedo tubes, plus one rotary cannon and on U 6 and U 8 additionally from 1915 one 5cm gun. Crews were four officiers and 24 men, except for U 8 which had 25 men. So when U 7 was sunk on 21.1.15 off the coast of the Netherlands by U 22 with 26 fatalities, there must have been 2 survivors from U 7. Not much of a reunion!

Troy
11.40, mon, sydney

[teddy]

From www.uboat.net:


U-7
Type IIB
Ordered 20 Jul, 1934

Laid down 11 Mar, 1935 Germaniawerft, Kiel (werk 541)
Launched 29 Jun, 1935

Commissioned 18 Jul, 1935 Kptlt. Kurt Freiwald
Commanders 18 Jul, 1935 - 3 Oct, 1937 Kptlt. Kurt Freiwald
10 Feb, 1938 - 5 Feb, 1939 Oblt. Otto Salman
18 Dec, 1938 - 13 Oct, 1939 Werner Heidel
31 May, 1939 - 2 Jul, 1939 Oblt. Otto Salman
2 Aug, 1939 - 1 Oct, 1939 Oblt. Otto Salman
14 Oct, 1939 - Oct, 1940 Kptlt. Karl Schrott
25 Oct, 1939 - 13 Nov, 1939 Kptlt. Otto Salman
Oct, 1940 - Jan, 1941 Günther Reeder
Jan, 1941 - Feb, 1941 Ernst-Ulrich Brüller
Feb, 1941 - 29 Mar, 1941 Günther Reeder
30 Mar, 1941 - 16 Jun, 1941 Oblt. Hans-Günther Kuhlmann
17 Jun, 1941 - 15 Jan, 1942 Heinrich Schmid
16 Jan, 1942 - 7 Oct, 1942 Oblt. Siegfried Koitschka (Knights Cross)
Sep, 1942 - Dec, 1942 Otto Hübschen (in deputize) -- acting
8 Oct, 1942 - Jan, 1944 Hans Schrenk
Jan, 1944 - 18 Feb, 1944 Oblt. Günther Loeschcke

Career 6 patrols 1 Sep, 1935 - 1 Sep, 1939 U-Bootschulflottille (school boat)
1 Sep, 1939 - 1 Oct, 1939 U-Bootschulflottille (front boat)
1 Oct, 1939 - 1 Feb, 1940 U-Bootschulflottille (school boat)
1 Mar, 1940 - 1 Jun, 1940 U-Bootschulflottille (front boat)
1 Jun, 1940 - 30 Jun, 1940 U-Bootschulflottille (school boat)
1 Jul, 1940 - 18 Feb, 1944 21. Flottille (school boat)

Successes 1 ship sunk for a total of 2.694 GRT
1 ship a total loss for a total of 1.830 GRT
Fate Sank 18 Feb, 1944 west of Pillau, in position 54.52N, 19.30E in a diving accident. 29 dead (all hands lost).