German submarine U-46 (1938)

	U-52, a typical Type VIIB boat
History
Nazi Germany
Name	U-46
Ordered	21 November 1936
Builder	Germaniawerft, Kiel
Cost	4,439,000 Reichsmark
Yard number	581
Laid down	24 February 1937
Launched	10 September 1938
Commissioned	2 November 1938
Decommissioned	October 1943
Fate	Scuttled on 5 May 1945
General characteristics
Class & 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)
Propulsion	2 × supercharged diesel engines totalling 2,800–3,200 PS (2,100–2,400 kW; 2,800–3,200 bhp) surfaced; 2 × electric engines totalling 750 PS (550 kW; 740 shp) submerged;
Speed	17.9 knots (33.2 km/h; 20.6 mph); 8 knots (15 km/h; 9.2 mph);
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 &; processing systems	Gruppenhorchgerät
Armament	5 × 53.3 cm (21 in) torpedo tubes (four bow, one stern); 14 torpedoes or 26 TMA or 39 TMB mines; 1 × 8.8 cm SK C/35 naval gun with 220 rounds; 1 × 2 cm (0.79 in) C/30 anti-aircraft gun;
Service record
Part of:	7th U-boat Flotilla; 2 November 1938 – 1 September 1941; 26th U-boat Flotilla; 2 September 1941 – 31 March 1942; 24th U-boat Flotilla; 1 April – 1 July 1942; 1 September 1942 – October 1943;
Identification codes:	M 01 828
Commanders:	Kptlt. Herbert Sohler; 2 November 1938 – 21 May 1940; Oblt.z.S. / Kptlt. Engelbert Endrass; 22 May 1940 – 24 September 1941; Oblt.z.S. Peter-Ottmar Grau; October – 19 November 1941; Oblt.z.S. Konstantin von Puttkamer; 20 November 1941 – March 1942; Oblt.z.S. Kurt Neubert; March – April 1942; Oblt.z.S. Ernst von Witzendorff; 20 April – May 1942; Lt.z.S. Franz Saar; May – July 1942; Oblt.z.S. Joachim Knecht; August 1942 – 30 April 1943; Oblt.z.S. Erich Jewinski; 1 May – October 1943;
Operations:	13 patrols:; 1st patrol:; 19 August – 15 September 1939; 2nd patrol:; 3 October – 7 November 1939; 3rd patrol:; 19 December 1939 – 10 January 1940; 4th patrol:; 29 February – 1 March 1940; 5th patrol:; 11 March – 23 April 1940; 6th patrol:; a. 1 June – 1 July 1940; b. 1 – 4 Aug 1940; 7th patrol:; a. 8 August – 6 September 1940; b. 20 – 21 September 1940; 8th patrol:; 23 – 29 September 1940; 9th patrol:; 13 – 29 October 1940; 10th patrol:; 12 February – 4 March 1941; 11th patrol:; 15 March – 10 April 1941; 12th patrol:; 15 May – 13 June 1941; 13th patrol:; 26 July – 26 August 1941;
Victories:	20 merchant ships sunk ; (85,792 GRT); 2 auxiliary warships sunk ; (35,284 GRT); 1 merchant ship total loss ; (2,080 GRT); 4 merchant ships damaged ; (25,491 GRT);

German submarine U-46 was a Type VIIB U-boat of Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine during World War II. She had a highly successful career during the war.

History
U-52, a typical Type VIIB boat
Nazi Germany
Name	U-46
Ordered	21 November 1936
Builder	Germaniawerft, Kiel
Cost	4,439,000 Reichsmark
Yard number	581
Laid down	24 February 1937
Launched	10 September 1938
Commissioned	2 November 1938
Decommissioned	October 1943
Fate	Scuttled on 5 May 1945
General characteristics
Class & 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)
Propulsion	2 × supercharged diesel engines totalling 2,800–3,200 PS (2,100–2,400 kW; 2,800–3,200 bhp) surfaced 2 × electric engines totalling 750 PS (550 kW; 740 shp) submerged
Speed	17.9 knots (33.2 km/h; 20.6 mph) 8 knots (15 km/h; 9.2 mph)
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 & processing systems	Gruppenhorchgerät
Armament	5 × 53.3 cm (21 in) torpedo tubes (four bow, one stern) 14 torpedoes or 26 TMA or 39 TMB mines 1 × 8.8 cm SK C/35 naval gun with 220 rounds 1 × 2 cm (0.79 in) C/30 anti-aircraft gun
Service record
Part of:	7th U-boat Flotilla 2 November 1938 – 1 September 1941 26th U-boat Flotilla 2 September 1941 – 31 March 1942 24th U-boat Flotilla 1 April – 1 July 1942 1 September 1942 – October 1943
Identification codes:	M 01 828
Commanders:	Kptlt. Herbert Sohler 2 November 1938 – 21 May 1940 Oblt.z.S. / Kptlt. Engelbert Endrass 22 May 1940 – 24 September 1941 Oblt.z.S. Peter-Ottmar Grau October – 19 November 1941 Oblt.z.S. Konstantin von Puttkamer 20 November 1941 – March 1942 Oblt.z.S. Kurt Neubert March – April 1942 Oblt.z.S. Ernst von Witzendorff 20 April – May 1942 Lt.z.S. Franz Saar May – July 1942 Oblt.z.S. Joachim Knecht August 1942 – 30 April 1943 Oblt.z.S. Erich Jewinski 1 May – October 1943
Operations:	13 patrols: 1st patrol: 19 August – 15 September 1939 2nd patrol: 3 October – 7 November 1939 3rd patrol: 19 December 1939 – 10 January 1940 4th patrol: 29 February – 1 March 1940 5th patrol: 11 March – 23 April 1940 6th patrol: a. 1 June – 1 July 1940 b. 1 – 4 Aug 1940 7th patrol: a. 8 August – 6 September 1940 b. 20 – 21 September 1940 8th patrol: 23 – 29 September 1940 9th patrol: 13 – 29 October 1940 10th patrol: 12 February – 4 March 1941 11th patrol: 15 March – 10 April 1941 12th patrol: 15 May – 13 June 1941 13th patrol: 26 July – 26 August 1941
Victories:	20 merchant ships sunk (85,792 GRT) 2 auxiliary warships sunk (35,284 GRT) 1 merchant ship total loss (2,080 GRT) 4 merchant ships damaged (25,491 GRT)