U-30 (Type VIIA) (1936)

The full index of our ship stamp archive
Post Reply
john sefton
Posts: 1816
Joined: Sun Mar 22, 2009 1:59 pm

U-30 (Type VIIA) (1936)

Post by john sefton » Mon Apr 12, 2010 8:05 pm

The Submarine was built as Yard No 911 by Deschimag of Bremen for the Kriegsmarine (German Navy).
She was launched 4 August 1936 and commissioned 8 October 1936.
One of the VIIA type, the first version of a Finnish design which was fitted to operate in the Atlantic. 10 of this class were built and commissioned. Their dimensions were Length 64.51m. Beam 5.58m. Draught 4.37m (surface) 9.50m (submerged). Displacement was 626 tons (standard) 745 tons (submerged). Diving depth was
309'.
Diesel engines gave a speed of 17 knots (surface) 8knot (submerged).
Armament consisted of One gun 31/2". One 37mm AA and Two 20mm AA guns. Five 21" TT (4 bow. 1 stern) Carried 11 torpedoes or 3 torpedoes plus 8 to 12 mines. Crew 35 to 44.
The U 30 was assigned to the II U-Flotille, Flotille Salzwedel (2nd U-Flotilla, Flotilla Salzwedel)
Salzwedel was a famous U-Boat Captain of WWI. This naval unit was installed at Wilhelmshaven 1 September 1936.
Under the command of Julius Lemp she made the first British victim of WWII when she torpedoed and sank the British passenger ship ATHEMIA, at approx 250nm North west of Ireland on 3 September 1939 at 2100 hours. 112 people were drowned. (This turbine steamship was the second ship of the name and was owned by Donaldson Line, Glasgow. She was built by Fairfield Shipping & Engineering Co. Govan, Glasgow in 1923 and was of 13465Gt.
Later the Germans admitted that they were deceived by the bad visibility thinking they had to deal with a Merchant Cruiser.
On 14 September 1939 the U-30 was lucky when she was attacked by 3 Skuas from the Aircraft Carrier HMS ARK ROYAL. The A/S bombs exploded prematurely in the air
and destroyed two planes, the U-30 got away undamaged.
When Germany had taken the greater part of France in May 1940 Lorient (West France) became the base of the II Flotille in June of that year.
The U-30 survived WWII and was sunk deliberately in the Kumpfermihlen Bunt at Flensburg (North Germany near the Danish border) She was raised and scrapped in 1948 for her badly needed steel which was in short supply.

Log Book December 1991

Grenada SG2119ms
Attachments
G2119ms
G2119ms

Post Reply