German submarine U-352

German submarine U-352 was a Type VIIC U-boat of Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine during World War II. The submarine was laid down on 11 March 1940, at the Flensburger Schiffbau-Gesellschaft yard at Flensburg, launched on 7 May 1941, and commissioned on 28 August 1941, under the command of Kapitänleutnant Hellmut Rathke. She was part of the 3rd U-boat Flotilla, and was ready for front-line service by 1 January 1942.

Design
German Type VIIC submarines were preceded by the shorter Type VIIB submarines. U-352 had a displacement of 769 t when at the surface and 871 t while submerged. She had a total length of 67.10 m, a pressure hull length of 50.50 m, a beam of 6.20 m, a height of 9.60 m, and a draught of 4.74 m. The submarine was powered by two Germaniawerft F46 four-stroke, six-cylinder supercharged diesel engines producing a total of 2800 to 3200 PS for use while surfaced, two AEG GU 460/8–27 double-acting electric motors producing a total of 750 PS for use while submerged. She had two shafts and two 1.23 m propellers. The boat was capable of operating at depths of up to 230 m.

The submarine had a maximum surface speed of 17.7 kn and a maximum submerged speed of 7.6 kn. When submerged, the boat could operate for 80 nmi at 4 kn; when surfaced, she could travel 8500 nmi at 10 kn. U-352 was fitted with five 53.3 cm torpedo tubes (four fitted at the bow and one at the stern), fourteen torpedoes, one 8.8 cm SK C/35 naval gun, 220 rounds, and a 2 cm C/30 anti-aircraft gun. The boat had a complement of between forty-four and sixty.

First patrol
U-352 left Kiel on 15 January 1942, and arrived at Bergen, in Norway, on 19 January. She left the next day and patrolled south of Iceland, without success, before sailing to her new home port at Saint-Nazaire, in France, by 26 February.

Second patrol
U-352 left St. Nazaire, on 7 April 1942, and sailed across the Atlantic to the north-eastern coast of the United States. There on 9 May 1942, she was sunk by depth charges from the U.S. Coast Guard cutter USCGC Icarus (WPC-110), south of Morehead City, North Carolina, in position 34.22783°N, -76.56483°W. The crew of the Icarus machine gunned the German submarine when it surfaced, preventing the German crew from manning the deck guns. One survivor, radio operator Kurt Krueger, reported in 1999 that Icarus departed and then returned 45 minutes later to pick up survivors. Fifteen of the crew were lost, but 33 survived and spent the remainder of the war as prisoners.

Wolfpacks
U-352 took part in one wolfpack, namely:
 * Hecht (27 January – 4 February 1942)

Dive site
The wreck of U-352 was discovered 26 mi south of Morehead City, in 1975, by George Purifoy. She lies in about 115 ft of water, and sits at a 45-degree list to starboard. The wreck scatter is within a 100 m radius of location above on a sand bottom. This wreck has become an artificial reef that is heavily populated with Hemanthias vivanus. The site was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2015. It is a popular scuba diving spot for advanced divers. A replica of the wreck is on display at the North Carolina Aquarium at Pine Knoll Shores.

In media

 * "Reunion," a 1992 episode of the PBS television series Return to the Sea, tells the story of the sinking of U-352, includes footage of her wreck and 1992 interviews with crewmen from U-352 and Icarus, and documents a memorial service for the crew of U-352 over the site of her wreck on May 9, 1992, the 50th anniversary of her sinking.