German submarine U-517

German submarine U-517 was a Type IXC U-boat of the Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine during World War II.

She was laid down at the Deutsche Werft in Hamburg as yard number 313 on 5 June 1941, launched on 30 December 1941 and commissioned on 21 March 1942 with Kapitänleutnant Paul Hartwig in command.

U-517 began her service career with training as part of the 4th U-boat Flotilla from 21 March 1942. She was reassigned to the 10th flotilla for operations on 1 September.

She carried out two patrols and sank eight ships. She was sunk by British carrier aircraft on 21 November 1942.

Design
German Type IXC submarines were slightly larger than the original Type IXBs. U-517 had a displacement of 1120 t when at the surface and 1232 t while submerged. The U-boat had a total length of 76.76 m, a pressure hull length of 58.75 m, a beam of 6.76 m, a height of 9.60 m, and a draught of 4.70 m. The submarine was powered by two MAN M 9 V 40/46 supercharged four-stroke, nine-cylinder diesel engines producing a total of 4400 PS for use while surfaced, two Siemens-Schuckert 2 GU 345/34 double-acting electric motors producing a total of 1000 shp for use while submerged. She had two shafts and two 1.92 m propellers. The boat was capable of operating at depths of up to 230 m.

The submarine had a maximum surface speed of 18.3 kn and a maximum submerged speed of 7.3 kn. When submerged, the boat could operate for 63 nmi at 4 kn; when surfaced, she could travel 13450 nmi at 10 kn. U-517 was fitted with six 53.3 cm torpedo tubes (four fitted at the bow and two at the stern), 22 torpedoes, one 10.5 cm SK C/32 naval gun, 180 rounds, and a 3.7 cm SK C/30 as well as a 2 cm C/30 anti-aircraft gun. The boat had a complement of forty-eight.

First patrol
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The boat departed Kiel on 8 August 1942, moved through the North Sea and negotiated the gap between Iceland and the Faroe Islands. She crossed the Atlantic Ocean and attacked Allied shipping in the area of the Gulf of St. Lawrence. Two other type IXC boats GS U-165 (1941) and GS U-513 left Kiel at about the same time to patrol the same area. These boats were to check if North Atlantic convoys were diversing North, through Canadian waters. to avoid the U-boat packs patrolling in the North Atlantic.

On 27 August the U-517 makes contact with the fast section of convoy SG-6 and sinks the troop transport Chatham, whilst the U-165 attacks the other section of the convoy. On 28 August U-517 finishes off the freighter Arlyn which was damaged earlier by U-165.

U-517 and U-165 move further inland into the St Lawrence river in search of assembly areas of convoys but find nothing. Only on 3 September the U-517 found 2 coastal convoys NL-6 and LN-7. From convoy NL-6, the U-517 sank the Donald Stewart northeast of Cape Whittle. The Canadian escort HMCS Weyburn (K173) tried to ram, but the distance between the two vessels was too great. U-517 then evaded a depth charge pattern. A few hours later, she was attacked by a Digby aircraft of No. 10 Squadron RCAF; but the depth charges detonated prematurely, causing more damage to the aircraft than to the U-boat.

On 7 September, U-517 was able to sink 3 ships out of convoy QS-33, which was detected and attacked by U-165 the day before.

The submarine subsequently sank the Canadian corvette HMCS Charlottetown (1941) about 5 nmi off Cap-Chat on 11 September.

On 15 September U-517 finds the convoy SQ-36 and sinks 2 ships out of that convoy. She brings up U-165 which can also attack and damage 2 ships.

U-517 has no further success in attacks on subsequent convoys and evades on 21 September a ramming attack by the minesweeper Georgian which is part of the convoy escort for SQ-38

U-517 docked at Lorient in occupied France on 19 October 1942.

Second patrol and loss
The boat departed Lorient on 17 November 1942 and sailed west. She was hardly out of the Bay of Biscay when she was sunk by Fairey Albacores of 817 Naval Air Squadron from the aircraft carrier HMS Victorious (R38) on 21 November 1942.

One man died; there were 52 survivors.