Submarine U-1234

U-1234

Country	Germany
Ship Class	Type IX-class Submarine
Builder Name	Deutsche Werft Hamburg
Yard Number	397
Ordered	14 Oct 1941
Laid Down	11 May 1943
Launched	7 Jan 1944
Commissioned	19 Apr 1944
Sunk	2 May 1945
Displacement	1,144 tons standard; 1,257 tons submerged
Length	252 feet
Beam	23 feet
Draft	15 feet
Machinery	2 MAN M 9 V 40/46 supercharged four-stroke, nine-cylinder diesel engines (4,300bhp), 2 Siemens-Schuckert 2 GU 345/34 double-acting electric motors (990shp), 2 shafts, 2 propellers
Speed	18 knots
Range	13,850nm at 10 knots surfaced, 63nm at 4 knots submerged
Crew	48
Armament	4x53.3cm bow torpedo tubes, 2x53.3cm stern torpedo tubes, 22 torpedoes, 1x10.5cm SK C/32 deck gun, 1x3.7cm Flak M42 anti-aircraft gun, 2x2x2cm C/30 anti-aircraft guns
Submerged Speed	7.3 knots

Contributor: C. Peter Chen

ww2dbaseType IXC/40 submarine U-1234 was commissioned into service with Kapitänleutnant Helmut Thurmann in command in Apr 1944 after some delays in construction. She was assigned to the 31st Flotilla, a training unit, for preparations for front line duty. At about 2300 hours on 14 May 1944, less than a month since her commissioning, steam tug Anton collided with her in foggy weather, causing her to sink off Gdynia, Poland, killing 13. She was raised, repaired, and returned to service with the same unit in Oct 1944. She was now a dedicated training boat, since the damage suffered during the collision made her a poor candidate for front line duty. In Feb 1945, she was transferred to another training unit, 4th Flotilla. At the end of the war, she was scuttled in the Flensburg Firth between Germany and Denmark to prevent Allied capture.

ww2dbaseSource: Wikipedia

Submarine U-1234 Interactive Map

U-1234 Operational Timeline

14 Oct 1941	The order for U-1234 was made.
11 May 1943	The keel for U-1234 was laid down at Deutsche Werft Hamburg, Germany.
7 Jan 1944	U-1234 was launched at Deutsche Werft Hamburg, Germany.
19 Apr 1944	U-1234 was commissioned into service with Kapitänleutnant Helmut Thurmann in command. She was assigned to the 31st Flotilla, a training unit.
14 May 1944	Steam tug Anton collided with U-1234 off Gdynia, Poland at 2300 hours, sinking the submarine. 13 were killed.
17 Oct 1944	U-1234 was recommissioned into service with Oberleutnant zur See Hans-Christian Wrede in command.
1 Feb 1945	U-1234 was transferred to the 4th Flotilla, a training unit.
2 May 1945	U-1234 was scuttled in the Flensburg Firth, Germany, near the maritime border with Denmark.