French submarine Roland Morillot (S613)

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Type XXI submarine of German Kriegsmarine origin, used by the French Navy after WWII

French submarine Roland Morillot at sea c1950.jpg

Roland Morillot (ex U-2518) at sea circa 1950
History
Nazi Germany
Name U-2518
Ordered 6 November 1943
Builder Blohm & Voss, Hamburg
Yard number 2518
Laid down 16 August 1944
Launched 4 October 1944
Commissioned 4 November 1944
Fate
  • Surrendered on 9 May 1945
  • Transferred to France on 14 February 1946
France
Name Roland Morillot
Namesake Roland Morillot
Acquired August 1945
In service 14 February 1946
Out of service 17 October 1967
Fate Sold for scrapping on 21 May 1969
General characteristics
Class and type Type XXI submarine
Displacement
  • 1,621 t (1,595 long tons) surfaced
  • 2,100 t (2,067 long tons) submerged
Length 76.70 m (251 ft 8 in) (o/a)
Beam 8 m (26 ft 3 in)
Height 11.30 m (37 ft 1 in)
Draught 6.32 m (20 ft 9 in)
Propulsion
Speed
  • Surfaced:
  • 15.6 knots (28.9 km/h; 18.0 mph) (diesel)
  • 17.9 knots (33.2 km/h; 20.6 mph) (electric)
  • Submerged:
  • 17.2 knots (31.9 km/h; 19.8 mph) (electric)
  • 6.1 knots (11.3 km/h; 7.0 mph) (silent running motors)
Range
  • 15,500 nmi (28,700 km; 17,800 mi) at 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph) surfaced
  • 340 nmi (630 km; 390 mi) at 5 knots (9.3 km/h; 5.8 mph) submerged
Test depth 240 m (790 ft)
Complement 5 officers, 52 enlisted
Sensors and
processing systems
Armament
Service record (Kriegsmarine)
Part of:
Commanders:
  • Kptlt. Friedrich Weidner[1]
  • 4 November 1944 – 9 May 1945
Operations: None
Victories: None

German submarine U-2518 was a Type XXI U-boat of Nazi Germany’s Kriegsmarine at the end of World War II, which later served in the French Navy, where she was commissioned as Roland Morillot, in honour of Roland Morillot, a French submarine officer killed in 1915.

Service history[edit]

Kriegsmarine[edit]

The submarine was laid down on 16 August 1944 at the Blohm & Voss yard at Hamburg, launched on 4 October 1944, and commissioned on 4 November 1944 under the command of Oberleutnant zur See Friedrich Weidner. After training with 31st U-boat Flotilla, U-2518 was transferred to 11th U-boat Flotilla for front-line service on 1 April 1945, though this was too late for the U-boat to sail on any combat patrols or sink any ships.[2] On 9 May 1945, she surrendered to British forces at Horten Naval Base, Norway. She was taken to Lisahally, Londonderry. U-2518 was handed over by the British to the French Marine Nationale. On her journey from Lisahally to France, she stopped in Dún Laoghaire in February 1946.

Marine Nationale[edit]

The U-boat arrived at Cherbourg on 26 February 1946, and after repairs made her first voyage on 20 August. In January 1948 she sailed from Toulon to Casabianca completely submerged, and in April 1948 was permanently assigned to the Navy. On 14 February 1951 she was renamed Roland Morillot.[3] In August 1956 she took part in Operation Musketeer during the Suez Crisis. In 1967 the submarine was placed in reserve, and on 21 May 1969 was sold to Lotti S.p.A. at La Spezia for scrapping.[4]

See also[edit]

References[edit]

Bibliography[edit]

  • Busch, Rainer; Röll, Hans-Joachim (1999). German U-boat commanders of World War II : a biographical dictionary. Translated by Brooks, Geoffrey. London, Annapolis, Md: Greenhill Books, Naval Institute Press. ISBN 1-55750-186-6.
  • Busch, Rainer; Röll, Hans-Joachim (1999). Deutsche U-Boot-Verluste von September 1939 bis Mai 1945 [German U-boat losses from September 1939 to May 1945]. Der U-Boot-Krieg (in German). Vol. IV. Hamburg; Berlin; Bonn: Mittler. ISBN 3-8132-0514-2.
  • Gröner, Erich; Jung, Dieter; Maass, Martin (1991). U-boats and Mine Warfare Vessels. German Warships 1815–1945. Vol. 2. Translated by Thomas, Keith; Magowan, Rachel. London: Conway Maritime Press. ISBN 0-85177-593-4.

External links[edit]