German submarine U-352

German submarine U-352 was a Type VIIC U-boat of the Nazi German 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.

1st patrol
U-352 left Kiel on 15 January 1942, and arrived at Bergen in Norway on the 19th. 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.

2nd patrol
U-352 left St. Nazaire on 7 April 1942 and sailed across the Atlantic to the coast of the north-eastern United States. There on 9 May 1942, she was sunk by depth charges from the U.S. Coast Guard cutter USCGC Icarus, south of Morehead City, North Carolina, in position 34.22783°N, -76.56483°W. Fifteen of the crew were lost, but 33 survived, and spent the remainder of the war as prisoners.

Dive site
U-352 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. 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.

Heinz Richter
Heinz Karl Richter, a Maschinengefreiter (equivalent of a Fireman 3rd Class) who survived the sinking, was found living in Canada and was interviewed for Discovery Channel's special coverage of U-352. He said that Captain Rathke was obsessed with receiving a Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross medal for sinking 100,000 tonnes-worth of enemy ships. Richter said that the captain's obsession eventually led to recklessness, ultimately resulting in the boat's sinking. Richter also said he was the last man out of the U-boat before it sank; those still on board were already dead, or perished in the boat as it sank.

Survivors
According to documents from the Naval Department, the following are survivors of the sinking: