German submarine U-76 (1940)

For other ships with the same name, see German submarine U-76.
History
Nazi Germany
Name: U-76
Ordered: 2 June 1938[1]
Builder: Vegesacker Werft, Bremen-Vegesack
Yard number: 4
Laid down: 28 December 1939[1]
Launched: 3 October 1940[1][2]
Commissioned: 9 December 1940[1][2]
Fate: Sunk, 5 April 1941 by British warships; 1 dead, 42 rescued[1][2]
General characteristics
Class and type: Type VIIB U-boat
Displacement:
  • 753 t (741 long tons) surfaced
  • 857 t (843 long tons) submerged
Length:
  • 66.50 m (218 ft 2 in) o/a
  • 48.80 m (160 ft 1 in) pressure hull
Beam:
  • 6.20 m (20 ft 4 in) o/a
  • 4.70 m (15 ft 5 in) pressure hull
Draught: 4.74 m (15 ft 7 in)
Installed power:
  • 2,800–3,200 PS (2,100–2,400 kW; 2,800–3,200 bhp) (diesels)
  • 750 PS (550 kW; 740 shp) (electric)
Propulsion:
Range:
  • 8,700 nmi (16,100 km; 10,000 mi) at 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph) surfaced
  • 90 nmi (170 km; 100 mi) at 4 knots (7.4 km/h; 4.6 mph) submerged
Test depth:
  • 230 m (750 ft)
  • Calculated crush depth: 250–295 m (820–968 ft)
Boats & landing
craft carried:
1 inflatable rubber boat
Complement: 4 officers, 40–56 enlisted
Sensors and
processing systems:
Armament:
Service record
Part of:
Commanders:
  • Kptlt. Friedrich von Hippel
  • December 1940 – April 1941
Operations: 28 March – 5 April 1941
Victories: Two commercial ships sunk (7,290 GRT)

German submarine U-76 was a Type VIIB U-boat of Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine during World War II. She played a minor role in the Battle of the Atlantic, but was destroyed south of Iceland.

Design

German Type VIIB submarines were preceded by the shorter Type VIIA submarines. U-76 had a displacement of 753 tonnes (741 long tons) when at the surface and 857 tonnes (843 long tons) while submerged.[3] She had a total length of 66.50 m (218 ft 2 in), a pressure hull length of 48.80 m (160 ft 1 in), a beam of 6.20 m (20 ft 4 in), a height of 9.50 m (31 ft 2 in), and a draught of 4.74 m (15 ft 7 in). The submarine was powered by two MAN M 6 V 40/46 four-stroke, six-cylinder supercharged diesel engines producing a total of 2,800 to 3,200 metric horsepower (2,060 to 2,350 kW; 2,760 to 3,160 shp) for use while surfaced, two BBC GG UB 720/8 double-acting electric motors producing a total of 750 metric horsepower (550 kW; 740 shp) for use while submerged. She had two shafts and two 1.23 m (4 ft) propellers. The boat was capable of operating at depths of up to 230 metres (750 ft).[3]

The submarine had a maximum surface speed of 17.9 knots (33.2 km/h; 20.6 mph) and a maximum submerged speed of 8 knots (15 km/h; 9.2 mph).[3] When submerged, the boat could operate for 90 nautical miles (170 km; 100 mi) at 4 knots (7.4 km/h; 4.6 mph); when surfaced, she could travel 8,700 nautical miles (16,100 km; 10,000 mi) at 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph). U-76 was fitted with five 53.3 cm (21 in) torpedo tubes (four fitted at the bow and one at the stern), fourteen torpedoes, one 8.8 cm (3.46 in) SK C/35 naval gun, 220 rounds, and one 2 cm (0.79 in) anti-aircraft gun The boat had a complement of between forty-four and sixty.[3]

Service history

She was laid down at Bremer Vulkan in Bremen on 28 December 1939 as yard number 4. She was launched on 3 October 1940 and commissioned on 9 December.

U-76 was available for service from March 1941 following the completion of her working-up period and sea trials. Her commander, Kapitänleutnant (Kptlt.) Friedrich von Hippel, had previously served in U-144 during her trials until November the previous year.

War patrol

Six days into her first and only patrol on 2 April, U-76 sank the Finnish steam merchant ship SS Daphne which was on her way to Lillehammer, Norway. All twenty-two crew members were killed in the attack.[4][5]

The next day, U-76 followed the mostly British convoy SC 26 travelling from Sydney, Nova Scotia to Liverpool. The U-boat fired a torpedo at the British merchantman SS Athenic, disabling the vessel. The 40 people aboard were rescued by HMS Arbutus.[5]

The attack attracted the attention of the armed escort vessels, who pinpointed her position. Deploying depth-charges from HMS Wolverine and Scarborough, U-76 was sunk. Forty-two of her forty-three-man crew survived and were captured.

Summary of raiding history

Date Ship Nationality Tonnage[Note 1] Fate[6]
3 April 1941 SS Daphne  Finland 1,939 Sunk
4 April 1941 SS Athenic  United Kingdom 5,351 Sunk

References

Notes

  1. Tonnages are in gross register tons.

Citations

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 Helgason, Guðmundur. "The Type VIIB boat U-76". German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net. Retrieved 2010-02-15.
  2. 1 2 3 Kemp 1997, pp. 69–70
  3. 1 2 3 4 Gröner 1991, pp. 43–44.
  4. Helgason, Guðmundur. "SS Daphne". German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net. Retrieved 2010-02-15.
  5. 1 2 Helgason, Guðmundur. "War Patrols of U-76". German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net. Retrieved 2010-02-15.
  6. Helgason, Guðmundur. "Ships hit by U-76". German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net. Retrieved 2 February 2015.

Bibliography

  • 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). 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. 2. Translated by Thomas, Keith; Magowan, Rachel. London: Conway Maritime Press. ISBN 0-85177-593-4. 
  • Gröner, Erich (1990). German Warships, 1815–1945. Conway Maritime Press. 
  • Kemp, Paul (1997). U-Boats Destroyed, German Submarine Losses in the World Wars. Arms and Armour. pp. 69–70. ISBN 1-85409-515-3. 

External links

Coordinates: 58°35′N 20°20′W / 58.583°N 20.333°W / 58.583; -20.333

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