German submarine U-878

History

Nazi Germany
Name:	U-878
Ordered:	2 April 1942
Builder:	DeSchiMAG AG Weser, Bremen
Yard number:	1086
Laid down:	16 June 1943
Launched:	6 January 1944
Commissioned:	14 April 1944
Fate:	sunk by depth charges from British warships at 47°35′N 10°33′W / 47.583°N 10.550°W / 47.583; -10.550Coordinates: 47°35′N 10°33′W / 47.583°N 10.550°W / 47.583; -10.550 on 10 April 1945
General characteristics
Class and type:	Type IXC/40 submarine
Displacement:	1,144 t (1,126 long tons) surfaced 1,257 t (1,237 long tons) submerged
Length:	76.76 m (251 ft 10 in) o/a 58.75 m (192 ft 9 in) pressure hull
Beam:	6.86 m (22 ft 6 in) o/a 4.44 m (14 ft 7 in) pressure hull
Height:	9.60 m (31 ft 6 in)
Draught:	4.67 m (15 ft 4 in)
Installed power:	4,400 PS (3,200 kW; 4,300 bhp) (diesels) 1,000 PS (740 kW; 990 shp) (electric)
Propulsion:	2 shafts 2 × diesel engines 2 × electric motors
Speed:	19 knots (35 km/h; 22 mph) surfaced 7.3 knots (13.5 km/h; 8.4 mph) submerged
Range:	13,850 nmi (25,650 km; 15,940 mi) at 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph) surfaced 63 nmi (117 km; 72 mi) at 4 knots (7.4 km/h; 4.6 mph) submerged
Test depth:	230 m (750 ft)
Complement:	4 officers, 44 enlisted
Armament:	6 × torpedo tubes (4 bow, 2 stern) 22 × 53.3 cm (21 in) torpedoes 1 × 10.5 cm (4.1 in) deck gun (180 rounds) 1 × 3.7 cm (1.5 in) AA gun 1 × twin 2 cm FlaK 30 AA guns
Service record
Identification codes:	M 00 518
Commanders:	Kptlt. Hans-Joachim Brans
Operations:	1 patrol

German submarine U-878 was a Type IXC/40 U-boat built for Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine during World War II.

Design

German Type IXC/40 submarines were slightly larger than the original Type IXCs. U-878 had a displacement of 1,144 tonnes (1,126 long tons) when at the surface and 1,257 tonnes (1,237 long tons) while submerged.^[1] The U-boat had a total length of 76.76 m (251 ft 10 in), a pressure hull length of 58.75 m (192 ft 9 in), a beam of 6.86 m (22 ft 6 in), a height of 9.60 m (31 ft 6 in), and a draught of 4.67 m (15 ft 4 in). The submarine was powered by two MAN M 9 V 40/46 supercharged four-stroke, nine-cylinder diesel engines producing a total of 4,400 metric horsepower (3,240 kW; 4,340 shp) for use while surfaced, two Siemens-Schuckert 2 GU 345/34 double-acting electric motors producing a total of 1,000 shaft horsepower (1,010 PS; 750 kW) for use while submerged. She had two shafts and two 1.92 m (6 ft) propellers. The boat was capable of operating at depths of up to 230 metres (750 ft).^[1]

The submarine had a maximum surface speed of 18.3 knots (33.9 km/h; 21.1 mph) and a maximum submerged speed of 7.3 knots (13.5 km/h; 8.4 mph).^[1] When submerged, the boat could operate for 63 nautical miles (117 km; 72 mi) at 4 knots (7.4 km/h; 4.6 mph); when surfaced, she could travel 13,850 nautical miles (25,650 km; 15,940 mi) at 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph). U-878 was fitted with six 53.3 cm (21 in) torpedo tubes (four fitted at the bow and two at the stern), 22 torpedoes, one 10.5 cm (4.13 in) SK C/32 naval gun, 180 rounds, and a 3.7 cm (1.5 in) as well as a 2 cm (0.79 in) anti-aircraft gun. The boat had a complement of forty-eight.^[1]

Service history

U-878 was ordered in April 1942 from DeSchiMAG AG Weser in Bremen under the yard number 1086. Her keel was laid down on 16 June 1943 and the U-boat was launched the following year on 6 January 1944. She was commissioned into service under the command of Kapitänleutnant Johannes Rodig (Crew 36) in 4th U-boat Flotilla.

After completing training and work up for deployment, U-878 was transferred to the 33rd U-boat Flotilla. Her first war patrol was a supply run for the beleaguered U-boat base of St. Nazaire. The u-boat left Horten Naval Base on 9 February 1945 and arrived at her destination on 20 March. On the return leg, she was picked up by escorts of convoy ONA 265 on 10 April 1945. HMS Vanquisher and HMS Tintagel Castle attacked U-878 with depth charges and squid mortar. U-878 was sunk in position 47°35′N 10°33′W / 47.583°N 10.550°W / 47.583; -10.550, all 51 crew members were lost.^[2]

References

1 2 3 4 Gröner 1991, p. 68.
↑ Busch & Röll 1999, pp. 207-8.

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.

External links

Helgason, Guðmundur. "The Type IXC/40 U-boat U-878". German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net. Retrieved 2 February 2015.

German Type IXC/40 submarines

U-167 U-168 U-169 U-170 U-183 U-184 U-185 U-186 U-187 U-188 U-189 U-190 U-191 U-192 U-193 U-194 U-525 U-526 U-527 U-528 U-529 U-530 U-531 U-532 U-533 U-534 U-535 U-536 U-537 U-538 U-539 U-540 U-541 U-542 U-543 U-544 U-545 U-546 U-547 U-548 U-549 U-550 U-801 U-802 U-803 U-804 U-805 U-806 U-841 U-842 U-843 U-844 U-845 U-846 U-853 U-854 U-855 U-856 U-857 U-858 U-865 U-866 U-867 U-868 U-869 U-870 U-877 U-878 U-879 U-880 U-881 U-889 U-1221 U-1222 U-1223 U-1224 U-1225 U-1226 U-1227 U-1228 U-1229 U-1230 U-1231 U-1232 U-1233 U-1234 U-1235

Preceded by: Type IXC Followed by: Type IXD

List of U-boats of Germany

Shipwrecks and maritime incidents in April 1945

Shipwrecks	1 Apr: Awa Maru 2 Apr: USS Dickerson, U-321 3 Apr: Brummer, USS S-16, U-1221, U-2542, U-3505 4 Apr: USS Dickerson, U-237, U-749, U-3003 5 Apr: U-242, USS S-17 6 Apr: Amatsukaze, USS Bush, USS Colhoun, USS Leutze, USS Morris, USS Newcomb, USS Witter 7 Apr: Asashimo, Hamakaze, Isokaze, Isuzu, Kasumi, Oldenburg, USS PGM-18, U-1195, Yahagi, Yamato 8 Apr: U-774, U-1001 9 Apr: Admiral Scheer, U-677, U-747, U-804, U-843, U-982, U-1065, U-2509, U-2514, U-3512 10 Apr: U-878, Weser 12 Apr: USS Mannert L. Abele, U-486 13 Apr: U-1024 14 Apr: Belgian Airman, U-235, U-1206 15 Apr: U-103, U-285, U-1063, U-1235 16 Apr: HMCS Esquimalt, Lützow, USS Pringle, U-78, U-880, U-1274 17 Apr: Goya 19 Apr: Aquila, U-251, U-548, U-879 21 Apr: U-636 22 Apr: USS Swallow, U-518 23 Apr: USS Eagle Boat 56, U-183 24 Apr: USS Frederick C. Davis, U-108, U-546 25 Apr: Graf Zeppelin, TA 32, U-326 28 Apr: U-56 29 Apr: U-56, U-286, U-307, U-1017 30 Apr: HMS Goodall, TA 43, U-879, U-1107 Unknown date: USS Snook, U-246, U-325, U-396, U-398, U-548, U-857, U-1055

Other incidents	2 Apr: USS Dickerson 5 Apr: USS Thornton 6 Apr: USS Defense, USS Emmons, USS Mullany, USS Rodman 12 Apr: USS Lindsey, U-1024. USS Zellars 14 Apr: USS Sigsbee 15 Apr: HMS Ekins, USS Laffey 16 Apr: USS Bryant, Goya, USS Harding 19 Apr: USS Tolman 27 Apr: HMS Redmill 30 Apr: U-3525

1944 1945 1946 March 1945 May 1945

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