German submarine U-874

Service record
Part of:	4th U-boat Flotilla (Training); 8 April 1944 - 28 February 1945; 33rd U-boat Flotilla (Active service); 1 March 1945 - 9 May 1945;
Commanders:	Oblt.z.S. Theodor Petersen; 8 April 1944 – 9 May 1945;
Operations:	No patrols
Victories:	None

German submarine U-874
German submarine U-874
Name:	U-874
Ordered:	25 August 1941
Builder:	DeSchiMAG AG Weser, Bremen
Yard number:	1082
Laid down:	17 March 1943
Launched:	21 December 1943
Commissioned:	8 April 1944
Fate:	Surrendered on 9 May 1945
General characteristics
Class & type:	Type IXD2 submarine
Displacement:	1,610 t (1,580 long tons) surfaced; 1,799 t (1,771 long tons) submerged;
Length:	87.58 m (287 ft 4 in) o/a; 68.50 m (224 ft 9 in) pressure hull;
Beam:	7.50 m (24 ft 7 in) o/a; 4.40 m (14 ft 5 in) pressure hull;
Height:	10.20 m (33 ft 6 in)
Draught:	5.35 m (17 ft 7 in)
Installed power:	9,000 PS (6,620 kW; 8,880 bhp) (diesels); 1,000 PS (740 kW; 990 shp) (electric);
Propulsion:	2 shafts; 2 × diesel engines; 2 × electric motors;
Speed:	20.8 knots (38.5 km/h; 23.9 mph) surfaced; 6.9 knots (12.8 km/h; 7.9 mph) submerged;
Range:	12,750 nmi (23,610 km; 14,670 mi) at 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph) surfaced; 57 nmi (106 km; 66 mi) at 4 knots (7.4 km/h; 4.6 mph) submerged;
Test depth:	230 m (750 ft)
Complement:	66
Armament:	6 × 53.3 cm (21 in) torpedo tubes (four bow, two stern); 24 × torpedoes or 48 TMA or 72 TMB naval mines; 1 × 10.5 cm (4.1 in) SK L/45 'Utof' deck gun (150 rounds); various anti-aircraft guns;

German submarine U-874 was a long-range Type IXD2 U-boat built for Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine during World War II.

She was ordered on 25 August 1941, and was laid down on 17 March 1943 at DeSchiMAG AG Weser, Bremen, as yard number 1082. She was launched on 21 December 1943 and commissioned under the command of Oberleutnant zur See Theodor Petersen on 8 April 1944.^[3]

Design[]

German Type IXD2 submarines were considerably larger than the original Type IXs. U-874 had a displacement of 1,610 tonnes (1,580 long tons) when at the surface and 1,799 tonnes (1,771 long tons) while submerged.^[4] The U-boat had a total length of 87.58 m (287 ft 4 in), a pressure hull length of 68.50 m (224 ft 9 in), a beam of 7.50 m (24 ft 7 in), a height of 10.20 m (33 ft 6 in), and a draught of 5.35 m (17 ft 7 in). The submarine was powered by two MAN M 9 V 40/46 supercharged four-stroke, nine-cylinder diesel engines plus two MWM RS34.5S six-cylinder four-stroke diesel engines for cruising, producing a total of 9,000 metric horsepower (6,620 kW; 8,880 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 1.85 m (6 ft) propellers. The boat was capable of operating at depths of up to 200 metres (660 ft).^[4]

The submarine had a maximum surface speed of 20.8 knots (38.5 km/h; 23.9 mph) and a maximum submerged speed of 6.9 knots (12.8 km/h; 7.9 mph).^[4] When submerged, the boat could operate for 121 nautical miles (224 km; 139 mi) at 2 knots (3.7 km/h; 2.3 mph); when surfaced, she could travel 12,750 nautical miles (23,610 km; 14,670 mi) at 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph). U-874 was fitted with six 53.3 cm (21 in) torpedo tubes (four fitted at the bow and two at the stern), 24 torpedoes, one 10.5 cm (4.13 in) SK C/32 naval gun, 150 rounds, and a 3.7 cm (1.5 in) with 2575 rounds as well as two 2 cm (0.79 in) anti-aircraft guns with 8100 rounds. The boat had a complement of fifty-five.^[4]

Service history[]

On 9 May 1945, U-874 surrendered at Horten, Norway. She was later transferred to Lisahally, Northern Ireland on 29 May 1945. Of the 156 U-boats that eventually surrendered to the Allied forces at the end of the war, U-874 was one of 116 selected to take part in Operation Deadlight. U-874 was towed out on 31 December 1945, and sunk.^[3]

The wreck is located at 55°47′N 09°27′W / 55.783°N 9.45°W / 55.783; -9.45Coordinates: 55°47′N 09°27′W / 55.783°N 9.45°W / 55.783; -9.45.^[3]

References[]

↑ Busch & Röll 1997, p. 384.
↑ Helgason, Guðmundur. "Theodor Petersen". http://uboat.net/men/commanders/921.html. Retrieved 12 April 2016.
↑ ^3.0 ^3.1 ^3.2 Helgason, Guðmundur. "U-874". http://uboat.net/boats/u874.htm. Retrieved 12 April 2016.
↑ ^4.0 ^4.1 ^4.2 ^4.3 Gröner 1991, pp. 74-75.

Bibliography[]

Busch, Rainer; Röll, Hans-Joachim (1997) (in German). Der U-Boot-Bau auf deutschen Werften. II. Hamburg, Berlin, Bonn: Mittler. ISBN 3-8132-0509-6.
Busch, Rainer; Röll, Hans-Joachim (1999) (in German). Deutsche U-Boot-Verluste von September 1939 bis Mai 1945. IV. Hamburg, Berlin, Bonn: Mittler. ISBN 3-8132-0514-2.
Gröner, ErichExpression error: Unexpected < operator. (1991). U-boats and Mine Warfare Vessels. 2. London: Conway Maritime Press. ISBN 0-85177-593-4.
Sharpe, Peter (1998). U-Boat Fact File. Great Britain: Midland Publishing. ISBN 1-85780-072-9.

External links[]

Helgason, Guðmundur. "U-874". http://uboat.net/boats/u874.htm. Retrieved 6 January 2014.

All or a portion of this article consists of text from Wikipedia, and is therefore Creative Commons Licensed under GFDL.
The original article can be found at German submarine U-874 and the edit history here.

[FOOTNOTEBuschRöll1997384-1] Busch & Röll 1997, p. 384.

[2] Helgason, Guðmundur. "Theodor Petersen". http://uboat.net/men/commanders/921.html. Retrieved 12 April 2016.

[uboat-3] 3.0 ^3.1 ^3.2 Helgason, Guðmundur. "U-874". http://uboat.net/boats/u874.htm. Retrieved 12 April 2016.

[FOOTNOTEGröner199174-75-4] 4.0 ^4.1 ^4.2 ^4.3 Gröner 1991, pp. 74-75.

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