| German submarine U-878 | |
|---|---|
| Career (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 10.55°WCoordinates: 47°35′N 10°33′W / 47.583°N 10.55°W on 10 April 1945 |
| General characteristics [1] | |
| 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: | 9.6 m (31 ft 6 in) |
| Draft: | 4.67 m (15 ft 4 in) |
| Propulsion: |
2 × MAN M 9 V 40/46 supercharged 9-cylinder diesel engines, 4,400 hp (3,281 kW) 2 × SSW GU 345/34 double-acting electric motors, 1,000 hp (746 kW) |
| Speed: |
19 knots (35 km/h; 22 mph) surfaced 7.3 kn (13.5 km/h; 8.4 mph) submerged |
| Range: |
13,850 nmi (25,650 km; 15,940 mi) at 10 kn (19 km/h; 12 mph) surfaced 63 nmi (117 km; 72 mi) at 4 kn (7.4 km/h; 4.6 mph) submerged |
| Test depth: | 230 m (750 ft) |
| Complement: | 4 officers, 44 enlisted |
| Armament: |
|
| 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.
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 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 10.55°W, all 51 crew members were lost.[2]
References[]
- Notes
- ↑ Gröner 1985, pp. 105-7.
- ↑ Busch & Röll 1999, pp. 207-8.
- Bibliography
- 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, Erich (1985) (in German). U-Boote, Hilfskreuzer, Minenschiffe, Netzleger, Sperrbrecher. III. Koblenz: Bernard & Graefe. ISBN 3-7637-4802-4.
The original article can be found at German submarine U-878 and the edit history here.