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German submarine U-973
Career (Nazi Germany) War Ensign of Germany 1938-1945
Name: U-973
Ordered: 5 June 1941
Builder: Blohm & Voss, Hamburg
Laid down: 26 June 1942
Launched: 10 March 1943
Commissioned: 15 April 1943
Fate: Sunk, 6 March 1944
General characteristics
Type: Type VIIC submarine
Displacement: 769 tonnes (757 long tons) surfaced
871 t (857 long tons) submerged
Length: 67.1 m (220 ft 2 in) o/a
50.5 m (165 ft 8 in) pressure hull
Beam: 6.2 m (20 ft 4 in) o/a
4.7 m (15 ft 5 in) pressure hull
Draft: 4.74 m (15 ft 7 in)
Propulsion: 2 × supercharged Germaniawerft 6-cylinder 4-stroke M6V 40/46 diesel engines, totalling 2,800–3,200 bhp (2,100–2,400 kW). Max rpm: 470-490
2 × electric motors, totalling 750 shp (560 kW) and max rpm: 296
Speed: 17.7 knots (20.4 mph; 32.8 km/h) surfaced
7.6 knots (8.7 mph; 14.1 km/h) submerged
Range: 15,170 km (8,190 nmi) at 10 kn (19 km/h) surfaced
150 km (81 nmi) at 4 kn (7.4 km/h) submerged
Test depth: 230 m (750 ft)
Crush depth: 250–295 m (820–968 ft)
Complement: 44–52 officers & ratings
Armament: • 5 × 533 mm (21 in) torpedo tubes (4 bow, 1 stern)
• 14 × torpedoes or 26 TMA mines
• 1 × C35 88mm gun/L45 deck gun (220 rounds)
• Various AA guns
Service record
Part of: Kriegsmarine:
5th U-boat flotilla
Commanders: Oblt. Klaus Paepenmöller (15 Apr 1943–6 Mar 1944)
Operations: 2 patrols
2–12 February 1944
1–6 March 1944
Victories: None

German submarine U-973 was a German Type VIIC U-boat built for service in the Second World War. The submarine did not sink or damage any craft.

On the 6 March 1944 U-973 was sighted by Fairey Swordfish 816/'X' operating from the British escort carrier HMS Chaser, crewed by Sub-Lt(A) L. E. B. Bennett, Sub-Lt(A) E. W. Horsfield and PO C. A. Vines. Chaser was escorting convoys through Arctic waters. As they approached the submarine began firing with four 20 mm guns. Bennett fired three pairs of rockets, one of which struck the submarine just below the conning tower. The attack left 51 dead and 15 survivors.

External links[]

Coordinates: 70°40′N 5°48′E / 70.667°N 5.8°E / 70.667; 5.8

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-973 and the edit history here.
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