Name U-127 Laid down 20 June 1940 Class and type Type IXC submarine Launched 1 February 1941 Draft 4.7 m Part of 2nd U-boat Flotilla | Ordered 7 August 1939 Commissioned 24 April 1941 Construction started 20 June 1940 Length 77 m Beam 6.76 m | |
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Fate Sunk, 15 December 1941 by an Australian warship Builders Deutsche Schiff- und Maschinenbau, AG Weser | ||
German submarine U-127 was a Type IXC U-boat of Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine during World War II. She was laid down at the DeSchiMAG AG Weser yard in Bremen as yard number 909 on 20 June 1940, launched on 1 February 1941 and commissioned on 24 April under the command of Korvettenkapitän Bruno Hansmann.
Contents
Design
German Type IXC submarines were slightly larger than the original Type IXBs. U-127 had a displacement of 1,120 tonnes (1,100 long tons) when at the surface and 1,232 tonnes (1,213 long tons) while submerged. 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 6.76 m (22 ft 2 in), a height of 9.60 m (31 ft 6 in), and a draught of 4.70 m (15 ft 5 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 metric horsepower (740 kW; 990 shp) 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).
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). 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 13,450 nautical miles (24,910 km; 15,480 mi) at 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph). U-127 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.
Service history
She began her brief service career training with the 2nd U-boat Flotilla and was declared operational with the same organization on 1 November 1941.
Patrol and loss
U-127 departed Kiel on 29 November, crossed the North Sea and entered the Atlantic Ocean via the 'gap' between the Faroe and Shetland Islands.
She was sunk west of Gibraltar on 15 December by the Australian destroyer HMAS Nestor. Out of a crew of 51, there were no survivors.
Wolfpacks
U-127 took part in one wolfpack, namely.