Name U-672 Yard number 821 Commissioned 6 April 1943 Launched 27 February 1943 Draft 4.74 m | Ordered 20 January 1941 Laid down 24 December 1941 Construction started 24 December 1941 Length 67 m Beam 6.2 m | |
Fate Scuttled in the English Channel north of Guernsey on 18 July 1944 Builder Howaldtswerke-Deutsche Werft | ||
German submarine U-672 was a Type VIIC U-boat of Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine during World War II. The submarine was laid down on 24 December 1941 at the Howaldtswerke yard at Hamburg, launched on 27 February 1943, and commissioned on 6 April 1943 under the command of Oberleutnant zur See Ulf Lawaetz.
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Attached to 5th U-boat Flotilla based at Kiel, U-672 completed her training period on 30 September 1943 and was assigned to front-line service.
Design
German Type VIIC submarines were preceded by the shorter Type VIIB submarines. U-672 had a displacement of 769 tonnes (757 long tons) when at the surface and 871 tonnes (857 long tons) while submerged. She had a total length of 67.10 m (220 ft 2 in), a pressure hull length of 50.50 m (165 ft 8 in), a beam of 6.20 m (20 ft 4 in), a height of 9.60 m (31 ft 6 in), and a draught of 4.74 m (15 ft 7 in). The submarine was powered by two Germaniawerft F46 four-stroke, six-cylinder supercharged diesel engines producing a total of 2,800 to 3,200 metric horsepower (2,060 to 2,350 kW; 2,760 to 3,160 shp) for use while surfaced, two Siemens-Schuckert GU 343/38–8 double-acting electric motors producing a total of 750 metric horsepower (550 kW; 740 shp) for use while submerged. She had two shafts and two 1.23 m (4 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 17.7 knots (32.8 km/h; 20.4 mph) and a maximum submerged speed of 7.6 knots (14.1 km/h; 8.7 mph). When submerged, the boat could operate for 80 nautical miles (150 km; 92 mi) at 4 knots (7.4 km/h; 4.6 mph); when surfaced, she could travel 8,500 nautical miles (15,700 km; 9,800 mi) at 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph). U-672 was fitted with five 53.3 cm (21 in) torpedo tubes (four fitted at the bow and one at the stern), fourteen torpedoes, one 8.8 cm (3.46 in) SK C/35 naval gun, 220 rounds, and an anti-aircraft gun. The boat had a complement of between forty-four and sixty.
Service history
On the fourth and final war patrol, U-672 was attacked by the British frigate Balfour north of Guernsey and heavily damaged on 18 July 1944. Forced to surface, the crew abandoned ship and scuttled the U-boat. All 52 crew members survived and were picked up the next day by British life-boats.