Name U-872 Yard number 1080 Commissioned 10 February 1944 Construction started 23 December 1942 Length 88 m Builder AG Weser | Ordered 25 August 1941 Laid down 23 December 1942 Decommissioned 10 August 1944 Launched 20 October 1943 Beam 7.5 m | |
German submarine U-872 was a long-range Type IXD2 U-boat built for Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine during World War II.
Contents
She was ordered on 25 August 1941, and was laid down on 23 December 1942 at DeSchiMAG AG Weser, Bremen, as yard number 1080. She was launched on 20 October 1943 and commissioned under the command of Kapitänleutnant Peter-Otmar Grau on 10 February 1944.
Design
German Type IXD2 submarines were considerably larger than the original Type IXs. U-872 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. 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).
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). 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-872 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.
Service history
U-872 was badly damaged by bombs at Bremen in a USAAF raid. She was taken out of service on 10 August 1944 and broken up.