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German submarine U-802

Coordinates: 55°30′N 8°25′W / 55.500°N 8.417°W / 55.500; -8.417
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History
Nazi Germany
NameU-802
Ordered7 December 1940
BuilderDeSchiMAG Seebeckwerft, Bremerhaven
Yard number711
Laid down1 December 1941
Launched31 October 1942
Commissioned12 June 1943
FateLost 31 December 1945 while being towed to scuttling area
General characteristics
Class and typeType IXC/40 submarine
Displacement
  • 1,144 t (1,126 long tons) surfaced
  • 1,257 t (1,237 long tons) submerged
Length
Beam
  • 6.86 m (22 ft 6 in) o/a
  • 4.44 m (14 ft 7 in) pressure hull
Height9.60 m (31 ft 6 in)
Draught4.67 m (15 ft 4 in)
Installed power
  • 4,400 PS (3,200 kW; 4,300 bhp) (diesels)
  • 1,000 PS (740 kW; 990 shp) (electric)
Propulsion
Speed
  • 19 knots (35 km/h; 22 mph) surfaced
  • 7.3 knots (13.5 km/h; 8.4 mph) submerged
Range
  • 13,850 nmi (25,650 km; 15,940 mi) at 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph) surfaced
  • 63 nmi (117 km; 72 mi) at 4 knots (7.4 km/h; 4.6 mph) submerged
Test depth230 m (750 ft)
Complement4 officers, 44 enlisted
Armament
Service record
Part of:
Identification codes: M 52 697
Commanders:
  • Kptlt. Rolf Steinhaus[1]
  • 12 June – 12 December 1943
  • Kptlt. Helmut Schmoeckel[2]
  • 13 December 1943 – 11 May 1945
Operations: 4 patrols
Victories: 1 merchant ship sunk (1,621 GRT)

German submarine U-802 was a Type IXC/40 U-boat built for Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine during World War II.

Design

German Type IXC/40 submarines were slightly larger than the original Type IXCs. U-802 had a displacement of 1,144 tonnes (1,126 long tons) when at the surface and 1,257 tonnes (1,237 long tons) while submerged.[3] 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 6.86 m (22 ft 6 in), a height of 9.60 m (31 ft 6 in), and a draught of 4.67 m (15 ft 4 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 shaft horsepower (1,010 PS; 750 kW) 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).[3]

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).[3] 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 13,850 nautical miles (25,650 km; 15,940 mi) at 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph). U-802 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.[3]

Service history

Laid down on 1 December 1942, U-802 was launched eleven months later on 31 October 1943. On 12 June 1943 the u-boat was commissioned into service under the command of Kapitänleutnant Rolf Steinhaus (Crew 36).

In September 1943 Helmut Schmoeckel (Crew 36) joined the crew of U-802 as a trainee commander. Schmoeckel finally relieved Steinhaus and took command of U-802 on 12 December 1943. Transferring from 4th U-boat Flotilla to 2nd, U-802 left base in Kiel on 29 January 1944 and after brief stops in Kristiansand and Stavanger she reached her assigned patrol area in the North Atlantic in Mid-February. In late March and early April U-801 attacked several convoys, sinking the Canadian 1621-ton steamer SS Watuka and possibly two more steamers from convoy SH 125 in 44°30′N 62°51′W / 44.500°N 62.850°W / 44.500; -62.850 on 22 March 1944. In an attack on convoy HX 286 she claimed two more steamers of 10,000 tons sunk or damaged respectively. On 2 May 1944 the u-boat arrived in Lorient.

U-802 set out from Lorient on her second patrol on 22 June 1944, but when her snorkel failed on 1 July, she made for port. After experiencing an air attack earlier that day, U-802 arrived back in Lorient on 9 July 1944.

On 19 July the u-boat left again for operations in the West and North Atlantic. In Mid-August U-802 made contact with a aircraft carrier but did not attack, but claimed an escort, HMCS Stettler, sunk on 14 September 1944. However, this was proved incorrect; HMCS Stettler survived the war. In November 1944, she returned to base via Norway to Flensburg. From there she left again for the West Atlantic on 11 December 1944 to return to Kiel on 8 April 1945. The last weeks of war in Europe U-802 spent in Norwegian waters.

Surrender

Leaving Bergen on 3 May, U-802 arrived in Loch Eriboll on 11 May 1945 in order to surrender to the British. The u-boat was transferred to Loch Alsh the next day, and to Lisahally the day after that, where she was interned until the end of the year. On 30 December 1945 U-802 left Moville under tow from HMS Pytchley. At 12:30h the next day, 31 December 1945, the cable broke and U-802 sank at 55°30′N 8°25′W / 55.500°N 8.417°W / 55.500; -8.417.[4]

Summary of raiding history

Date Name Nationality Tonnage
(GRT) 		Fate[5]
22 March 1944 Watuka  Canada 1,621 Sunk

References

  1. ^ Helgason, Guðmundur. "Rolf Steinhaus". German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net. Retrieved 13 April 2015.
  2. ^ Helgason, Guðmundur. "Helmut Schmoeckel". German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net. Retrieved 13 April 2015.
  3. ^ a b c d Gröner 1991, p. 68.
  4. ^ Busch, Röll 1997, p. 390.
  5. ^ Helgason, Guðmundur. "Ships hit by U-802". German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net. Retrieved 13 April 2015.

Bibliography

  • Busch, Rainer; Röll, Hans-Joachim (1999). German U-boat commanders of World War II : a biographical dictionary. Translated by Brooks, Geoffrey. London, Annapolis, Md: Greenhill Books, Naval Institute Press. ISBN 1-55750-186-6. {{cite book}}: Invalid |ref=harv (help)
  • Busch, Rainer; Röll, Hans-Joachim (1999). Deutsche U-Boot-Verluste von September 1939 bis Mai 1945 [German U-boat losses from September 1939 to May 1945] (in German). Vol. IV. Hamburg, Berlin, Bonn: Mittler. ISBN 3-8132-0514-2. {{cite book}}: |work= ignored (help); Invalid |ref=harv (help)
  • Gröner, Erich; Jung, Dieter; Maass, Martin (1991). U-boats and Mine Warfare Vessels. Vol. 2. Translated by Thomas, Keith; Magowan, Rachel. London: Conway Maritime Press. ISBN 0-85177-593-4. {{cite book}}: |work= ignored (help); Cite has empty unknown parameter: |last-author-amp= (help)

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