German submarine U-83 was a Type VIIB U-boat of Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine during World War II.
U-52, a typical Type VIIB boat
| |
History | |
---|---|
Nazi Germany | |
Name | U-83 |
Ordered | 9 June 1938 |
Builder | Flender Werke, Lübeck |
Yard number | 291 |
Laid down | 5 October 1939 |
Launched | 9 December 1940 |
Commissioned | 8 February 1941 |
Fate | Sunk, 4 March 1943 by a British aircraft[1] |
Badge | |
General characteristics | |
Class and type | Type VIIB submarine |
Displacement | |
Length |
|
Beam |
|
Height | 9.50 m (31 ft 2 in) |
Draught | 4.74 m (15 ft 7 in) |
Installed power |
|
Propulsion |
|
Speed |
|
Range | |
Test depth |
|
Complement | 4 officers, 40–56 enlisted |
Sensors and processing systems | Gruppenhorchgerät |
Armament |
|
Service record[2][3] | |
Part of: |
|
Identification codes: | M 32 441 |
Commanders: |
|
Operations: |
|
Victories: |
She was laid down in the Flender Werke at Lübeck as yard number 291 on 5 October 1939. Launched on 9 December 1940, she was commissioned on 8 February 1941. U-83 served with 1st U-boat Flotilla from 8 February 1941 to 31 December, with the 23rd flotilla from 1 January 1942 to 30 April and with the 29th flotilla from 1 March 1942 until she was sunk.[2]
German Type VIIB submarines were preceded by the shorter Type VIIA submarines. U-83 had a displacement of 753 tonnes (741 long tons) when at the surface and 857 tonnes (843 long tons) while submerged.[4] She had a total length of 66.50 m (218 ft 2 in), a pressure hull length of 48.80 m (160 ft 1 in), a beam of 6.20 m (20 ft 4 in), a height of 9.50 m (31 ft 2 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 AEG GU 460/8-276 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).[4]
The submarine had a maximum surface speed of 17.9 knots (33.2 km/h; 20.6 mph) and a maximum submerged speed of 8 knots (15 km/h; 9.2 mph).[4] When submerged, the boat could operate for 90 nautical miles (170 km; 100 mi) at 4 knots (7.4 km/h; 4.6 mph); when surfaced, she could travel 8,700 nautical miles (16,100 km; 10,000 mi) at 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph). Differently from other VII B U-Boats, U-83 was fitted with only the front four 53.3 cm (21 in) torpedo tubes, and only twelve instead of 14 torpedoes,[5] one 8.8 cm (3.46 in) SK C/35 naval gun, 220 rounds, and one 2 cm (0.79 in) anti-aircraft gun The boat had a complement of between forty-four and sixty.[4]
U-83 conducted twelve patrols and sank five ships totalling 8,425 gross register tons (GRT) and one auxiliary warship - the Q-ship HMS Farouk, of 96 GRT.[6] She damaged one other ship of 2,590 GRT and damaged the fighter catapult ship HMS Ariguani, of 6,746 GRT.[2][7]
U-83 was sunk on 4 March 1943 with all hands southeast of Cartagena in Spain in position 37°10′N 00°05′E / 37.167°N 0.083°E, by three depth charges dropped from an RAF Hudson bomber (500 Squadron).[2][1]
U-83 took part in three wolfpacks, namely:
Date | Ship | Nationality | Tonnage[Note 1] | Fate[8] |
---|---|---|---|---|
12 October 1941 | Corte Real | Portugal | 2,044 | Sunk |
26 October 1941 | HMS Ariguani | Royal Navy | 6,746 | Damaged |
17 March 1942 | Crista | United Kingdom | 2,590 | Damaged |
8 June 1942 | Esther | Palestine | 100 | Sunk |
8 June 1942 | Said | Egypt | 231 | Sunk |
9 June 1942 | Typhoon | Palestine | 175 | Sunk |
13 June 1942 | HMS Farouk | Royal Navy | 96 | Sunk |
17 August 1942 | Princess Marguerite | Canada | 5,875 | Sunk |