Summary
German submarine U-842 was a Type IXC/40 U-boat built for Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine during World War II.
| History | |
|---|---|
 Nazi Germany | |
| Name | U-842 |
| Ordered | 20 January 1941 |
| Builder | DeSchiMAG AG Weser, Bremen |
| Yard number | 1048 |
| Laid down | 6 April 1942 |
| Launched | 14 November 1942 |
| Commissioned | 1 March 1943 |
| Fate | Sunk in North Atlantic on 6 November 1943 at 43°42′N 42°8′W / 43.700°N 42.133°W[1] |
| General characteristics | |
| Class and type | Type IXC/40 submarine |
| Displacement | |
| Length |
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| Beam |
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| Height | 9.60 m (31 ft 6 in) |
| Draught | 4.67 m (15 ft 4 in) |
| Installed power |
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| Propulsion |
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| Speed |
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| Range |
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| Test depth | 230 m (750 ft) |
| Complement | 4 officers, 44 enlisted |
| Armament |
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| Service record | |
| Part of: |
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| Identification codes: | M 50 566 |
| Commanders: | |
| Operations: |
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| Victories: | None |
U-842 was ordered on 20 January 1941 from DeSchiMAG AG Weser in Bremen under the yard number 1048. Her keel was laid down on 6 April 1942 and the U-boat was launched on 14 November the same year. She was commissioned into service under the command of Kapitänleutnant Wolfgang Heller (Crew 30) in 4th U-boat Flotilla on 1 March 1943.
Design edit
German Type IXC/40 submarines were slightly larger than the original Type IXCs. U-842 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.[2] 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).[2]
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).[2] 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-842 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) SK C/30 as well as a 2 cm (0.79 in) C/30 anti-aircraft gun. The boat had a complement of forty-eight.[2]
Service history edit
Transferred to the 2nd U-boat Flotilla, U-842 left Kiel on 14 September 1943 for Bergen where she arrived three days later. On 5 October 1943. U-842 set out for operations in the North Atlantic, where she joined operations against convoy ONS 20. The U-boat escaped an attack by one of the escorts, HMS Bazely on 17 October unscathed, joining group Siegfried operating against convoy HX 262 on 23 October, and group Siegfried 3 on 26 October. In the final days of October, she was part of group Jahn off Newfoundland. In early November U-842 was among the U-boats of group Tirpitz attacking convoy HX 264, when she was spotted and attacked by an aircraft in the early afternoon of 6 November 1943. Second Support Group, consisting of HMS Wild Goose, HMS Magpie, and HMS Starling, attacked the U-boat two hours later, and after more than one hour, U-842 was sunk by depth charges from Wild Goose, there were no survivors.[3]
References edit
- ^ Kemp 1999, p. 156.
- ^ a b c d Gröner 1991, p. 68.
- ^ Busch & Röll 1999b, pp. 167.
Bibliography edit
- Busch, Rainer; Röll, Hans-Joachim (1999a). 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.
- Busch, Rainer; Röll, Hans-Joachim (1999b). Der U-Boot-Krieg, 1939-1945: 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.
- Gröner, Eric; Jung, Dieter; Maass, Martin (1991). German Warships 1815-1945: U-boats and Mine Warfare Vessels. Vol. 2. Translated by Thomas, Keith; Magowan, Rachel. London: Conway Maritime Press. ISBN 0-85177-593-4.
- Kemp, Paul (1999). U-Boats Destroyed - German Submarine Losses in the World Wars. London: Arms & Armour. ISBN 1-85409-515-3.
External links edit
- Helgason, Guðmundur. "The Type IXC/40 boat U-842". German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net. Retrieved 2 February 2015.