German_submarine_U-881

German submarine <i>U-881</i>

German submarine U-881

German World War II submarine

German submarine U-881 was a Type IXC/40 U-boat of Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine during World War II. The ship was ordered on 2 April 1942, laid down on 7 August 1943, and launched on 4 March 1944. She was commissioned into the Kriegsmarine under the command of Kapitänleutnant Dr. Karl-Heinz Frischke (Crew 36) on 27 May 1944. Initially assigned to the 4th U-boat Flotilla, she was transferred to the 33rd U-boat Flotilla on 1 March 1945.

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Design

German Type IXC/40 submarines were slightly larger than the original Type IXCs. U-881 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-881 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) Flak M42 as well as two twin 2 cm (0.79 in) C/30 anti-aircraft guns. The boat had a complement of forty-eight.[2]

Service history

For her first patrol, U-881 was assigned to operate in US coastal waters with wolfpack Seewolf.[3] During this operation U-881 was depth charged and sunk by the American destroyer escort USS Farquhar on 6 May 1945 in one of the last actions in American waters of the Atlantic campaign. She sank at position 43°18′N 47°44′W with the loss of all 54 men on board.[1]

References

  1. [1]
    Helgason, Guðmundur. "The Type IXC/40 boat U-881". German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net. Retrieved 30 March 2009.
  2. [2]
    Gröner 1991, p. 68.
  3. [3]
    Blair p 687

Bibliography
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