German submarine U-881
| History | |
|---|---|
 Nazi Germany |
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| Name: | U-881 |
| Ordered: | 2 April 1942[1] |
| Builder: | AG Weser, Bremen[1] |
| Yard number: | 1089[1] |
| Laid down: | 7 August 1943[1] |
| Launched: | 4 March 1944[1] |
| Commissioned: | 27 May 1944[1] |
| Fate: | sunk by USS Farquhar, 6 May 1945[1] |
| General characteristics | |
| Class & type: | Type IXC/40 submarine |
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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 | |
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| Identification codes: | M 19 715 |
| Commanders: |
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| Operations: | 1 patrols[1] |
| Victories: | None[1] |
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 Oberleutnant zur See Dr.jur. 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.
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) as well as a 2 cm (0.79 in) anti-aircraft gun. 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 Farquhar on 6 May 1945 in one of the last actions in American waters of the Atlantic campaign. She sank at position Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found. with the loss of all 54 men on board.[1]
References
Bibliography
- Clay Blair : Hitler's U-Boat War [Volume 2]: The Hunted 1942-1945 (1998) ISBN 0-304-35261-6 (2000 UK paperback ed.)
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External links
- Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- Use dmy dates from February 2015
- German Type IX submarines
- U-boats commissioned in 1944
- World War II submarines of Germany
- U-boats sunk in 1945
- Ships lost with all hands
- U-boats sunk by depth charges
- U-boats sunk by US warships
- World War II shipwrecks in the Atlantic Ocean
- 1944 ships
- Ships built in Bremen (state)
- Maritime incidents in May 1945
