German submarine U-121 (1940)
Appearance
![]() U-9, a typical Type IIB boat
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History | |
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Name | U-121 |
Ordered | 28 September 1937 |
Builder | Flender Werke, Lübeck |
Yard number | 269 |
Laid down | 16 April 1938 |
Launched | 20 April 1940 |
Commissioned | 28 May 1940 |
Fate |
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General characteristics | |
Class and type | Type IIB coastal submarine |
Displacement | |
Length |
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Beam |
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Height | 8.60 m (28 ft 3 in) |
Draught | 3.90 m (12 ft 10 in) |
Installed power |
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Propulsion |
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Speed |
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Range |
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Test depth | 80 m (260 ft) |
Complement | 3 officers, 22 men |
Armament |
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Service record | |
Part of: |
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Identification codes: | M 01 240 |
Commanders: |
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Operations: | No patrols |
Victories: | No ships sunk or damaged |
German submarine U-121 was a long-lived
. U-121 spent the entire war as a training vessel and was scuttled at the end of the conflict.U-121 was one of two Type II U-boats built at Flender Werke in Lübeck. Like her sister boat U-120 (also built in Lübeck), she was originally constructed for export to China. The advent of World War II and the increased training needs of the U-Boot-Waffe led the German high command to assign U-120 and U-121 to the training command instead.[1]
Built for China
The
Chinese Nationalist Government used 10,000,000 Marks to order two Type IIB
U-boats in 1937. They also dispatched 80 men to Germany for training in submarine operations. The Japanese Government complained over this transaction, so the Chinese took their money back and the pair of Type IIB submarines joined the Kriegsmarine after the outbreak of the Second World War in Europe. They were U-120 and U-121.
Design
MWM RS 127 S four-stroke, six-cylinder diesel engines of 700 metric horsepower (510 kW; 690 shp) for cruising, two Siemens-Schuckert PG VV 322/36 double-acting electric motors producing a total of 460 metric horsepower (340 kW; 450 shp) for use while submerged. She had two shafts and two 0.85 m (3 ft) propellers. The boat was capable of operating at depths of up to 80–150 metres (260–490 ft).[2]
The submarine had a maximum surface speed of 12 knots (22 km/h; 14 mph) and a maximum submerged speed of 7 knots (13 km/h; 8.1 mph).2 cm (0.79 in) anti-aircraft gun. The boat had a complement of twentyfive.[2]
References
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.
- 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]. Der U-Boot-Krieg (in German). Vol. IV. Hamburg, Berlin, Bonn: Mittler. ISBN 3-8132-0514-2.
- Gröner, Erich; 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.
- ISBN 0-394-58839-8.
External links
- Helgason, Guðmundur. "The Type IIB boat U-121". German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net. Retrieved 31 January 2015.
- Hofmann, Markus. "U 121". Deutsche U-Boote 1935-1945 - u-boot-archiv.de (in German). Retrieved 31 January 2015.