German submarine U-866

History
Nazi Germany
Name	U-866
Ordered	25 August 1941
Builder	DeSchiMAG AG Weser, Bremen
Yard number	1074
Laid down	23 January 1943
Launched	29 July 1943
Commissioned	17 November 1943
Fate	Sunk on 18 March 1945
General characteristics
Class and type	Type IXC/40 submarine
Displacement	1,144 t (1,126 long tons) surfaced; 1,257 t (1,237 long tons) submerged;
Length	76.76 m (251 ft 10 in) o/a; 58.75 m (192 ft 9 in) pressure hull;
Beam	6.86 m (22 ft 6 in) o/a; 4.44 m (14 ft 7 in) pressure hull;
Height	9.60 m (31 ft 6 in)
Draught	4.67 m (15 ft 4 in)
Installed power	4,400 PS (3,200 kW; 4,300 bhp) (diesels); 1,000 PS (740 kW; 990 shp) (electric);
Propulsion	2 shafts; 2 × diesel engines; 2 × electric motors;
Speed	18.3 knots (33.9 km/h; 21.1 mph) surfaced; 7.3 knots (13.5 km/h; 8.4 mph) submerged;
Range	13,850 nmi (25,650 km; 15,940 mi) at 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph) surfaced; 63 nmi (117 km; 72 mi) at 4 knots (7.4 km/h; 4.6 mph) submerged;
Test depth	230 m (750 ft)
Complement	4 officers, 44 enlisted
Armament	6 × torpedo tubes (4 bow, 2 stern); 22 × 53.3 cm (21 in) torpedoes; 1 × 10.5 cm (4.1 in) SK C/32 deck gun (180 rounds); 1 × 3.7 cm (1.5 in) Flak M42 AA gun; 2 x twin 2 cm (0.79 in) C/30 AA guns;
Service record
Part of:	4th U-boat Flotilla; 17 November 1943 – 31 July 1944; 10th U-boat Flotilla; 1 August – 30 September 1944; 33rd U-boat Flotilla; 1 October 1944 – 18 March 1945;
Identification codes:	M 54 899
Commanders:	K.Kapt. Walter Pommerehne; 17 November 1943 – December 1944; Oblt.z.S. Peter Rogowsky; December 1944 – 18 March 1945;
Operations:	1 patrol:; 6 February – 18 March 1945;
Victories:	None

German submarine U-866 was a

Second World War. She was ordered on 25 August 1941, laid down in Bremen, Germany on 23 January 1943 and launched

on 29 July 1943. She had one patrol.

Design

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).^[1]

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 cm (0.79 in) C/30 anti-aircraft guns. The boat had a complement of forty-eight.^[1]

Service history

Her commander from 17 November 1943 until December 1944 was Korvettenkapitän Walter Pommerehne, followed by Oberleutnant zur See Peter Rogowsky, who commanded her from December 1944 until 18 March 1945.^[2]

While under command of Rogowsky, on 18 March, USS Lowe acquired U-866 on sonar and commenced a hedgehog attack. This attack missed the U-boat, which then settled on the ocean floor, attempting to hide from the attacking surface ships. Unfortunately for the U-boat, the seabed in the area was ideal for the surface ship's sonar and USS Lowe, USS Menges, USS Mosley, and USS Pride, all destroyer escorts, continued to attack with depth charges, until the U-boat was judged destroyed.^[3]^[4]

She did not sink or damage any ships while on patrol.

References

^ ^a ^b ^c ^d Gröner 1991, p. 68.
^ Helgason, Guðmundur. "The Type IXC/40 boat U-866". German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net. Retrieved 7 December 2014.
^ U.S. Coast Guard History
^ Sinking of U 866

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). 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
.

External links

Helgason, Guðmundur. "The Type IXC/40 boat U-866". German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net. Retrieved 7 December 2014.

43°11′N 61°05′W / 43.18°N 61.08°W / 43.18; -61.08

[FOOTNOTEGröner199168-1] Gröner 1991, p. 68.

[2] Helgason, Guðmundur. "The Type IXC/40 boat U-866". German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net. Retrieved 7 December 2014.

[3] U.S. Coast Guard History

[4] Sinking of U 866

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