German submarine U-877

History
Nazi Germany
Name	U-877
Ordered	2 April 1942
Builder	AG Weser, Bremen
Yard number	1085
Laid down	22 May 1943
Launched	10 December 1943
Commissioned	24 March 1944
Fate	Sunk by HMCS St. Thomas on 27 December 1944
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; 24 March – 30 November 1944; 33rd U-boat Flotilla; 1 – 27 December 1944;
Identification codes:	M 50 294
Commanders:	Kptlt. Eberhard Findeisen; 24 March – 27 December 1944;
Operations:	1 patrol:; 25 November – 27 December 1944;
Victories:	None

German submarine U-877 was a

commissioned into the Kriegsmarine under the command of Kapitänleutnant Eberhard Findeisen on 24 March 1944.^[1] Initially assigned to the 4th U-boat Flotilla, she was transferred to the 33rd U-boat Flotilla on 1 December 1944.^[1]

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).^[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 cm (0.79 in) C/30 anti-aircraft guns. The boat had a complement of forty-eight.^[2]

Service history

She carried out a single war patrol, departing Horten Naval Base on 25 November 1944. Two days later she was attacked by Bristol Beaufighters of No. 489 Squadron, which launched two depth charges at her. She crash dived, escaping the attackers, but losing her radar antenna.^[1]

U-877 was attacked on 27 December 1944 in the North Atlantic, north-west of the Azores, by the Royal Canadian Navy's Castle-class corvette HMCS St. Thomas. She was badly damaged by St. Thomas's squid mortar and sank at position 46°25′N 36°38′W / 46.417°N 36.633°W / 46.417; -36.633, after her crew had abandoned ship. All 56 were picked up by St. Thomas.^[1]

The end of the submarine and the friendship that develops between both captains is described in the book "Ne Tirez Pas" (Don't shoot) written by Jean-Louis Morgan and Linda Sinclair published by Edition l'Archipel

ISBN 9782809800135

.

References

^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ ^j ^k Helgason, Guðmundur. "The Type IXC/40 boat U-877". German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net. Retrieved 25 August 2010.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d Gröner 1991, p. 68.

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-877". German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net. Retrieved 25 August 2010.

[U877-1] ^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ ^j ^k Helgason, Guðmundur. "The Type IXC/40 boat U-877". German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net. Retrieved 25 August 2010.

[FOOTNOTEGröner199168-2] Gröner 1991, p. 68.

[1]

[2]