German submarine U-127 (1941)

German submarine U-127 was a Type IXC U-boat of Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine during World War II. She was laid down at the DeSchiMAG AG Weser yard in Bremen as yard number 909 on 20 June 1940, launched on 1 February 1941 and commissioned on 24 April under the command of Korvettenkapitän Bruno Hansmann.

For other ships with the same name, see German submarine U-127.
U-505, a typical Type IXC boat
History
Nazi Germany
Name: U-127
Ordered: 7 August 1939
Builder: DeSchiMAG AG Weser in Bremen
Laid down: 20 June 1940
Launched: 1 February 1941
Commissioned: 24 April 1941
Fate: Sunk, 15 December 1941 by an Australian warship[1]
General characteristics
Class and type: Type IXC submarine
Displacement:
  • 1,120 t (1,100 long tons) surfaced
  • 1,232 t (1,213 long tons) submerged
Length:
  • 76.76 m (251 ft 10 in) o/a
  • 58.75 m (192 ft 9 in) pressure hull
Beam:
  • 6.76 m (22 ft 2 in) o/a
  • 4.40 m (14 ft 5 in) pressure hull
Height: 9.60 m (31 ft 6 in)
Draught: 4.70 m (15 ft 5 in)
Installed power:
  • 4,400 PS (3,200 kW; 4,300 bhp) (diesels)
  • 1,000 PS (740 kW; 990 shp) (electric)
Propulsion:
Range:
  • 13,450 nmi (24,910 km; 15,480 mi) at 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph) surfaced
  • 64 nmi (119 km; 74 mi) at 4 knots (7.4 km/h; 4.6 mph) submerged
Test depth: 230 m (750 ft)
Complement: 4 officers, 44 enlisted
Armament:
Service record[2]
Part of:
Commanders:
  • K.Kapt. Bruno Hansmann
  • 24 April – 15 December 1941
Operations:
  • 1st patrol
  • 29 November – 15 December 1941
Victories: None

Design

German Type IXC submarines were slightly larger than the original Type IXBs. U-127 had a displacement of 1,120 tonnes (1,100 long tons) when at the surface and 1,232 tonnes (1,213 long tons) while submerged.[3] 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 6.76 m (22 ft 2 in), a height of 9.60 m (31 ft 6 in), and a draught of 4.70 m (15 ft 5 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 metric horsepower (740 kW; 990 shp) 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).[3]

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).[3] 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 13,450 nautical miles (24,910 km; 15,480 mi) at 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph). U-127 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) SK C/30 as well as a 2 cm (0.79 in) C/30 anti-aircraft gun. The boat had a complement of forty-eight.[3]

Service history

She began her brief service career training with the 2nd U-boat Flotilla and was declared operational with the same organization on 1 November 1941.

Patrol and loss

U-127 departed Kiel on 29 November, crossed the North Sea and entered the Atlantic Ocean via the 'gap' between the Faroe and Shetland Islands.

She was sunk west of Gibraltar on 15 December by the Australian destroyer HMAS Nestor. Out of a crew of 51, there were no survivors.

Wolfpacks

U-127 took part in one wolfpack, namely.

  • Seeräuber (14–15 December 1941)
gollark: It came from the `fortune` thing I have in my fish profile.
gollark: ```No, I'm not interested in developing a powerful brain. All I'm after isjust a mediocre brain, something like the president of American Telephoneand Telegraph Company. -- Alan Turing on the possibilities of a thinking machine, 1943.```
gollark: Anyway, the most promising approach for sort of bodging a future-reminder system is either just guessing likely messages (probably won't work, people aren't that predictable if they're saying more than just "no" or "yes", though I guess any message in <#481655540976451584> is fairly likely to be said again), or trying to force people to conform to the predictions.
gollark: Well, the new Python version is.
gollark: AutoBotRobot is programmed to *not* destroy the universe, you know.

References
  1. Kemp 1999, p. 75.
  2. Helgason, Guðmundur. "The Type IXC boat U-127". German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net. Retrieved 16 October 2014.
  3. 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.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
  • 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). IV. Hamburg, Berlin, Bonn: Mittler. ISBN 3-8132-0514-2.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
  • Gröner, Erich; Jung, Dieter; Maass, Martin (1991). U-boats and Mine Warfare Vessels. German Warships 1815–1945. 2. Translated by Thomas, Keith; Magowan, Rachel. London: Conway Maritime Press. ISBN 0-85177-593-4.
  • Kemp, Paul (1999). U-Boats Destroyed - German Submarine Losses in the World Wars. London: Arms & Armour. ISBN 1-85409-515-3.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
  • Helgason, Guðmundur. "The Type IXC boat U-127". German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net. Retrieved 7 December 2014.
  • Hofmann, Markus. "U 127". Deutsche U-Boote 1935-1945 - u-boot-archiv.de (in German). Retrieved 7 December 2014.

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