History | |
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Name | U-676 |
Ordered | 5 June 1941 |
Builder | Howaldtswerke, Hamburg |
Yard number | 825 |
Laid down | 13 June 1942 |
Launched | 6 July 1943 |
Commissioned | 4 August 1943 |
Fate | Sunk by mine in the Gulf of Finland after 12 February 1945 |
General characteristics | |
Class and type | Type VIIC submarine |
Displacement | |
Length |
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Beam |
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Height | 9.60 m (31 ft 6 in) |
Draught | 4.74 m (15 ft 7 in) |
Installed power |
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Propulsion |
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Speed |
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Range |
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Test depth |
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Complement | 4 officers, 40–56 enlisted |
Armament |
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Service record | |
Part of: |
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Identification codes: | M 54 607 |
Commanders: | |
Operations: |
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Victories: | None |
German submarine U-676 was a Type VIIC U-boat of Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine during World War II. The submarine was laid down on 13 June 1942 at the Howaldtswerke yard at Hamburg, launched on 6 July 1943, and commissioned on 4 August 1943 under the command of Oberleutnant zur See Werner Sass.
Attached to 5th U-boat Flotilla based at Kiel, U-676 completed her training period on 31 August 1944 and was assigned to front-line service.
Design
[edit]German Type VIIC submarines were preceded by the shorter Type VIIB submarines. U-676 had a displacement of 769 tonnes (757 long tons) when at the surface and 871 tonnes (857 long tons) while submerged.[1] She had a total length of 67.10 m (220 ft 2 in), a pressure hull length of 50.50 m (165 ft 8 in), a beam of 6.20 m (20 ft 4 in), a height of 9.60 m (31 ft 6 in), and a draught of 4.74 m (15 ft 7 in). The submarine was powered by two Germaniawerft F46 four-stroke, six-cylinder supercharged diesel engines producing a total of 2,800 to 3,200 metric horsepower (2,060 to 2,350 kW; 2,760 to 3,160 shp) for use while surfaced, two Siemens-Schuckert GU 343/38–8 double-acting electric motors producing a total of 750 metric horsepower (550 kW; 740 shp) for use while submerged. She had two shafts and two 1.23 m (4 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 17.7 knots (32.8 km/h; 20.4 mph) and a maximum submerged speed of 7.6 knots (14.1 km/h; 8.7 mph).[1] When submerged, the boat could operate for 80 nautical miles (150 km; 92 mi) at 4 knots (7.4 km/h; 4.6 mph); when surfaced, she could travel 8,500 nautical miles (15,700 km; 9,800 mi) at 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph). U-676 was fitted with five 53.3 cm (21 in) torpedo tubes (four fitted at the bow and one at the stern), fourteen torpedoes, two 3.7 cm (1.5 in) Flak M42 and two twin 2 cm (0.79 in) C/30 anti-aircraft guns. The boat had a complement of between forty-four and sixty.[1]
Service history
[edit]On the second and final patrol, U-676 was last heard of on 12 February 1945 while operating in the Gulf of Finland.[2] In 2012 the wreck of U-676 was detected in position 59°30′N 23°0′E / 59.500°N 23.000°E. In the vicinity a mine barrage, Vantaa 3, had been laid by the Finnish minelayer Louhi and Ruotsinsalmi on 12 January 1945. All 57 crew members perished in the event.[3]
References
[edit]- ^ a b c d Gröner 1991, pp. 43–46.
- ^ Busch & Röll 1999, p. 315.
- ^ Helgason, Guðmundur. "The Type VIIC boat U-676". German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net. Retrieved 23 July 2015.
Bibliography
[edit]- 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
[edit]- Helgason, Guðmundur. "The Type VIIC boat U-676". German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net. Retrieved 23 July 2015.