German submarine U-83 (1940)

For other ships with the same name, see German submarine U-83.

German submarine U-83 was a Type VIIB U-boat of Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine during World War II.

U-52, a typical Type VIIB boat
History
Nazi Germany
Name	U-83
Ordered	9 June 1938
Builder	Flender Werke, Lübeck
Yard number	291
Laid down	5 October 1939
Launched	9 December 1940
Commissioned	8 February 1941
Fate	Sunk, 4 March 1943 by a British aircraft
Badge
General characteristics
Class and type	Type VIIB submarine
Displacement	753 tonnes (741 long tons) surfaced 857 t (843 long tons) submerged
Length	66.50 m (218 ft 2 in) o/a 48.80 m (160 ft 1 in) pressure hull
Beam	6.20 m (20 ft 4 in) o/a 4.70 m (15 ft 5 in) pressure hull
Height	9.50 m (31 ft 2 in)
Draught	4.74 m (15 ft 7 in)
Installed power	2,800–3,200 PS (2,100–2,400 kW; 2,800–3,200 bhp) (diesels) 750 PS (550 kW; 740 shp) (electric)
Propulsion	2 shafts 2 × diesel engines 2 × electric motors
Speed	17.9 knots (33.2 km/h; 20.6 mph) surfaced 8 knots (15 km/h; 9.2 mph) submerged
Range	9,400 nmi (17,400 km; 10,800 mi) at 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph) surfaced 90 nmi (170 km; 100 mi) at 4 knots (7.4 km/h; 4.6 mph) submerged
Test depth	220 m (720 ft) Crush depth: 230–250 m (750–820 ft)
Complement	4 officers, 40–56 enlisted
Sensors and processing systems	Gruppenhorchgerät
Armament	4 × 53.3 cm (21 in) torpedo tubes (four bow) 12 × torpedoes or 26 TMA mines 1 × 8.8 cm (3.46 in) deck gun (220 rounds) 1 × 2 cm (0.79 in) C/30 anti-aircraft gun
Service record
Part of:	1st U-boat Flotilla 8 February – 31 December 1941 23rd U-boat Flotilla 1 January – 30 April 1942 29th U-boat Flotilla 1 May 1942 – 4 March 1943
Identification codes:	M 32 441
Commanders:	Oblt.z.S. / Kptlt. Hans-Werner Kraus 8 February 1941 – 21 September 1942 Kptlt. Ulrich Wörisshoffer 16 October 1942 – 4 March 1943
Operations:	12 patrols: 1st patrol: 26 July – 9 September 1941 2nd patrol: 28 September – 31 October 1941 3rd patrol: 11 – 23 December 1941 4th patrol: 25 – 30 December 1941 5th patrol: 12 – 24 February 1942 6th patrol: a. 10 – 21 March 1942 b. 24 – 28 March 1942 7th patrol: 5 April – 30 May 1942 8th patrol: 4 – 20 June 1942 9th patrol: a. 6 – 20 August 1942 b. 31 August – 4 September 1942 10th patrol: 21 November – 17 December 1942 11th patrol: 12 – 31 January 1943 12th patrol: 1 – 4 March 1943
Victories:	5 merchant ships sunk (8,425 GRT) 1 auxiliary warship sunk (96 GRT) 1 merchant ship damaged (2,590 GRT) 1 auxiliary warship damaged (6,746 GRT)

She was laid down in the Flender Werke at Lübeck as yard number 291 on 5 October 1939. Launched on 9 December 1940, she was commissioned on 8 February 1941. U-83 served with 1st U-boat Flotilla from 8 February 1941 to 31 December, with the 23rd flotilla from 1 January 1942 to 30 April and with the 29th flotilla from 1 March 1942 until she was sunk.

Design

German Type VIIB submarines were preceded by the shorter Type VIIA submarines. U-83 had a displacement of 753 tonnes (741 long tons) when at the surface and 857 tonnes (843 long tons) while submerged. She had a total length of 66.50 m (218 ft 2 in), a pressure hull length of 48.80 m (160 ft 1 in), a beam of 6.20 m (20 ft 4 in), a height of 9.50 m (31 ft 2 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 AEG GU 460/8-276 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).

The submarine had a maximum surface speed of 17.9 knots (33.2 km/h; 20.6 mph) and a maximum submerged speed of 8 knots (15 km/h; 9.2 mph). When submerged, the boat could operate for 90 nautical miles (170 km; 100 mi) at 4 knots (7.4 km/h; 4.6 mph); when surfaced, she could travel 8,700 nautical miles (16,100 km; 10,000 mi) at 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph). Differently from other VII B U-Boats, U-83 was fitted with only the front four 53.3 cm (21 in) torpedo tubes, and only twelve instead of 14 torpedoes, one 8.8 cm (3.46 in) SK C/35 naval gun, 220 rounds, and one 2 cm (0.79 in) anti-aircraft gun The boat had a complement of between forty-four and sixty.

Service history

U-83 conducted twelve patrols and sank five ships totalling 8,425 gross register tons (GRT) and one auxiliary warship - the Q-ship HMS Farouk, of 96 GRT. She damaged one other ship of 2,590 GRT and damaged the fighter catapult ship HMS Ariguani, of 6,746 GRT.

U-83 was sunk on 4 March 1943 with all hands southeast of Cartagena in Spain in position 37°10′N 00°05′E, by three depth charges dropped from an RAF Hudson bomber (500 Squadron).

Wolfpacks

U-83 took part in three wolfpacks, namely:

• Bosemüller (28 August - 2 September 1941)
• Seewolf (2 – 7 September 1941)
• Breslau (2 – 29 October 1941)

Summary of raiding history

Date	Ship	Nationality	Tonnage	Fate
12 October 1941	Corte Real	Portugal	2,044	Sunk
26 October 1941	HMS Ariguani	Royal Navy	6,746	Damaged
17 March 1942	Crista	United Kingdom	2,590	Damaged
8 June 1942	Esther	Palestine	100	Sunk
8 June 1942	Said	Egypt	231	Sunk
9 June 1942	Typhoon	Palestine	175	Sunk
13 June 1942	HMS Farouk	Royal Navy	96	Sunk
17 August 1942	Princess Marguerite	Canada	5,875	Sunk

See also

• Mediterranean U-boat Campaign (World War II)

References

Bibliography

• Bishop, Chris (2006). Kriegsmarine U-Boats, 1939–45. London: Amber Books. ISBN 978-1-904687-96-2.
• 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.
• Kemp, Paul (1999). U-Boats Destroyed - German Submarine Losses in the World Wars. London: Arms & Armour. ISBN 1-85409-515-3.

External links

• Helgason, Guðmundur. "The Type VIIB boat U-83". German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net. Retrieved 8 December 2014.
• Hofmann, Markus. "U 83". Deutsche U-Boote 1935–1945 - u-boot-archiv.de (in German). Retrieved 8 December 2014.
• "U-boat Archive - U-boat KTB - U-83 9th War Patrol". Retrieved 13 April 2017.