German submarine U-1272 Facts for Kids

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U-995 Type VIIC/41 at the Laboe Naval Memorial. This U-boat is almost identical to U-1272.

|} The German submarine U-1272was a special type of submarinecalled a Type VIIC/41 U-boat. It was built for Nazi Germany's navy, the Kriegsmarine, during World War II. This submarine was ordered in March 1942. Its construction started in May 1943 at a shipyard in Bremen-Vegesack. The U-boat was launched in December 1943 and officially joined the navy in January 1944. Its first commander was Bernhard Meentzen.

About the U-boat's Design

Size and Weight
How it Moved
Speed and Range
How Deep it Could Go
Weapons and Crew

History
Nazi Germany
Name	U-1272
Ordered	23 March 1942
Builder	Bremer Vulkan-Vegesacker Werft, Bremen-Vegesack
Yard number	67
Laid down	31 May 1943
Launched	23 December 1943
Commissioned	28 January 1944
Fate	Surrendered on 10 May 1945 Sunk on 8 December 1945 during Operation Deadlight
General characteristics
Type	Type VIIC/41 submarine
Displacement	757 long tons (769 t) surfaced 857 long tons (871 t) submerged
Length	67.10 m (220 ft 2 in) o/a 50.50 m (165 ft 8 in) pressure hull
Beam	6.20 m (20 ft 4 in) o/a 4.70 m (15 ft 5 in) pressure hull
Height	9.60 m (31 ft 6 in)
Draught	4.74 m (15 ft 7 in)
Installed power	2 × diesel engines 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 × electric motors 2 × screws
Speed	17.7 knots (32.8 km/h; 20.4 mph) surfaced 7.6 knots (14.1 km/h; 8.7 mph) submerged
Range	8,500 nmi (15,700 km; 9,800 mi) at 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph) surfaced 80 nmi (150 km; 92 mi) at 4 knots (7.4 km/h; 4.6 mph) submerged
Test depth	250 m (820 ft) Calculated crush depth: 250–295 m (820–968 ft)
Complement	44-52 officers & ratings
Armament	5 × 53.3 cm (21 in) torpedo tubes (4 bow, 1 stern) 14 × torpedoes 1 × 8.8 cm (3.46 in) deck gun (220 rounds) 1 × 3.7 cm (1.5 in) Flak M42 AA gun 2 × 2 cm (0.79 in) C/30 AA guns
Service record
Part of:	8th U-boat Flotilla 28 January 1944 – 28 February 1945 11th U-boat Flotilla 1 March – 8 May 1945
Commanders:	Oblt.z.S. Bernhard Meentzen 29 January – 2 July 1944 Oblt.z.S. Hans Schatteburg 3 July 1944 – 10 May 1945
Operations:	1 patrol: 29 April – 10 May 1945
Victories:	None

Service History of U-1272

First and Only Patrol
Surrender and Sinking

Images for kids
See also

About the U-boat's Design

The U-1272 was a Type VIIC/41 submarine. This type was an improved version of earlier U-boats. It was designed to be strong and effective underwater.

Size and Weight

When the U-1272 was on the surface, it weighed about 769 tonnes. When it was underwater, it weighed a bit more, around 871 tonnes. The submarine was about 67 meters (220 feet) long. This is roughly the length of two basketball courts. It was about 9.6 meters (31 feet) tall.

How it Moved

The submarine used two large diesel engines when it was on the surface. These engines gave it a lot of power. When it went underwater, it switched to two electric motors. These motors were quieter and allowed the submarine to move silently. It had two propellers at the back to push it through the water.

Speed and Range

The U-1272 could travel quite fast on the surface, reaching speeds of up to 17.7 knots. A knot is a way to measure speed at sea. Underwater, it was slower, moving at about 7.6 knots.

It could travel a very long distance on the surface, about 8,500 nautical miles (15,742 kilometers) at a speed of 10 knots. This is like traveling from New York to Tokyo! Underwater, its range was much shorter, about 80 nautical miles (148 kilometers).

How Deep it Could Go

This U-boat was built to go deep underwater. It could safely operate at depths of up to 230 meters (755 feet). This is deeper than many tall buildings are high.

Weapons and Crew

The U-1272 was armed with five torpedo tubes. Four were at the front and one was at the back. It carried 14 torpedoes in total. It also had a large deck gun and several anti-aircraft guns to defend against planes.

The submarine needed a crew of between 44 and 52 sailors and officers to operate it.

Service History of U-1272

The U-1272 was part of the German navy's U-boat fleet. It was first assigned to the 8th U-boat Flotilla and later to the 11th U-boat Flotilla.

First and Only Patrol

The submarine only went on one war patrol during World War II. This patrol lasted from April 29 to May 10, 1945. During this time, it did not sink or damage any enemy ships.

Surrender and Sinking

On May 10, 1945, the U-1272 surrendered to the Allied forces in Bergen, Norway. This happened shortly after the war in Europe ended.

After its surrender, the U-boat was moved to Loch Ryan, Scotland. It was one of 116 German U-boats chosen for something called Operation Deadlight. This operation involved sinking the captured U-boats so they could not be used again.

On December 8, 1945, the U-1272 was towed out to sea and deliberately sunk. Its wreck now rests at a location in the Atlantic Ocean, at coordinates 55°50′N 10°05′W.