German submarine U-802 facts for kids
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|} The German submarine U-802was a special type of U-boatcalled a Type IXC/40. It was built for the German navy during World War II. These submarines were used by Nazi Germanyin battles at sea.
Contents
| History | |
|---|---|
 Nazi Germany |
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| Name | U-802 |
| Ordered | 7 December 1940 |
| Builder | DeSchiMAG Seebeckwerft, Bremerhaven |
| Yard number | 360 |
| Laid down | 1 December 1941 |
| Launched | 31 October 1942 |
| Commissioned | 12 June 1943 |
| Fate | Surrendered on 11 May 1945; sunk as part of Operation Deadlight on 31 December 1945 |
| General characteristics | |
| Class and type | Type IXC/40 submarine |
| Displacement |
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| Length |
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| Beam |
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| Height | 9.60 m (31 ft 6 in) |
| Draught | 4.67 m (15 ft 4 in) |
| Installed power |
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| Propulsion |
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| Speed |
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| Range |
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| Test depth | 230 m (750 ft) |
| Complement | 4 officers, 44 enlisted |
| Armament |
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| Service record | |
| Part of: |
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| Identification codes: | M 52 697 |
| Commanders: |
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| Operations: |
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| Victories: | 1 merchant ship sunk (1,621 GRT) |
About the U-802 Submarine
The U-802 was a large submarine. It weighed about 1,144 tons when it was on the surface of the water. When it was underwater, it weighed even more, around 1,257 tons.
Size and Shape
The submarine was very long, about 76.76 meters (251 feet) from end to end. Its main body, called the pressure hull, was 58.75 meters (192 feet) long. The U-802 was 6.86 meters (22 feet) wide and 9.60 meters (31 feet) tall. It needed 4.67 meters (15 feet) of water depth to float.
How it Moved
The U-802 had two powerful diesel engines for moving on the surface. These engines gave it a lot of power, about 4,400 horsepower. When it was underwater, it used two electric motors that produced 1,000 horsepower. It had two propellers to push it through the water.
The submarine could travel at 19 knots (about 35 kilometers per hour) on the surface. Underwater, it was slower, moving at 7.3 knots (about 13.5 kilometers per hour). It could go very deep, up to 230 meters (754 feet) underwater.
Travel Distance
When on the surface, the U-802 could travel a huge distance. It could go about 13,850 nautical miles (25,650 kilometers) at a speed of 10 knots. This is like traveling across the Atlantic Ocean many times! Underwater, it could travel about 63 nautical miles (116 kilometers) at 4 knots.
Weapons and Crew
The U-802 was armed with six torpedo tubes. Four were at the front and two were at the back. It carried 22 torpedoes. It also had a large deck gun on its deck, a 10.5 cm (4.1 inch) naval gun, with 180 rounds of ammunition. For defense against airplanes, it had a 3.7 cm (1.4 inch) anti-aircraft gun and a twin 2 cm (0.7 inch) anti-aircraft gun.
The submarine needed a crew of 48 people to operate it. This included 4 officers and 44 other sailors.
U-802 in Action
The U-802 was built quickly. It was started on December 1, 1941, and launched less than a year later on October 31, 1942. It officially joined the German navy on June 12, 1943. Its first commander was Rolf Steinhaus. Later, Helmut Schmoeckel took command in December 1943.
First Journey
The U-802 began its first mission on January 29, 1944. It traveled to the North Atlantic Ocean. During this trip, it attacked several groups of ships called convoys. On March 22, 1944, it sank a Canadian ship named Watuka, which weighed 1,621 tons. It also claimed to have damaged or sunk other ships, but these claims were not fully confirmed. The submarine returned to port on May 2, 1944.
Second Journey
The U-802 started its second mission on June 22, 1944. However, it had problems with its snorkel (a device that lets the submarine run its engines underwater). After facing an air attack, it had to return to port early, on July 9, 1944.
Third Journey
On July 16, 1944, the U-802 went out again for operations in the Atlantic. It reported seeing an aircraft carrier but did not attack it. It also claimed to have sunk a ship called HMCS Stettler on September 14, 1944. However, it was later found that HMCS Stettler survived the war. The U-802 returned to base on November 12, 1944.
Fourth Journey
The submarine's fourth journey began on December 11, 1944. It spent 118 days at sea, returning on April 8, 1945. The last few weeks of the war for U-802 were spent in Norwegian waters.
The End of U-802
As World War II was ending, the U-802 surrendered to the British navy on May 11, 1945. It was taken to different locations before being kept at Lisahally until the end of the year.
On December 30, 1945, the U-802 was being towed by another ship, HMS Pytchley. The next day, December 31, 1945, the towing cable broke. The U-802 sank into the ocean at 12:30 PM. This was part of an operation called Operation Deadlight, where many surrendered German U-boats were sunk.
Ships Sunk by U-802
The U-802 sank one merchant ship during its time in service.
| Date | Ship Name | Country | Weight (GRT) |
Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 22 March 1944 | Watuka |  Canada |
1,621 | Sunk |
