German submarine U-277

{{Infobox ship image

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|Ship caption=

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{{Infobox ship career

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|Ship country=Nazi Germany

|Ship flag={{shipboxflag|Nazi Germany|naval}}

|Ship name=U-277

|Ship ordered=10 April 1941

|Ship builder=Bremer Vulkan, Bremen-Vegesack

|Ship yard number=42

|Ship laid down=3 March 1942

|Ship launched=7 November 1942

|Ship commissioned=21 December 1942

|Ship homeport=

|Ship motto=

|Ship nickname=

|Ship fate=Sunk on 1 May 1944 by a British aircraft

|Ship notes=

}}

{{Infobox ship characteristics

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|Header caption=

|Ship class=Type VIIC submarine

|Ship displacement=

{{convert|769|t|LT|0|lk=on}} surfaced
{{convert|871|t|LT|0|abbr=on}} submerged

|Ship length=

{{convert|67.10|m|ftin|abbr=on}} o/a
{{convert|50.50|m|ftin|abbr=on}} pressure hull

|Ship beam=

{{convert|6.20|m|ftin|abbr=on}} o/a
{{convert|4.70|m|ftin|abbr=on}} pressure hull

|Ship height={{convert|9.60|m|ftin|abbr=on}}

|Ship draught={{convert|4.74|m|ftin|abbr=on}}

|Ship power=

{{convert|2800|–|3200|PS|kW bhp|abbr=on}} (diesels)
{{convert|750|PS|kW shp|abbr=on}} (electric)

|Ship propulsion=

2 shafts
2 × diesel engines
2 × electric motors

|Ship speed=

{{convert|17.7|kn}} surfaced
{{convert|7.6|kn}} submerged

|Ship range=

{{convert|8500|nmi|abbr=on|lk=on}} at {{convert|10|kn}} surfaced
{{convert|80|nmi|abbr=on}} at {{convert|4|kn}} submerged

|Ship test depth=

{{convert|230|m|ft|abbr=on}}
Crush depth: {{convert|250|–|295|m|ft|abbr=on}}

|Ship complement=4 officers, 40–56 enlisted

|Ship sensors=

|Ship EW=

|Ship armament=

5 × {{convert|53.3|cm|in|0|abbr=on}} torpedo tubes (four bow, one stern)
14 × torpedoes or 26 TMA mines
1 × 8.8 cm SK C/35 naval gun (220 rounds)
2 × twin 2 cm FlaK 30 anti-aircraft guns

|Ship notes=

}}

{{Infobox service record

|is_ship=yes

|label=Service record{{cite web

|url=http://uboat.net/boats/u277.html

|title=The Type VIIC boat U-277

|last=Helgason

|first=Guðmundur

|website=German U-boats of WWII – uboat.net

|access-date=4 August 2012

}}{{cite web

|url=http://uboat.net/boats/patrols/u277.html

|title=War Patrols by German U-boat U-277

|last=Helgason

|first=Guðmundur

|website=German U-boats of WWII – uboat.net

|access-date=4 August 2012

}}

|partof=

8th U-boat Flotilla
21 December 1942 – 31 May 1943
6th U-boat Flotilla
1 June – 31 October 1943
13th U-boat Flotilla
1 November 1943 – 1 May 1944

|codes=M 49 190

|commanders=

Oblt.z.S. / Kptlt. Robert Lübsen
21 December 1942 – 1 May 1944

|operations=*6 patrols:

1st patrol:
29 June – 17 August 1943
2nd patrol:
a. 29 August – 10 October 1943
b. 30 – 31 October 1943
c. 8 – 9 November 1943
3rd patrol:
12 November – 22 December 1943
4th patrol:
a. 23 December 1943 – 6 January 1944
b. 8 – 10 January 1944
c. 12 – 14 January 1944
d. 16 – 18 January 1944
e. 20 – 23 March 1944
5th patrol:
25 March – 6 April 1944
6th patrol:
11 April – 1 May 1944

|victories=None

}}

German submarine U-277 was a Type VIIC U-boat of Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine during World War II.

The submarine was laid down on 3 March 1942 at the Bremer Vulkan yard at Bremen-Vegesack as yard number 42. She was launched on 7 November 1942 and commissioned on 21 December under the command of Oberleutnant zur See Robert Lübsen.

Design

German Type VIIC submarines were preceded by the shorter Type VIIB submarines. U-277 had a displacement of {{convert|769|t|LT}} when at the surface and {{convert|871|t|LT}} while submerged.{{sfn|Gröner|1991|pp=43–46}} She had a total length of {{convert|67.10|m|ftin|abbr=on}}, a pressure hull length of {{convert|50.50|m|ftin|abbr=on}}, a beam of {{convert|6.20|m|ftin|abbr=on}}, a height of {{convert|9.60|m|ftin|abbr=on}}, and a draught of {{convert|4.74|m|ftin|abbr=on}}. The submarine was powered by two Germaniawerft F46 four-stroke, six-cylinder supercharged diesel engines producing a total of {{convert|2800 to 3200|PS|kW shp|-1}} for use while surfaced, two AEG GU 460/8–27 double-acting electric motors producing a total of {{convert|750|PS|kW shp}} for use while submerged. She had two shafts and two {{convert|1.23|m|ft|abbr=on|0}} propellers. The boat was capable of operating at depths of up to {{convert|230|m}}.{{sfn|Gröner|1991|pp=43–46}}

The submarine had a maximum surface speed of {{convert|17.7|kn}} and a maximum submerged speed of {{convert|7.6|kn}}.{{sfn|Gröner|1991|pp=43–46}} When submerged, the boat could operate for {{convert|80|nmi}} at {{convert|4|kn}}; when surfaced, she could travel {{convert|8500|nmi}} at {{convert|10|kn}}. U-277 was fitted with five {{convert|53.3|cm|in|0|abbr=on}} torpedo tubes (four fitted at the bow and one at the stern), fourteen torpedoes, one 8.8 cm SK C/35 naval gun, 220 rounds, and two twin 2 cm FlaK 30 anti-aircraft guns. The boat had a complement of between forty-four and sixty.{{sfn|Gröner|1991|pp=43–46}}

Service history

U-277 served with the 8th U-boat Flotilla for training from December 1942 to May 1943 and operationally with the 6th U-boat Flotilla from 1 June. She carried out six patrols, but sank no ships. She was a member of six wolfpacks.

She carried out a short voyage between Kiel in Germany and Bergen in Norway over June 1943.

=First patrol=

The boat departed Bergen on 29 June 1943 and docked at Hammerfest via Bear Island on 17 August.

=Second patrol=

For her second sortie, U-277 departed Hammerfest on 29 August 1943. Her route took her as far north as Svalbard before arriving at Narvik on 10 October.

=Third and fourth patrols=

The boat's third patrol took her round Bear Island, but was otherwise uneventful.

Her fourth foray was followed by a series of short 'hops' between Hammerfest, Narvik, Trondheim and Bergen. During one of them, she ran aground and had to be towed off the offending rocks. The damage caused forced an immediate return to base.

=Fifth and sixth patrols and loss=

Her penultimate, official patrol was between Narvik and Hammerfest.

She left Hammerfest for the last time on 11 April 1944. She was sunk southwest of Bear Island by depth charges dropped from a Fairey Swordfish of No. 842 Squadron, Fleet Air Arm on 1 May. The aircraft had come from the carrier {{HMS|Fencer|D64|6}}.

Fifty men died; there were no survivors.

=Wolfpacks=

U-277 took part in six wolfpacks, namely:

Monsun (30 August – 7 October 1943)
Monsun (17 – 23 November 1943)
Eisenbart (23 November – 21 December 1943)
Blitz (25 March – 4 April 1944)
Donner (11 – 20 April 1944)
Donner & Keil (20 April – 1 May 1944)

References

Bibliography

{{cite book | last1 = Busch | first1 = Rainer | last2 = Röll | first2 = Hans-Joachim | translator-last = Brooks | translator-first = Geoffrey | title = German U-boat commanders of World War II : a biographical dictionary | publisher = Greenhill Books, Naval Institute Press | location = London, Annapolis, Md | year = 1999 | isbn = 1-55750-186-6 }}
{{cite book |last1=Busch |first1=Rainer |last2=Röll |first2=Hans-Joachim |title=Der U-Boot-Krieg, 1939-1945: Deutsche U-Boot-Verluste von September 1939 bis Mai 1945|trans-title=German U-boat losses from September 1939 to May 1945 |date=1999|volume=IV |publisher=Mittler|location=Hamburg, Berlin, Bonn |isbn=3-8132-0514-2 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=vXKwAAAAIAAJ |language=de}}
{{cite book

|last1=Gröner

|first1=Erich

|last2=Jung

|first2=Dieter

|last3=Maass

|first3=Martin

|translator-last1=Thomas

|translator-first1=Keith

|translator-last2=Magowan

|translator-first2=Rachel

|year=1991

|title=U-boats and Mine Warfare Vessels