German submarine U-777

{{Infobox ship image

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{{Infobox ship career

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|Ship country=Nazi Germany

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

|Ship name=U-777

|Ship ordered=20 January 1941

|Ship builder=Kriegsmarinewerft Wilhelmshaven

|Ship yard number=160

|Ship laid down=5 June 1943

|Ship launched=25 March 1944

|Ship commissioned=9 May 1944

|Ship decommissioned=22 November 1944

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|Ship fate=*Sunk in air raid on 15 October 1944, raised on 22 November 1944

Scuttled on 5 May 1945

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{{Infobox ship characteristics

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|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|lk=in}} surfaced
{{convert|7.6|kn}} submerged

|Ship range=

{{convert|8,500|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
1 × 8.8 cm SK C/35 naval gun (220 rounds)
1 × 3.7 cm Flak 18/36/37/43 AA gun
2 × twin 2 cm Flak 30, Flak 38 and Flakvierling 38 anti-aircraft guns

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{{Infobox service record

|is_ship=yes

|label=

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31st U-boat Flotilla
9 May – 15 October 1944

|codes=M 17 108

|commanders=*Oblt.z.S. Günter Ruperti

9 May – 15 October 1944

|operations=None

|victories=None

}}

German submarine U-777 was a German Type VIIC U-boat built in World War II, launched on 25 March 1944, and commissioned on 9 May, by its sole commander, Oberleutnant zur See Günter Ruperti.

Design

German Type VIIC submarines were preceded by the shorter Type VIIB submarines. U-777 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 Garbe, Lahmeyer & Co. RP 137/c 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-777 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), one 3.7 cm Flak 18/36/37/43 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}}

It underwent training with the 31st U-boat Flotilla, but did not participate in any patrols during its five-month career of active service. It was destroyed at 20:02 hours on the night of 15/16 October 1944, during a British air raid on Wilhelmshaven, Germany, at position {{coord|53|51|N|08|10|E|display=inline,title}}. One crewman was killed.U-Boat Operations of the Second World War, Volume 2: Career Histories, U511-UIT25

Other notes

Despite the fact that many other U-boats lost men due to accident, disease and various other causes, the crew of U-777 did not suffer any casualties until she was destroyed and was sunk.
The commander of the ship, Günter Ruperti, also commanded {{GS|U-3039||2}} during World War II, by which time he had been promoted to Kapitänleutnant. He commanded U-3039 from March 1945 until May 1945, taking up his post only about five months after U-777 was sunk.

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=Eric |last2=Jung |first2=Dieter |last3=Maass |first3=Martin |translator-last1=Thomas|translator-first1=Keith|translator-last2=Magowan|translator-first2=Rachel |title=German Warships 1815-1945: U-boats and Mine Warfare Vessels |date=1991 |publisher=Conway Maritime Press |location=London |volume=2 |isbn=0-85177-593-4 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Udg-0AEACAAJ|ref=CITEREFGröner1991}}
U-Boat Operations of the Second World War, Volume 2: Career Histories, U511-UIT25