German World War II submarine
German submarine "U-870" was a Type IXC/40 U-boat of Nazi Germany's "Kriegsmarine" built for service during the Second World War. She was ordered on 25 August 1941, and laid down on 29 April 1943 at Bremen, Germany. She was launched on 29 October 1943 and commissioned on 3 February 1944.
Design.
German Type IXC/40 submarines were slightly larger than the original Type IXCs. "U-870" had a displacement of when at the surface and while submerged. The U-boat had a total length of , a pressure hull length of , a beam of , a height of , and a draught of . The submarine was powered by two MAN M 9 V 40/46 supercharged four-stroke, nine-cylinder diesel engines producing a total of for use while surfaced, two Siemens-Schuckert 2 GU 345/34 double-acting electric motors producing a total of for use while submerged. She had two shafts and two propellers. The boat was capable of operating at depths of up to .
The submarine had a maximum surface speed of and a maximum submerged speed of . When submerged, the boat could operate for at ; when surfaced, she could travel at . "U-870" was fitted with six torpedo tubes (four fitted at the bow and two at the stern), 22 torpedoes, one SK C/32 naval gun, 180 rounds, and a Flak M42 as well as two twin C/30 anti-aircraft guns. The boat had a complement of forty-eight.
Service history.
For her one patrol, she had one commander, "Korvettenkapitän" Ernst Hechler, who was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross.
Over her career she claimed two warships sunk, total of 1,960 tons, one warship damaged for a total of 1,400 tons, and two ships a total loss, total of  gross register tons (GRT).
On 20 December 1944, "U-870" attacked a small group of landing ships, damaging and sinking the 1,625-tons vessel . The U-boat was then attacked by a British aircraft from No. 220 Squadron RAF but got away, also evading two hunter-killer groups of vessels.
Fate.
She was sunk on 30 March 1945 at Bremen by US bombs.
References.
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