German World War II submarine
German submarine "U-880" was a Type IXC/40 U-boat built for Nazi Germany's "Kriegsmarine" during World War II.
Design.
German Type IXC/40 submarines were slightly larger than the original Type IXCs. "U-880" 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-880" 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.
"U-880" was ordered on 2 April 1942 from DeSchiMAG AG Weser in Bremen under the yard number 1088. Her keel was laid down on 17 July 1943 and the U-boat was launched the following year on 10 February 1944. She was commissioned into service under the command of "Kapitänleutnant" Gerhard Schötzau (Crew 36) in 4th U-boat Flotilla.
After completing training, "U-880" was transferred to the 33rd U-boat Flotilla and left base for her first war patrol on 23 January 1945. Mechanical failures, however, forced her to return prematurely in two cases. She finally left Bergen for the West Atlantic on 14 March 1945. She joined group "Seewolf" in April, but was picked up by Task Force 22.5 before she could attack any ships. made radar-contact with the U-boat just after midnight on 16 April. "Frost" and chased the submerged U-boat for several hours and finally attacked "U-880" with hedgehogs, sinking her. There were no survivors.
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