German World War II submarine
German submarine "U-976" was a Type VIIC U-boat of Nazi Germany's "Kriegsmarine" during World War II.
She was ordered on 5 June 1941, and was laid down on 9 July 1942 at Blohm &amp; Voss, Hamburg, as yard number 176. She was launched on 25 March 1943 and commissioned under the command of "Oberleutnant zur See" Raimund Tiesler on 5 May 1943.
Design.
German Type VIIC submarines were preceded by the shorter Type VIIB submarines. "U-976" had a displacement of when at the surface and while submerged. She 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 Germaniawerft F46 four-stroke, six-cylinder supercharged diesel engines producing a total of for use while surfaced, two Garbe, Lahmeyer &amp; Co. RP 137/c 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 as low as .
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-976" was fitted with five torpedo tubes (four fitted at the bow and one at the stern), fourteen torpedoes or 26 TMA mines, one SK C/35 naval gun, 220 rounds, and one twin C/30 anti-aircraft gun. The boat had a complement of between 44 — 52 men.
Service history.
On 25 March 1944, "U-976" was sunk by aerial gunfire southwest of St. Nazaire, France, in the Bay of Biscay. "U-976" was attacked by four British Mosquito FB VIs and two Mosquito FB.XVIIIs (nicknamed "Tsetse"), armed with 6-pounder cannon, of 248 Squadron RAF. Forty-nine of the crew of fifty-three survived.
The wreck is located at .
Wolfpacks.
"U-976" took part in six wolfpacks, namely:
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