German submarine U-802

History
Nazi Germany
Name	U-802
Ordered	7 December 1940
Builder	DeSchiMAG Seebeckwerft, Bremerhaven
Yard number	360
Laid down	1 December 1941
Launched	31 October 1942
Commissioned	12 June 1943
Fate	Surrendered on 11 May 1945; sunk as part of Operation Deadlight on 31 December 1945
General characteristics
Class and type	Type IXC/40 submarine
Displacement	1,144 t (1,126 long tons) surfaced; 1,257 t (1,237 long tons) submerged;
Length	76.76 m (251 ft 10 in) o/a; 58.75 m (192 ft 9 in) pressure hull;
Beam	6.86 m (22 ft 6 in) o/a; 4.44 m (14 ft 7 in) pressure hull;
Height	9.60 m (31 ft 6 in)
Draught	4.67 m (15 ft 4 in)
Installed power	4,400 PS (3,200 kW; 4,300 bhp) (diesels); 1,000 PS (740 kW; 990 shp) (electric);
Propulsion	2 shafts; 2 × diesel engines; 2 × electric motors;
Speed	19 knots (35 km/h; 22 mph) surfaced; 7.3 knots (13.5 km/h; 8.4 mph) submerged;
Range	13,850 nmi (25,650 km; 15,940 mi) at 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph) surfaced; 63 nmi (117 km; 72 mi) at 4 knots (7.4 km/h; 4.6 mph) submerged;
Test depth	230 m (750 ft)
Complement	4 officers, 44 enlisted
Armament	6 × torpedo tubes (4 bow, 2 stern); 22 × 53.3 cm (21 in) torpedoes; 1 × 10.5 cm (4.1 in) SK C/32 deck gun (180 rounds); 1 × 3.7 cm (1.5 in) SK C/30 AA gun; 1 × twin 2 cm FlaK 30 AA guns;
Service record
Part of:	4th U-boat Flotilla; 16 May 1943 – 31 January 1944; 2nd U-boat Flotilla; 1 February – 30 November 1944; 33rd U-boat Flotilla; 1 December 1944 – 8 May 1945;
Identification codes:	M 52 697
Commanders:	Kptlt. Rolf Steinhaus; 12 June – 12 December 1943; Kptlt. Helmut Schmoeckel; 13 December 1943 – 11 May 1945;
Operations:	4 patrols:; 1st patrol:; 29 January – 2 May 1944; 2nd patrol:; 22 June – 9 July 1944; 3rd patrol:; a. 16 July – 12 November 1944; b. 13 – 20 November 1944; c. 21 – 23 November 1944; d. 8 – 12 April 1945; e. 22 – 23 April 1945; 4th patrol:; 28 April – 11 May 1945;
Victories:	1 merchant ship sunk ; (1,621 GRT)

German submarine U-802 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-802 had a displacement of 1,144 tonnes (1,126 long tons) when at the surface and 1,257 tonnes (1,237 long tons) while submerged.^[3] The U-boat had a total length of 76.76 m (251 ft 10 in), a pressure hull length of 58.75 m (192 ft 9 in), a beam of 6.86 m (22 ft 6 in), a height of 9.60 m (31 ft 6 in), and a draught of 4.67 m (15 ft 4 in). The submarine was powered by two MAN M 9 V 40/46 supercharged four-stroke, nine-cylinder diesel engines producing a total of 4,400 metric horsepower (3,240 kW; 4,340 shp) for use while surfaced, two Siemens-Schuckert 2 GU 345/34 double-acting electric motors producing a total of 1,000 shaft horsepower (1,010 PS; 750 kW) for use while submerged. She had two shafts and two 1.92 m (6 ft) propellers. The boat was capable of operating at depths of up to 230 metres (750 ft).^[3]

The submarine had a maximum surface speed of 18.3 knots (33.9 km/h; 21.1 mph) and a maximum submerged speed of 7.3 knots (13.5 km/h; 8.4 mph).^[3] When submerged, the boat could operate for 63 nautical miles (117 km; 72 mi) at 4 knots (7.4 km/h; 4.6 mph); when surfaced, she could travel 13,850 nautical miles (25,650 km; 15,940 mi) at 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph). U-802 was fitted with six 53.3 cm (21 in) torpedo tubes (four fitted at the bow and two at the stern), 22 torpedoes, one 10.5 cm (4.13 in) SK C/32 naval gun, 180 rounds, and a 3.7 cm (1.5 in) SK C/30 as well as a 2 cm (0.79 in) C/30 anti-aircraft gun. The boat had a complement of forty-eight.^[3]

Service history

Laid down on 1 December 1941, U-802 was launched eleven months later on 31 October 1942. On 12 June 1943 the U-boat was commissioned into service under the command of Kapitänleutnant Rolf Steinhaus (Crew 36).

In September 1943, Kapitänleutnant Helmut Schmoeckel (Crew 36) joined the crew of U-802 as a trainee commander. Schmoeckel finally relieved Steinhaus and took command of U-802 on 12 December 1943. Transferring from 4th U-boat Flotilla to 2nd U-boat Flotilla.

First patrol

U-802 left base in Kiel on 29 January 1944 and after brief stops in Kristiansand and Stavanger she reached her assigned patrol area in the North Atlantic in mid-February. In late March and early April U-801 attacked several convoys, sinking the Canadian 1621 GRT steamer Watuka and possibly two more steamers from convoy SH 125 in 44°30′N 62°51′W / 44.500°N 62.850°W / 44.500; -62.850 on 22 March 1944. In an attack on convoy HX 286 she claimed two more steamers of 10,000 GRT sunk or damaged respectively. On 2 May 1944 the U-boat arrived in Lorient.

Second patrol

U-802 set out from Lorient on her second patrol on 22 June 1944, but when her snorkel failed on 1 July, she made for port. After experiencing an air attack earlier that day, U-802 arrived back in Lorient on 9 July 1944.

Third patrol

On 16 July the U-boat left again for operations in the West and North Atlantic. In mid-August U-802 made contact with an aircraft carrier but did not attack, but claimed an escort, HMCS Stettler, sunk on 14 September 1944. However, this was proved incorrect; HMCS Stettler survived the war. On 12 November 1944, she returned to base via Norway to Flensburg.

Fourth patrol

From Flensburg U-802 left again for the West Atlantic on 11 December 1944 to return to Kiel on 8 April 1945 after 118 days at sea. The last weeks of war in Europe U-802 spent in Norwegian waters.

Fate

Leaving Bergen on 3 May, U-802 arrived in Loch Eriboll on 11 May 1945 in order to surrender to the British. The U-boat was transferred to Loch Alsh the next day, and to Lisahally the day after that, where she remained until the end of the year. On 30 December 1945 U-802 left Moville under tow from HMS Pytchley. At 12:30h the next day, 31 December 1945, the cable broke and U-802 sank at 55°30′N 8°25′W / 55.500°N 8.417°W / 55.500; -8.417.^[4]

Summary of raiding history

Date	Ship Name	Nationality	Tonnage (GRT)	Fate^[5]
22 March 1944	Watuka	Canada	1,621	Sunk

References

^ Helgason, Guðmundur. "Rolf Steinhaus". German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net. Retrieved 13 April 2015.
^ Helgason, Guðmundur. "Helmut Schmoeckel". German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net. Retrieved 21 November 2019.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d Gröner 1991, p. 68.
^ Busch & Röll 1999b, p. 390.
^ Helgason, Guðmundur. "Ships hit by U-802". German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net. Retrieved 13 April 2015.

Bibliography

Busch, Rainer; Röll, Hans-Joachim (1999a). German U-boat commanders of World War II : a biographical dictionary. Translated by Brooks, Geoffrey. London, Annapolis, Md: Greenhill Books, Naval Institute Press. ISBN 1-55750-186-6.
Busch, Rainer; Röll, Hans-Joachim (1999b). Der U-Boot-Krieg, 1939-1945: Deutsche U-Boot-Verluste von September 1939 bis Mai 1945 [German U-boat losses from September 1939 to May 1945] (in German). Vol. IV. Hamburg, Berlin, Bonn: Mittler. ISBN 3-8132-0514-2.
Gröner, Eric; Jung, Dieter; Maass, Martin (1991). German Warships 1815-1945: U-boats and Mine Warfare Vessels. Vol. 2. Translated by Thomas, Keith; Magowan, Rachel. London: Conway Maritime Press. ISBN 0-85177-593-4.

External links

Helgason, Guðmundur. "The Type IXC/40 boat U-802". German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net. Retrieved 7 December 2014.

[1] Helgason, Guðmundur. "Rolf Steinhaus". German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net. Retrieved 13 April 2015.

[2] Helgason, Guðmundur. "Helmut Schmoeckel". German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net. Retrieved 21 November 2019.

[FOOTNOTEGröner199168-3] Gröner 1991, p. 68.

[FOOTNOTEBuschRöll1999b390-4] Busch & Röll 1999b, p. 390.

[5] Helgason, Guðmundur. "Ships hit by U-802". German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net. Retrieved 13 April 2015.

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v t e German Type IXC/40 submarines
U-167 U-168 U-169 U-170 U-183 U-184 U-185 U-186 U-187 U-188 U-189 U-190 U-191 U-192 U-193 U-194 U-525 U-526 U-527 U-528 U-529 U-530 U-531 U-532 U-533 U-534 U-535 U-536 U-537 U-538 U-539 U-540 U-541 U-542 U-543 U-544 U-545 U-546 U-547 U-548 U-549 U-550 U-801 U-802 U-803 U-804 U-805 U-806 U-841 U-842 U-843 U-844 U-845 U-846 U-853 U-854 U-855 U-856 U-857 U-858 U-865 U-866 U-867 U-868 U-869 U-870 U-877 U-878 U-879 U-880 U-881 U-889 U-1221 U-1222 U-1223 U-1224 U-1225 U-1226 U-1227 U-1228 U-1229 U-1230 U-1231 U-1232 U-1233 U-1234 U-1235
Preceded by: Type IXC Followed by: Type IXD
List of U-boats of Germany

v t e Shipwrecks and maritime incidents in December 1945
Shipwrecks	1 Dec: USS Bellona, U-826, U-1004, U-1061, U-1104 3 Dec: U-994 4 Dec: U-218, U-299, U-539, U-777 5 Dec: U-1005 7 Dec: U-245, U-907, U-1019 8 Dec: U-485, U-773, U-775, U-1203, U-1271, U-1272 9 Dec: U-532, U-1052, U-1307 11 Dec: U-716, U-978, U-991, U-1163 13 Dec: Empire Tigaven, HMS N 86, U-255, U-293, U-295, U-760, U-997, U-1002 16 Dec: U-483, U-739, U-928, U-992, U-1009, U-1301 17 Dec: U-368, U-779, U-956, U-1198, U-1230 20 Dec: U-291 21 Dec: U-149, U-150, U-155, U-318, U-427, U-637, U-720, U-806, U-1102, U-1110 22 Dec: U-143, U-145, U-1194, U-2354 23 Dec: Duncan L. Clinch 27 Dec: Empire Tigawa, U-313 28 Dec: U-680 29 Dec: USS Minivet, U-390, U-930, U-1022, U-1233 30 Dec: Lambridge, U-1103, U-1165 31 Dec: U-294, U-363, U-668, U-802, U-861, U-874, U-875, U-883, U-2341 Unknown date: USS Industry
Other incidents	11 Dec: I-201 30 Dec: Éridan
1944 1945 1946 November 1945 January 1946