German submarine U-861

Career (Nazi Germany)
Name: U-861
Ordered: 5 June 1941
Builder: DeSchiMAG AG Weser, Bremen
Yard number: 1067
Laid down: 15 July 1942
Launched: 29 April 1943
Commissioned: 2 September 1943
Fate: Surrendered, 5 May 1945
General characteristics [1]
Class and type:Type IXD2 submarine
Displacement:1,610 t (1,580 long tons) surfaced
1,804 t (1,776 long tons) submerged
Length:87.6 m (287 ft 5 in) o/a
68.5 m (224 ft 9 in) pressure hull
Beam:7.5 m (24 ft 7 in) o/a
4.4 m (14 ft 5 in) pressure hull
Height:10.2 m (33 ft 6 in)
Draft:5.4 m (17 ft 9 in)
Propulsion:2 × MAN M 9 V 40/46 supercharged 9-cylinder diesel engines, 4,400 hp (3,281 kW)
2 × SSW 2 GU 345/34 double acting electric motors, 1,000 hp (746 kW)
Speed:19.2 knots (35.6 km/h; 22.1 mph) surfaced
6.9 knots (12.8 km/h; 7.9 mph) submerged
Range:12,750 nautical miles (23,610 km; 14,670 mi) at 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph) surfaced
115 nautical miles (213 km; 132 mi) at 4 knots (7.4 km/h; 4.6 mph) submerged
Test depth:230 m (750 ft)
Complement:55 to 63
Armament:
Service record[2][3]
Part of: 4th U-boat Flotilla
(2 September 1943 – 31 March 1944)
12th U-boat Flotilla
(1 April 1944 – 30 September 1944)
33rd U-boat Flotilla
(1 October 1944 – 9 May 1945)
Commanders: Kptlt. Jürgen Oesten
(2 September 1943 – 9 May 1945)
Operations: 1st patrol:
20 April 1944 – 23 September 1944
2nd patrol
(15 January 1945 – 19 April 1945)
Victories: 3 merchant ships sunk (20,311 GRT)
1 merchant ship damaged (8,139 GRT)
1 warship sunk (1,737 tons)

German submarine U-861 was a long-range Type IXD2 U-boat built for Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine during World War II. Laid down in Bremen and launched on 29 April 1943. She was equipped with two stern torpedo tubes and 24 mines.

She was commanded throughout her service life by Kapitänleutnant Jürgen Oesten (Knight’s Cross).

Service History

She joined 4th Flotilla for training on 2 September 1943, where she remained until 31 March 1944. She then joined 12th Flotilla for active service until 30 September 1944. For her last assignment, she joined 33rd Flotilla, as part of Monsoon Group operating out of Penang in the Indian Ocean, on 1 October 1944 until the end of the war. On her final long trip back to Norway carrying vital supplies from the Far East, she struck an iceberg south of Greenland, but reached Trondheim safely on 19 April 1945, with very little fuel remaining.

Fate

U-861 surrendered on 9 May 1945 at Trondheim, Norway. She was transferred to Lisahally, Northern Ireland shortly afterwards.
She was sunk by the Royal Navy on 31 December 1945 in position 55°25′N 07°15′W / 55.417°N 7.250°WCoordinates: 55°25′N 07°15′W / 55.417°N 7.250°W as part of Operation Deadlight.

Raiding career

Date Ship Nationality Tonnage Fate
20 July 1944 Vital de Oliveira  Brazil 1,737 Sunk
24 July 1944 William Gaston  United States 7,177 Sunk
20 August 1944 Berwickshire  United Kingdom 7,464 Sunk
20 August 1944 Daronia  United Kingdom 8,139 Damaged
5 September 1944 Ioannis Fafalios  Greece 5,670 Sunk

References

  1. ↑ Gröner, p. 114.
  2. ↑ Helgason, Guðmundur. "The Type IXD2 boat U-861". German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net. Retrieved 7 May 2014.
  3. ↑ Helgason, Guðmundur. "War Patrols by German U-boat U-861". German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net. Retrieved 7 May 2014.

Bibliography

External links