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German submarineU-402

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German World War II submarine

History

Nazi Germany
Name	U-402
Ordered	23 September 1939
Builder	Danziger Werft,Danzig
Yard number	103
Laid down	22 April 1940
Launched	28 December 1940
Commissioned	21 May 1941
Fate	Sunk on 13 October 1943 byMark 24 FIDO Torpedo fromGrumman TBF Avenger aircraft ofUSS Card
General characteristics
Class & type	Type VIIC submarine
Displacement	769tonnes (757long tons) surfaced 871 t (857 long tons) submerged
Length	67.10 m (220 ft 2 in)o/a 50.50 m (165 ft 8 in)pressure hull
Beam	6.20 m (20 ft 4 in) o/a 4.70 m (15 ft 5 in) pressure hull
Height	9.60 m (31 ft 6 in)
Draught	4.74 m (15 ft 7 in)
Installed power	2,800–3,200 PS (2,100–2,400 kW; 2,800–3,200 bhp) (diesels) 750 PS (550 kW; 740 shp) (electric)
Propulsion	2 shafts 2 ×diesel engines 2 ×electric motors
Speed	17.7 knots (32.8 km/h; 20.4 mph) surfaced 7.6 knots (14.1 km/h; 8.7 mph) submerged
Range	8,500 nmi (15,700 km; 9,800 mi) at 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph) surfaced 80 nmi (150 km; 92 mi) at 4 knots (7.4 km/h; 4.6 mph) submerged
Test depth	230 m (750 ft) Crush depth: 250–295 m (820–968 ft)
Complement	4 officers, 40–56 enlisted
Armament	5 × 53.3 cm (21 in)torpedo tubes (four bow, one stern) 14 ×torpedoesor 26 TMAmines 1 ×8.8 cm (3.46 in) deck gun (220 rounds) 1 x2 cm (0.79 in) C/30 AA gun
Service record
Part of:	3rd U-boat Flotilla 21 May 1941 – 13 October 1943
Identification codes:	M 43 571
Commanders:	K.Kapt.Siegfried Freiherr von Forstner 21 May 1941 – 13 October 1943
Operations:	8 patrols: 1st patrol: 26 October – 9 December 1941 2nd patrol: 11 January – 11 February 1942 3rd patrol: 26 March – 20 May 1942 4th patrol: 16 June – 5 August 1942 5th patrol: 4 October – 20 November 1942 6th patrol: 14 January – 23 February 1943 7th patrol: 21 April – 26 May 1943 8th patrol: 4 September – 13 October 1943
Victories:	14 merchant ships sunk (70,434 GRT) 1 auxiliary warship sunk (602 GRT) 3 merchant ships damaged (28,682 GRT)

German submarineU-402 was aType VIIC U-boat built forNazi Germany'sKriegsmarine for service duringWorld War II.

She waslaid down at theDanziger Werft in the city of the same name on 22 April 1940 as yard number 103,launched on 28 December 1940^[1] and wascommissioned on 21 May 1941, withKapitänleutnantSiegfried Freiherr von Forstner in command.^[2]

The boat commenced her career with the3rd U-boat Flotilla on 21 May 1941 carrying out training before moving on to operations on 1 October 1941.U-402 carried out eight combat patrols, sinking 14 merchantmen and one auxiliary warship for a total of 71,036 gross register tons (GRT) during the Second World War. She also damaged three other ships. The submarine was a member of twelvewolfpacks.

For his numerous successes, von Forstner received theKnight's Cross.

Design

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German Type VIIC submarines were preceded by the shorterType VIIB submarines.U-402 had a displacement of 769 tonnes (757 long tons) when at the surface and 871 tonnes (857 long tons) while submerged.^[3] She had a total length of 67.10 m (220 ft 2 in), apressure hull length of 50.50 m (165 ft 8 in), abeam of 6.20 m (20 ft 4 in), a height of 9.60 m (31 ft 6 in), and adraught of 4.74 m (15 ft 7 in). The submarine was powered by twoGermaniawerft F46 four-stroke, six-cylindersupercharged diesel engines producing a total of 2,800 to 3,200 metric horsepower (2,060 to 2,350 kW; 2,760 to 3,160 shp) for use while surfaced, twoSiemens-Schuckert GU 343/38–8double-acting electric motors producing a total of 750 metric horsepower (550 kW; 740 shp) for use while submerged. She had two shafts and two 1.23 m (4 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 17.7 knots (32.8 km/h; 20.4 mph) and a maximum submerged speed of 7.6 knots (14.1 km/h; 8.7 mph).^[3] When submerged, the boat could operate for 80 nautical miles (150 km; 92 mi) at 4 knots (7.4 km/h; 4.6 mph); when surfaced, she could travel 8,500 nautical miles (15,700 km; 9,800 mi) at 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph).U-402 was fitted with five 53.3 cm (21 in)torpedo tubes (four fitted at the bow and one at the stern), fourteentorpedoes, one8.8 cm (3.46 in) SK C/35 naval gun, 220 rounds, and a2 cm (0.79 in) C/30 anti-aircraft gun. The boat had acomplement of between forty-four and sixty.^[3]

Service history

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First and second patrols

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No ships were sunk during the first patrol which lasted from 26 October to 9 December 1941.U-402 followed the Norwegian coast fromKiel before heading west towards the Atlantic. The submarine sailed intoSt. Nazaire in France, after 45 uneventful days.^[4]

On her second patrol,U-402 damaged the 11,951 GRT troopshipLlangibby Castle off theBay of Biscay on 16 January 1942, but the troopship was able to make repairs in the Azores.^[5]U-402 returned to St. Nazaire on 11 February 1942.

Third and fourth patrols

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For her third sortie,U-402 headed for the US east coast, sinking a total of three ships, two of which were the 5,284 GRT Soviet freighterAshkhabad and her escort, the 602 GRT converted yachtUSS Cythera offCape Hatteras on 2 May 1942.^[6] The U-boat had been unsuccessfully attacked by a US NavyPBY Catalina in mid-Atlantic on 29 April 1942.^[4]

The boat returned to the US eastern seaboard for her fourth patrol, but success eluded her. She returned to France, having been depth charged by patrol bombers off Cape Hatteras in mid-July and suffering a battery explosion.^[7]U-402 limped back to France, but this time toLa Pallice, on 5 August 1942.

Fifth and sixth patrols

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It was a different story on her fifth patrol; the boat attacked over 20,000 GRT of shipping, including the torpedoing of five ships fromconvoy SC 107 which involved the sinking of the British 4,945 GRTEmpire Antelope on 2 November 1942^[8] and a sister,Empire Sunrise, a few hours earlier.

She also had plenty of success when she attacked seven ships fromconvoy SC 118 on her sixth patrol. including theUSS Henry R. Mallory.^[9]

Seventh and eighth patrols

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Her seventh outing saw her sinking two ships fromconvoy SC 129. Retribution was swift; one of the escorts,HMS Gentian depth charged the boat causing severe damage, which included a tear 3 metres long in a ballast tank, which forced it to return to La Pallice on 26 May.^[10]^[11]

Her eighth and final patrol was marked with a paucity of targets and an ever-increasing frequency of air attacks; one of which involved aWellington of612 Squadron, RAF on 8 September.U-402 was not hit. The aircraft was damaged and reachedRAF Portreath on one engine.^[12]

Loss

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U-402 had departed La Pallice on 4 September 1943. On the 13 October she was sunk by aMark 24 FIDO Torpedo dropped byGrumman TBF Avenger aircraft from the escort carrierUSS Card.^[2]^[13]

Wolfpacks

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U-402 took part in twelvewolfpacks, namely:^[4]

Störtebecker (17 – 19 November 1941)
Benecke (19 – 25 November 1941)
Letzte Ritter (25 November – 4 December 1941)
Panther (10 – 20 October 1942)
Veilchen (20 October – 5 November 1942)
Landsknecht (19 – 28 January 1943)
Pfeil (1 – 8 February 1943)
Amsel 1 (3 – 6 May 1943)
Elbe (7 – 10 May 1943)
Elbe 2 (10 – 12 May 1943)
Leuthen (15 – 24 September 1943)
Rossbach (24 September – 6 October 1943)

Summary of raiding history

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Date	Ship Name	Nationality	Tonnage^{[Note 1]}	Fate^[14]
16 May 1941	Llangibby Castle	United Kingdom	11,951	Damaged
13 April 1942	Empire Progress	United Kingdom	5,249	Sunk
30 April 1942	Ashkhabad	Soviet Union	5,284	Sunk
2 May 1942	USS Cythera	United States Navy	602	Sunk
2 November 1942	Dalcroy	United Kingdom	4,558	Sunk
2 November 1942	Empire Antelope	United Kingdom	4,945	Sunk
2 November 1942	Empire Leopard	United Kingdom	5,676	Sunk
2 November 1942	Empire Sunrise	United Kingdom	7,459	Damaged
2 November 1942	Rinos	Greece	4,649	Sunk
7 February 1943	Afrika	United Kingdom	8,597	Sunk
7 February 1943	Daghild	Norway	9,272	Damaged
7 February 1943	USS Henry R. Mallory	United States Navy	6,063	Sunk
7 February 1943	Kalliopi	Greece	4,965	Sunk
7 February 1943	Robert E. Hopkins	United States	6,625	Sunk
7 February 1943	Toward	United Kingdom	1,571	Sunk
8 February 1943	Newton Ash	United Kingdom	4,625^[15]	Sunk
11 May 1943	Antigone	United Kingdom	4,545	Sunk
11 May 1943	Grado	Norway	3,082	Sunk

References

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Notes

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^Merchant ship tonnages are ingross register tons. Military vessels are listed by tonsdisplacement.

Citations

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^Lenton 1976, p. 180.
^^a ^bKemp 1999, p. 150.
^^a ^b ^c ^dGröner 1991, pp. 43–46.
^^a ^b ^cHelgason, Guðmundur."The Type VIIC boat U-402".German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net. Retrieved26 December 2014.
^Blair 1996, pp. 489–492.
^Blair 1996, p. 544.
^Waters 1966, p. 99.
^"Empire – A". Mariners. Retrieved21 November 2008.
^Missingmarines
^Blair 1998, p. 329.
^"U-Boat Killer". 1979.
^"The Type VIIC U-boat U-402 - German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net".
^Waters 1966, p. 105.
^Helgason, Guðmundur."Ships hit by U402".German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net. Retrieved25 January 2014.
^Hague 2000, p. 137.

Bibliography

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Blair, Clay (1996).Hitler's U-Boat War – The Hunted 1942–1945. New York: Random House.ISBN 0-394-58839-8.
Blair, Clay (1998).Hitler's U-Boat War – The Hunted 1942–1945. New York: Random House.ISBN 0-679-45742-9.
Busch, Rainer; Röll, Hans-Joachim (1999).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 (1999).Deutsche U-Boot-Verluste von September 1939 bis Mai 1945 [German U-boat losses from September 1939 to May 1945]. Der U-Boot-Krieg (in German). Vol. IV. Hamburg, Berlin, Bonn: Mittler.ISBN 3-8132-0514-2.
Edwards, Bernard (1996).Dönitz and the Wolf Packs – The U-boats at War. Cassell Military Classics. pp. 144, 147, 149, 206, 211.ISBN 0-304-35203-9.
Gröner, Erich; Jung, Dieter; Maass, Martin (1991).U-boats and Mine Warfare Vessels. German Warships 1815–1945. Vol. 2. Translated by Thomas, Keith; Magowan, Rachel. London: Conway Maritime Press.ISBN 0-85177-593-4.
Hague, Arnold (2000).The Allied Convoy System 1939–1945. Annapolis, MD: Naval Institute Press.ISBN 1-55750-019-3.
Kemp, Paul (1999).U-Boats Destroyed – German Submarine Losses in the World Wars. London: Arms & Armour.ISBN 1-85409-515-3.
Lenton, HT (1976).German Warships of the Second World War. Arco Publishing Company.ISBN 0-668-04037-8.
Waters, John M Jr (December 1966). "Stay Tough".Proceedings. United States Naval Institute.

External links

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Helgason, Guðmundur."The Type VIIC boat U-402".German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net. Retrieved26 December 2014.

v t e Type VII submarines
Type VIIA	U-27 U-28 U-29 U-30 U-31 U-32 U-33 U-34 U-35 U-36
Type VIIB	U-45 U-46 U-47 U-48 U-49 U-50 U-51 U-52 U-53 U-54 U-55 U-73 U-74 U-75 U-76 U-83 U-84 U-85 U-86 U-87 U-99 U-100 U-101 U-102
Type VIIC	U-69 U-70 U-71 U-72 U-77 U-78 U-79 U-80 U-81 U-82 U-88 U-89 U-90 U-91 U-92 U-93 U-94 U-95 U-96 U-97 U-98 U-132 U-133 U-134 U-135 U-136 U-201 U-202 U-203 U-204 U-205 U-206 U-207 U-208 U-209 U-210 U-211 U-212 U-221 U-222 U-223 U-224 U-225 U-226 U-227 U-228 U-229 U-230 U-231 U-232 U-235 U-236 U-237 U-238 U-239 U-240 U-241 U-242 U-243 U-244 U-245 U-246 U-247 U-248 U-249 U-250 U-251 U-252 U-253 U-254 U-255 U-256 U-257 U-258 U-259 U-260 U-261 U-262 U-263 U-264 U-265 U-266 U-267 U-268 U-269 U-270 U-271 U-272 U-273 U-274 U-275 U-276 U-277 U-278 U-279 U-280 U-281 U-282 U-283 U-284 U-285 U-286 U-287 U-288 U-289 U-290 U-291 U-301 U-302 U-303 U-304 U-305 U-306 U-307 U-308 U-309 U-310 U-311 U-312 U-313 U-314 U-315 U-316 U-331 U-332 U-333 U-334 U-335 U-336 U-337 U-338 U-339 U-340 U-341 U-342 U-343 U-344 U-345 U-346 U-347 U-348 U-349 U-350 U-351 U-352 U-353 U-354 U-355 U-356 U-357 U-358 U-359 U-360 U-361 U-362 U-363 U-364 U-365 U-366 U-367 U-368 U-369 U-370 U-371 U-372 U-373 U-374 U-375 U-376 U-377 U-378 U-379 U-380 U-381 U-382 U-383 U-384 U-385 U-386 U-387 U-388 U-389 U-390 U-391 U-392 U-393 U-394 U-396 U-397 U-398 U-399 U-400 U-401 U-402 U-403 U-404 U-405 U-406 U-407 U-408 U-409 U-410 U-411 U-412 U-413 U-414 U-415 U-416 U-417 U-418 U-419 U-420 U-421 U-422 U-423 U-424 U-425 U-426 U-427 U-428 U-429 U-430 U-431 U-432 U-433 U-434 U-435 U-436 U-437 U-438 U-439 U-440 U-441 U-442 U-443 U-444 U-445 U-446 U-447 U-448 U-449 U-450 U-451 U-452 U-453 U-454 U-455 U-456 U-457 U-458 U-465 U-466 U-467 U-468 U-469 U-470 U-471 U-472 U-473 U-475 U-476 U-477 U-478 U-479 U-480 U-481 U-482 U-483 U-484 U-485 U-486 U-551 U-552 U-553 U-554 U-555 U-556 U-557 U-558 U-559 U-560 U-561 U-562 U-563 U-564 U-565 U-566 U-567 U-568 U-569 U-570 U-571 U-572 U-573 U-574 U-575 U-576 U-577 U-578 U-579 U-580 U-581 U-582 U-583 U-584 U-585 U-586 U-587 U-588 U-589 U-590 U-591 U-592 U-593 U-594 U-595 U-596 U-597 U-598 U-599 U-600 U-601 U-602 U-603 U-604 U-605 U-606 U-607 U-608 U-609 U-610 U-611 U-612 U-613 U-614 U-615 U-616 U-617 U-618 U-619 U-620 U-621 U-622 U-623 U-624 U-625 U-626 U-627 U-628 U-629 U-630 U-631 U-632 U-633 U-634 U-635 U-636 U-637 U-638 U-639 U-640 U-641 U-642 U-643 U-644 U-645 U-646 U-647 U-648 U-649 U-650 U-651 U-652 U-653 U-654 U-655 U-656 U-657 U-658 U-659 U-660 U-661 U-662 U-663 U-664 U-665 U-666 U-667 U-668 U-669 U-670 U-671 U-672 U-673 U-674 U-675 U-676 U-677 U-678 U-679 U-680 U-681 U-682 U-683 U-701 U-702 U-703 U-704 U-705 U-706 U-707 U-708 U-709 U-710 U-711 U-712 U-713 U-714 U-715 U-716 U-717 U-718 U-719 U-720 U-721 U-722 U-731 U-732 U-733 U-734 U-735 U-736 U-737 U-738 U-739 U-740 U-741 U-742 U-743 U-744 U-745 U-746 U-747 U-748 U-749 U-750 U-751 U-752 U-753 U-754 U-755 U-756 U-757 U-758 U-759 U-760 U-761 U-762 U-763 U-764 U-765 U-766 U-767 U-768 U-771 U-772 U-773 U-774 U-775 U-776 U-777 U-778 U-779 U-821 U-822 U-825 U-826 U-901 U-903 U-904 U-905 U-907 U-921 U-922 U-923 U-924 U-925 U-926 U-927 U-928 U-951 U-952 U-953 U-954 U-955 U-956 U-957 U-958 U-959 U-960 U-961 U-962 U-963 U-964 U-965 U-966 U-967 U-968 U-969 U-970 U-971 U-972 U-973 U-974 U-975 U-976 U-977 U-978 U-979 U-980 U-981 U-982 U-983 U-984 U-985 U-986 U-987 U-988 U-989 U-990 U-991 U-992 U-993 U-994 U-1051 U-1052 U-1053 U-1054 U-1055 U-1056 U-1057 U-1058 U-1101 U-1102 U-1131 U-1132 U-1161 U-1162 U-1191 U-1192 U-1193 U-1194 U-1195 U-1196 U-1197 U-1198 U-1199 U-1200 U-1201 U-1202 U-1203 U-1204 U-1205 U-1206 U-1207 U-1208 U-1209 U-1210
Type VIIC/41	U-292 U-293 U-294 U-295 U-296 U-297 U-298 U-299 U-300 U-317 U-318 U-319 U-320 U-321 U-322 U-323 U-324 U-325 U-326 U-327 U-328 U-691 U-827 U-828 U-929 U-930 U-995 U-997 U-998 U-999 U-1000 U-1001 U-1002 U-1003 U-1004 U-1005 U-1006 U-1007 U-1008 U-1009 U-1010 U-1011 U-1013 U-1014 U-1015 U-1016 U-1017 U-1018 U-1019 U-1020 U-1021 U-1022 U-1023 U-1024 U-1025 U-1063 U-1064 U-1065 U-1103 U-1104 U-1105 U-1106 U-1107 U-1108 U-1109 U-1110 U-1163 U-1164 U-1165 U-1166 U-1167 U-1168 U-1169 U-1170 U-1171 U-1172 U-1271 U-1272 U-1273 U-1274 U-1275 U-1276 U-1277 U-1278 U-1279 U-1301 U-1302 U-1303 U-1304 U-1305 U-1306 U-1307 U-1308
Type VIID	U-213 U-214 U-215 U-216 U-217 U-218
Type VIIF	U-1059 U-1060 U-1061 U-1062
Preceded by:Type II Followed by:Type IX List of U-boats of Germany

v t e Shipwrecks and maritime incidents in October 1943
Shipwrecks	1 Oct:Empire Commerce 3 Oct:USS Henley,HMS Usurper 4 Oct:U-279,U-389,U-422,U-460 5 Oct:USS LST-448,Sposobny 6 Oct:Yūgumo 7 Oct:USS Chevalier,USS S-44 8 Oct:Dainichi Maru,ORP Orkan,U-419,U-610,U-643 9 Oct:USS Buck,HMS Panther 11 Oct:HMS Hythe,Mario Roselli,USS Wahoo,Jalabala 13 Oct:USS Bristol,U-402 16 Oct:USS Moonstone,U-470, 'U-533,U-844,U-964 17 Oct:Michel,U-540,U-631,U-841 19 Oct:Sinfra 20 Oct:U-378 21 Oct:HMCS Chedabucto,USS Murphy,SS Tivives,U-431 22 Oct:HMS Hurworth 23 Oct:Campos,HMS Charybdis,Taranto,U-274 24 Oct:HMS Eclipse,HMS Orlionoch,Mochizuki,U-566 26 Oct:James Longstreet 28 Oct:U-220,USS YP-88 29 Oct:U-282 31 Oct:U-306,U-584,U-732 Unknown date:USS Dorado,Sebastiano Caboto,HMS Trooper,U-420
Other incidents	5 Oct:Ro-40 6 Oct:I-183 9 Oct:HMS Carlisle,Cuxhaven 10 Oct:Mario Roselli,Minerve 21 Oct:Rakuto Maru 22 Oct:Adrias 23 Oct:James Iredell
194219431944 September 1943November 1943

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