German submarine U-120 (1940)

U-9, a typical Type IIB boat
History
Nazi Germany
Name:	U-120
Ordered:	15 December 1937
Builder:	Flender Werke, Lübeck
Yard number:	268
Laid down:	31 March 1938
Launched:	16 March 1940
Commissioned:	20 April 1940
Fate:	Scuttled 2 May 1945 at Bremerhaven. Raised in 1950 and broken up.
Badge:
General characteristics
Class and type:	IIB coastal submarine
Displacement:	279 t (275 long tons) surfaced 328 t (323 long tons) submerged
Length:	42.70 m (140 ft 1 in) o/a 27.80 m (91 ft 2 in) pressure hull
Beam:	4.08 m (13 ft 5 in) (o/a) 4.00 m (13 ft 1 in) (pressure hull)
Height:	8.60 m (28 ft 3 in)
Draught:	3.90 m (12 ft 10 in)
Installed power:	700 PS (510 kW; 690 bhp) (diesels) 410 PS (300 kW; 400 shp) (electric)
Propulsion:	2 shafts 2 × diesel engines 2 × electric motors
Range:	1,800 nmi (3,300 km; 2,100 mi) at 12 knots (22 km/h; 14 mph) surfaced 35–43 nmi (65–80 km; 40–49 mi) at 4 knots (7.4 km/h; 4.6 mph) submerged
Test depth:	80 m (260 ft)
Complement:	3 officers, 22 men
Armament:	3 × 53.3 cm (21 in) torpedo tubes 5 × torpedoes or up to 12 TMA or 18 TMB mines 1 × 2 cm (0.79 in) anti-aircraft gun
Service record
Part of:	Kriegsmarine:
Commanders:	Oblt.z.S. Ernst Bauer (Knight's Cross) Kptlt. Wolfgang Heyda Oblt.z.S. Willy-Roderich Körner Oblt.z.S. Hans Fiedler Lt.z.S. Alfred Radermacher Oblt.z.S. Adolf Gundlach Oblt.z.S. Joachim Sauerbier Oblt.z.S. Rolf Rüdiger Bensel
Operations:	No war patrols

German submarine U-120 was a Type IIB U-boat of Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine during World War II. She was laid down on 31 March 1938 at the Flender Werke, Lübeck as yard number 268. She was launched on 16 March 1940 and commissioned on 20 April under Oberleutnant zur See (Oblt.z.S.) Ernst Bauer.

U-120's emblem was an oak leaf, with an anchor, and a knife or dagger. She also shared this emblem with U-3, U-29, U-747, U-1274 and U-1308.

The Chinese Nationalist government used 10,000,000 Marks to order two Type IIB U-boats in 1937. They also dispatched 80 men to Germany for training in submarine operations. The Japanese government complained about this transaction, so the Chinese took their money back and these two vessels joined the Kriegsmarine after the outbreak of the Second World War in Europe. They were U-120 and U-121.

German Type IIB submarines were enlarged versions of the original Type IIs. U-120 had a displacement of 279 tonnes (275 long tons) when at the surface and 328 tonnes (323 long tons) while submerged. Officially, the standard tonnage was 250 long tons (250 t), however. The U-boat had a total length of 42.70 m (140 ft 1 in), a pressure hull length of 28.20 m (92 ft 6 in), a beam of 4.08 m (13 ft 5 in), a height of 8.60 m (28 ft 3 in), and a draught of 3.90 m (12 ft 10 in). The submarine was powered by two MWM RS 127 S four-stroke, six-cylinder diesel engines of 700 metric horsepower (510 kW; 690 shp) for cruising, two Siemens-Schuckert PG VV 322/36 double-acting electric motors producing a total of 460 metric horsepower (340 kW; 450 shp) for use while submerged. She had two shafts and two 0.85 m (3 ft) propellers. The boat was capable of operating at depths of up to 80–150 metres (260–490 ft).