German submarine U-126 (1940)

U-505, a typical Type IXC boat
History
Nazi Germany
Name:	U-126
Ordered:	7 August 1939
Builder:	DeSchiMAG AG Weser, Bremen
Yard number:	989
Laid down:	1 June 1940
Launched:	31 December 1940
Commissioned:	22 March 1941
Fate:	Sunk by a British aircraft, 3 June 1943
General characteristics
Class and type:	Type IXC submarine
Displacement:	1,120 t (1,100 long tons) surfaced 1,232 t (1,213 long tons) submerged
Length:	76.76 m (251 ft 10 in) o/a 58.75 m (192 ft 9 in) pressure hull
Beam:	6.76 m (22 ft 2 in) overall 4.40 m (14 ft 5 in) pressure hull
Height:	9.60 m (31 ft 6 in)
Draught:	4.70 m (15 ft 5 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
Range:	13,450 nmi (24,910 km; 15,480 mi) at 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph) surfaced 64 nmi (119 km; 74 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) deck gun (180 rounds) 1 × 3.7 cm (1.5 in) AA gun 1 × twin 2 cm FlaK 30 AA guns
Service record
Part of:	2nd U-boat Flotilla 22 March 1941 – 3 July 1943
Commanders:	Kptlt. Ernst Bauer 22 March 1941 – 28 February 1943 Oblt.z.S. Siegfried Kietz 1 March – 3 July 1943
Operations:	1st patrol: 5 July – 24 August 1941 2nd patrol: 24 September – 13 December 1941 3rd patrol: 2 February – 29 March 1942 4th patrol: 25 April – 25 July 1942 5th patrol: 19 September – 7 January 1943 6th patrol: 20 March – 3 July 1943
Victories:	24 commercial ships sunk (111,564 GRT) one warship sunk - 450 tons five ships damaged - 37,501 GRT two ships declared a total loss - 14,173 GRT

German submarine U-126 was a Type IXC U-boat of Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine during World War II. In six patrols, she sank 25 ships for a total of 112,489 gross register tons (GRT). She was laid down at the DeSchiMAG AG Weser yard in Bremen as yard number 989 on 1 June 1940, launched on 31 December and commissioned on 22 March 1941 under Kapitänleutnant Ernst Bauer.

The submarine commenced her service with the 2nd U-boat Flotilla, an organization she would stay with, both for training and operations.

German Type IXC submarines were slightly larger than the original Type IXBs. U-126 had a displacement of 1,120 tonnes (1,100 long tons) when at the surface and 1,232 tonnes (1,213 long tons) while submerged. 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 6.76 m (22 ft 2 in), a height of 9.60 m (31 ft 6 in), and a draught of 4.70 m (15 ft 5 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 metric horsepower (740 kW; 990 shp) 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).