German submarine U-129 (1941)

U-505, a typical Type IXC boat
History
Nazi Germany
Name:	U-129
Ordered:	7 August 1939
Builder:	DeSchiMAG AG Weser in Bremen
Laid down:	30 July 1940
Launched:	28 February 1941
Commissioned:	21 May 1941
Fate:	Taken out of service at Lorient 4 July 1944; scuttled on 18 August, raised and broken up, 1946
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) o/a 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 enlisted48 to 56
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:	4th U-boat Flotilla 21 May – 30 June 1941 2nd U-boat Flotilla 1 July 1941 – 1 July 1944
Commanders:	Kptlt. Nicolai Clausen 21 May 1941 – 13 May 1942 K.Kapt. Hans Witt 14 May 1942 – 8 July 1943 Oblt.z.S. Richard von Harpe 12 July 1943 – 19 July 1944
Operations:	1st patrol: 3–30 August 1941 2nd patrol: 27 September – 8 October 1941 3rd patrol: 21 October 1941 – 28 December 1941 4th patrol: 25 January – 5 April 1942 5th patrol: 20 May – 21 August 1942 6th patrol: 28 September 1942 – 6 January 1943 7th patrol: 11 March – 29 May 1943 8th patrol: 27 July – 9 September 9th patrol: 9–11 October 1943; then 12 October – 31 January 1944 10th patrol: 22 March 1944 – 19 July 1944
Victories:	29 commercial ships sunk (143,748 GRT)

German submarine U-129 was a Type IXC U-boat of Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine during World War II. She was laid down at the AG Weser yard, Bremen as yard number 992 on 30 July 1940, launched on 28 February 1941 and was commissioned on 21 May with Kapitänleutnant Nicolai Clausen in command.

Her service life began with training in the 4th U-boat Flotilla; she moved to the 2nd Flotilla for operations on 1 July 1941.

She sank 29 ships, a total of 143,748 gross register tons (GRT), on ten patrols.

German Type IXC submarines were slightly larger than the original Type IXBs. U-129 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).