German submarine U-74 (1940)

U-52, a similar Type VIIB boat.
History
Nazi Germany
Name:	U-74
Ordered:	2 June 1938
Builder:	Bremer Vulkan of Bremen-Vegesack
Cost:	4,760,000 Reichsmark
Yard number:	2
Laid down:	5 November 1939
Launched:	31 August 1940
Commissioned:	31 October 1940
Fate:	Sunk, 2 May 1942 by British warships
General characteristics
Class and type:	Type VIIB U-boat
Displacement:	753 t (741 long tons) surfaced 857 t (843 long tons) submerged
Length:	66.50 m (218 ft 2 in) o/a 48.80 m (160 ft 1 in) pressure hull
Beam:	6.20 m (20 ft 4 in) o/a 4.70 m (15 ft 5 in) pressure hull
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
Range:	8,700 nmi (16,100 km; 10,000 mi) at 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph) surfaced 90 nmi (170 km; 100 mi) at 4 knots (7.4 km/h; 4.6 mph) submerged
Test depth:	230 m (750 ft) Calculated crush depth: 250–295 m (820–968 ft)
Boats & landing craft carried:	1 inflatable rubber boat
Complement:	4 officers, 40 to 56 enlisted
Sensors and processing systems:	FuMO 61 Hohentwiel U
Armament:	5 × 53.3 cm (21 in) torpedo tubes (four bow, one stern) 14 × torpedoes or 26 TMA mines 1 × 8.8 cm (3.46 in) deck gun (220 rounds) 1 × 2 cm (0.79 in) anti-aircraft gun
Service record
Part of:	7th U-boat Flotilla 31 October 1940 – 31 January 1941 7th U-boat Flotilla 1 February – 30 November 1941 29th U-boat Flotilla 1 December 1941 – 2 May 1942
Commanders:	Kptlt. Eitel-Fredrich Kentrat 31 October 1940 – 23 March 1942 Oblt.z.S. Karl Frederich 24 March – 2 May 1942
Operations:	Eight: 1st patrol: 5 March – 11 April 1941 2nd patrol: 8–30 May 1941 3rd patrol: 5 July – 12 August 1941 4th patrol: 8–26 September 1941 5th patrol: 22 October – 12 November 1941 6th patrol: 9–24 December 1941 7th patrol: 27 December 1941 – 8 January 1942 8th patrol: 23 April – 2 May 1942
Victories:	Four ships sunk (24,694 GRT); one warship sunk - 925 tons; one ship damaged – 123 GRT one auxiliary warship damaged – 11,402 GRT

German submarine U-74 was a Type VIIB U-boat of Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine during World War II.

Her keel was laid down on 5 November 1939, by Bremer Vulkan of Bremen-Vegesack, Germany as yard number 2. She was launched on 31 August 1940 and commissioned on 31 October, with Kapitänleutnant (Kptlt.) Eitel-Friedrich Kentrat in command until March 1942, when he was succeeded by Oberleutnant zur See (Oblt.z.S.) Karl Friederich, who remained in charge until the U-boat's loss.

German Type VIIB submarines were preceded by the shorter Type VIIA submarines. U-74 had a displacement of 753 tonnes (741 long tons) when at the surface and 857 tonnes (843 long tons) while submerged. She had a total length of 66.50 m (218 ft 2 in), a pressure hull length of 48.80 m (160 ft 1 in), a beam of 6.20 m (20 ft 4 in), a height of 9.50 m (31 ft 2 in), and a draught of 4.74 m (15 ft 7 in). The submarine was powered by two MAN M 6 V 40/46 four-stroke, six-cylinder supercharged 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, two BBC GG UB 720/8 double-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).