German submarine U-83 (1941)

U-52, a typical Type VIIB boat
History
Nazi Germany
Name:	U-83
Ordered:	9 June 1938
Builder:	Flender Werke, Lübeck
Yard number:	291
Laid down:	5 October 1939
Launched:	9 December 1940
Commissioned:	8 February 1941
Fate:	Sunk, 4 March 1943 by a British aircraft
Badge:
General characteristics
Class and type:	Type VIIB submarine
Displacement:	753 tonnes (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
Height:	9.50 m (31 ft 2 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
Range:	9,400 nmi (17,400 km; 10,800 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:	220 m (720 ft) Crush depth: 230–250 m (750–820 ft)
Complement:	4 officers, 40–56 enlisted
Sensors and processing systems:	Gruppenhorchgerät
Armament:	4 × 53.3 cm (21 in) torpedo tubes (four bow) 14 × torpedoes or 26 TMA mines 1 × 8.8 cm (3.46 in) deck gun (220 rounds) 1 × 2 cm (0.79 in) C/30 anti-aircraft gun
Service record
Part of:	1st U-boat Flotilla 8 February – 31 December 1941 23rd U-boat Flotilla 1 January – 30 April 1942 29th U-boat Flotilla 1 May 1942 – 4 March 1943
Commanders:	Kptlt. Hans-Werner Kraus 8 February 1941 – 21 September 1942 Kptlt. Ulrich Wörisshoffer 16 October 1942 – 4 March 1943
Operations:	Twelve: 1st patrol: 26 July – 9 September 1941 2nd patrol: 28 September – 31 October 1941 3rd patrol: 11–23 December 1941 4th patrol: 25–30 December 1941 5th patrol: 12–24 February 1942 6th patrol: 10–21 March 1942 7th patrol: 5 April – 30 May 1942 8th patrol: 4–20 June 1942 9th patrol: 6–20 August 1942 10th patrol: 21 November – 17 December 1942 11th patrol: 12–31 January 1943 12th patrol: 1–4 March 1943
Victories:	Five commercial ships sunk (8,425 GRT); one auxiliary warship sunk of 96 GRT; one commercial ship damaged of 2,590 GRT one auxiliary warship damaged of 6,746 GRT

German submarine U-83 was a Type VIIB U-boat of Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine during World War II.

She was laid down in the Flender Werke at Lübeck as yard number 291 on 5 October 1939. Launched on 9 December 1940, she was commissioned on 8 February 1941. U-83 served with 1st U-boat Flotilla from 8 February 1941 to 31 December, with the 23rd flotilla from 1 January 1942 to 30 April and with the 29th flotilla from 1 March 1942 until she was sunk.

German Type VIIB submarines were preceded by the shorter Type VIIA submarines. U-83 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 Germaniawerft F46 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 AEG GU 460/8-276 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).