U-77

Type

VIIC

 
Ordered25 Jan 1939
Laid down 28 Mar 1940 Bremer Vulkan-Vegesacker Werft, Bremen-Vegesack (werk 5)
Launched23 Nov 1940
Commissioned18 Jan 1941Oblt. Heinrich Schonder (Knights Cross)
Commanders
18 Jan 1941 - 2 Sep 1942  Kptlt. Heinrich Schonder (Knights Cross)
2 Sep 1942 - 28 Mar 1943  Oblt. Otto Hartmann
Career11 patrols 18 Jan 1941 - 30 Apr 1941  7. Flottille (training)
1 May 1941 - 31 Dec 1941  7. Flottille (front boat)
1 Jan 1942 - 30 Apr 1942  23. Flottille (front boat)
1 May 1942 - 28 Mar 1943  29. Flottille (front boat)
Successes14 ships sunk for a total of 31,186 GRT
1 warship sunk for a total of 1,050 tons
2 ships damaged for a total of 5,384 GRT
2 warships damaged for a total of 2,880 tons
1 ship a total loss for a total of 5,222 GRT
Fate

Sunk at 0115hrs on 28 March, 1943 east of Cartagena, Spain, in position 37.42N, 00.10E by 4 depth charges and 1 bomb from 2 British Hudson aircraft (48 & 233 Sqn.). 38 dead and 9 survivors.

See the 20 ships hit by U-77 - View the 11 war patrols

36 men from the boat, including the commander, are buried in the cemetery at Cuacos de Yuste (Caceres - Spain).

Attacks on this boat

1 Apr 1942
The U-77 was attacked in the Mediterranean by a Swordfish aircraft, leaving it badly damaged and unable to dive.

13 Nov 1942
The depth charge attack on 13 Nov, 1942 by from the British corvettes HMS Lotus and Poppy credited with sinking the U-605 was in fact against the U-77 which escaped with little damage (Sources: 1987-07-01, FDS/NHB)

2 recorded attacks on this boat.

Men lost from U-boats

Unlike many other U-boats, which during their service lost men due to accidents and various other causes, U-77 did not suffer any casualties (we know of) until the time of her loss.


We have an emblem for this boat!

You can view it here. (The emblem on the left is not the emblem for this boat).



U-Boat Operations of the Second World War - Vol 2
Wynn, Kenneth


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Books dealing with this subject include:

German U-Boat Losses During World War II. Niestle, Axel, 1998.
Hitler's U-boat War. Blair, Clay, 1996.
Hitler's U-boat War, Vol II. Blair, Clay, 1998.
Single or Return?. Wentzel, Fritz, 1954. (transl.)
U-Boat Operations of the Second World War - Vol 1. Wynn, Kenneth, 1998.
U-Boat Operations of the Second World War - Vol 2. Wynn, Kenneth, 1998.


There was another U-77 in World War One
That boat was launched from its shipyard on 9 Jan 1916 and commissioned into the Imperial Navy on 10 Mar 1916. The Naval war in WWI was brought to an end with the Armistice signed on 11 Nov, 1918. Read about the U 77 during WWI.