U-77

Type

VIIC

 
Ordered25 Jan 1939
Laid down28 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
Career
11 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

Sank at 0115 hrs on 29 March, 1943 south of Cape Nao, Spain, after being badly damaged in position 37.42N, 00.10E by depth charges from 2 British Hudson aircraft (48 & 233 Sqn.) on 28 March. 38 dead and 9 survivors.

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

Wolfpack operations

U-77 operated with the following Wolfpacks during its career:
   West (6 Jun 1941 - 20 Jun 1941)
   Grönland (10 Aug 1941 - 23 Aug 1941)
   Kurfürst (23 Aug 1941 - 2 Sep 1941)
   Seewolf (2 Sep 1941 - 7 Sep 1941)
   Reissewolf (21 Oct 1941 - 31 Oct 1941)
   Störtebecker (15 Nov 1941 - 2 Dec 1941)

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.

4 Jul 1942
HMS Thrasher (Lt. H.S. Mackenzie, DSO, RN) attacks U-77 with three torpedoes in position 32º48'N, 33º36'E. All torpedoes missed. Thrasher surfaces to engage with gunfire but the Germans crash-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)

28 Mar 1943
The sinking of U-77 At 11.25 hours, the boat was spotted by a Hudson Mk.VI (48 Sqn RAF/L, pilot F/O J.B. Harrop) on patrol east of Cartagena in position 37°42N/00°10E and immediately crash-dived when the aircraft attacked, dropping depth charges just ahead of the swirl. Oil and bubbles could be seen on the surface and in fact water entered through a serious leak in the diesel engine room, forcing U-77 to surface later and left her unable to dive. Hartmann reported his situation to the FdU while heading towards Toulon and was instructed to enter the neutral Alicante for repairs under international maritime law. U-380 (Röther) was ordered to meet the boat to take off most of its crew to avoid internment in Spain, but the Hudson Mk. IIIA T9430 (233 Sqn RAF/L, F/O E.F. Castell) found U-77 earlier between Cabo San Antonio and Ibiza at 17.45 hours. The boat was attacked with four depth charges despite of fierce AA fire, strafed with 3000 rounds in several runs and a single A/S bomb was dropped that exploded 15 yards behind the stern – the pilot was later awarded the DFC. At dusk, the badly damaged boat managed to escape further attacks and headed for Alicante, but during the night both electrical engines broke down and the immobile U-77 began to settle, sinking at 01.15 hours on 29 March south of Cape Nao, Spain – the wreck was located in a depth of 80 meters in 38°33.334N/00°14.875E. All crew members abandoned ship in one rubber dinghy and some makeshift rafts made from deck planks, but the commander and 37 crew members died of exposure or drowned, only nine survivors were found several hours later by a Spanish fishing vessel from Denia, landed at Altea on 30 March and eventually repatriated. 36 bodies washed ashore and were buried in Spain, the commander and four men in Altea and 31 in Calpe – in 1983 they were reinterred at the cemetery at Cuacos de Yuste, Provincia de Cáceres, Spain.

4 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


Buy this title at


amazon.com
See more sellers

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.