List of all U-boats

U-83

Type

VIIB

 
Ordered9 Jun 1938
Laid down5 Oct 1939 Flender Werke AG, Lübeck (werk 291)
Launched9 Dec 1940
Commissioned8 Feb 1941Oblt. Hans-Werner Kraus
Commanders
8 Feb 1941 - 21 Sep 1942  Kptlt. Hans-Werner Kraus (Knights Cross)
16 Oct 1942 - 4 Mar 1943  Kptlt. Ulrich Wörisshoffer
Career
12 patrols
8 Feb 1941-31 May 1941  1. Flottille (training)
1 Jun 1941-31 Dec 1941  1. Flottille (active service)
1 Jan 1942-30 Apr 1942  23. Flottille (active service)
1 May 1942-4 Mar 1943  29. Flottille (active service)
Successes5 ships sunk, total tonnage 8,425 GRT
1 auxiliary warship sunk, total tonnage 96 GRT
1 ship damaged, total tonnage 2,590 GRT
1 auxiliary warship damaged, total tonnage 6,746 GRT
Fate

Sunk on 4 March 1943 in the Mediterranean south-east of Cartagena, in position 37.10N, 00.05E, by depth charges from a British Hudson aircraft (500 Sqn RAF/V). 50 dead (all hands lost).

Loss position

See the 8 ships hit by U-83 - View the 12 war patrols

Photo taken by the crew of Hudson "V" of 500 Sqn RAF which sank U-83 on 4 March 1943:

Three 100lb A/S bombs dropped from 1500 feet in the initial attack are falling short of U-83 which was subsequently
sunk by three depth charges dropped during a second attack run. Photo from Imperial War Museum, CNA-646

Wolfpack operations

U-83 operated with the following Wolfpacks during its career:
   Bosemüller (28 Aug 1941 - 2 Sep 1941)
   Seewolf (2 Sep 1941 - 7 Sep 1941)
   Breslau (2 Oct 1941 - 29 Oct 1941)

Attacks on this boat and other events

28 Dec 1941
An attack by a convoy escort in the Mediterranean damaged U-83 so severely she was forced to return to base at Salamis, Greece.

1 recorded attack on this boat.

General notes on this boat

21 Oct 1941. U-83 fired a spread of torpedoes at a British task force (which included the ageing aircraft carriers HMS Eagle and HMS Argus) in the Straits of Gibraltar. The boat reported a destroyer sunk, but no hits were in fact scored.

Men lost from U-boats

Unlike many other U-boats, which during their service lost men due to accidents and various other causes, U-83 did not suffer any casualties (we know of) until the time of her loss.

U-boat Emblems

We have 1 emblem entry for this boat. See the emblem page for this boat or view emblems individually below.


Viking Ship

Media links


U-Boat Operations of the Second World War - Vol 1

Wynn, Kenneth


German U-Boat Losses During World War II

Niestle, Axel


Hitler's U-boat War, Vol II

Blair, Clay


Hitler's U-boat War

Blair, Clay

There was another U-83 in World War One
That boat was launched from its shipyard on 13 Jul 1916 and commissioned into the Imperial Navy on 6 Sep 1916. The Naval war in WWI was brought to an end with the Armistice signed on 11 Nov, 1918. Read about SM U 83 during WWI.




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