German submarine U-71 (1940)

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U-71 under attack on 5 June 1942 from a Sunderland of No. 10 Squadron RAAF
History
Nazi Germany
Name	U-71
Ordered	25 January 1939
Builder	Germaniawerft, Kiel
Cost	4,439,000 Reichsmark
Yard number	618
Laid down	21 December 1939
Launched	31 October 1940
Commissioned	14 December 1940
Fate	Scuttled on 2 May 1945
General characteristics
Class and type	Type VIIC submarine
Displacement	769 tonnes (757 long tons) surfaced 871 t (857 long tons) submerged
Length	67.10 m (220 ft 2 in) o/a 50.50 m (165 ft 8 in) pressure hull
Beam	6.20 m (20 ft 4 in) o/a 4.70 m (15 ft 5 in) pressure hull
Height	9.60 m (31 ft 6 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
Speed	17.7 knots (32.8 km/h; 20.4 mph) surfaced 7.6 knots (14.1 km/h; 8.7 mph) submerged
Range	8,500 nmi (15,700 km; 9,800 mi) at 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph) surfaced 80 nmi (150 km; 92 mi) at 4 knots (7.4 km/h; 4.6 mph) submerged
Test depth	230 m (750 ft) Crush depth: 250–295 m (820–968 ft)
Complement	4 officers, 40–56 enlisted
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) C/30 anti-aircraft gun
Service record
Part of:	7th U-boat Flotilla 14 December 1940 – 31 May 1943 24th U-boat Flotilla 1 June 1943 – 30 June 1944 22nd U-boat Flotilla 1 July 1944 – 27 February 1945
Identification codes:	M 26 448
Commanders:	K.Kapt. Walter Flachsenberg 14 December 1940 – 3 July 1942 Oblt.z.S. Hardo Rodler von Roithberg 3 July 1942 – 1 May 1943 Vacant 2 May – 30 June 1943 Lt.z.S. Erich Krempl July 1943 Oblt.z.S. Uwe Christiansen July 1943 – May 1944 Oblt.z.S. Curt Hartmann May – 7 June 1944 Oblt.z.S. Emil Ranzau 8 June 1944 – 27 February 1945
Operations:	10 patrols: 1st patrol: 14 June – 2 July 1941 2nd patrol: 2 August – 7 September 1941 3rd patrol: a. 29 September – 31 October 1941 b. 29 November – 5 December 1941 4th patrol: 18 December – 21 January 1942 5th patrol: a. 23 February – 20 April 1942 b. 4 – 6 June 1942 6th patrol: 11 – 20 June 1942 7th patrol: 4 July – 15 August 1942 8th patrol: 5 October – 17 November 1942 9th patrol: 23 December – 12 February 1943 10th patrol: 27 March – 1 May 1943
Victories:	5 merchant ships sunk (38,894 GRT)

German submarine U-71 was a type VII C submarine of Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine during the Second World War.

Ordered on 25 January 1939, her keel was laid down as yard number 618 on 21 December that year. She was launched on 31 October 1940 and commissioned on 14 December. She entered the 7th U-boat Flotilla as a training submarine (commissioning until 31 May 1941), then served as a front (operational) boat between 1 June 1941 and 31 May 1943. During that time she carried out ten war patrols, but had to return to port following damage after colliding with U-631 in the North Atlantic on 17 April 1943.

After that, she moved to the 24th U-boat Flotilla as a training submarine (1 June 1943 – 30 June 1944), then to the 22nd flotilla also as a training boat from 1 July 1944 until 27 February 1945. She was a member of 17 wolfpacks. She sank five ships and was scuttled on 2 May 1945 at Wilhelmshaven, six days before the German surrender.