Engineering:German Type U 87 submarine

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Class overview
Builders: Germaniawerft, Kiel and Kaiserliche Werft Danzig
Operators:  Germany Navy
Preceded by: Type U 81
Succeeded by: Type U 93
Completed: 6
Lost: 4
General characteristics [1]
Class and type: German Type U 87 submarine
Displacement:
  • 757 t (745 long tons) surfaced
  • 998 t (982 long tons) submerged
Length:
  • 65.80 m (215 ft 11 in) (o/a)
  • 50.07 m (164 ft 3 in) (pressure hull)
Beam:
  • 6.20 m (20 ft 4 in) (oa)
  • 4.18 m (13 ft 9 in) (pressure hull)
Height: 9.35 m (30 ft 8 in)
Draught: 3.88 m (12 ft 9 in)
Installed power:
  • 2 × 2,400 PS (1,765 kW; 2,367 shp) surfaced
  • 2 × 1,200 PS (883 kW; 1,184 shp) submerged
Propulsion: 2 shafts, 2 × 1.66 m (5 ft 5 in) propellers
Speed:
  • 16.8 knots (31.1 km/h; 19.3 mph) surfaced
  • 9.1 knots (16.9 km/h; 10.5 mph) submerged
Range:
  • 11,380 nmi (21,080 km; 13,100 mi) at 8 knots (15 km/h; 9.2 mph) surfaced
  • 56 nmi (104 km; 64 mi) at 5 knots (9.3 km/h; 5.8 mph) submerged
Test depth: 50 m (164 ft 1 in)
Complement: 4 officers, 32 enlisted
Armament:
  • 4 × 50 cm (19.7 in) torpedo tubes (two bow, two stern)
  • 10-12 torpedoes
  • 1 × 10.5 cm (4.1 in) SK L/45 deck gun
  • 1 × 8.8 cm (3.5 in) SK L/30 deck gun

Type 87 was a class of U-boats built during World War I by the Kaiserliche Marine.

Type 87 U-boats carried 16 torpedoes and had various arrangements of deck guns. U 87 and U 89 had one 10.5 cm/45 and one 8.8 cm deck gun, U 88 was probably equally armed. U 90 - U 92 were armed with one 10.5 cm/45 gun (140-240 rounds).

They carried a crew of 36 and had excellent seagoing abilities with a cruising range of approximately 11,220 nautical miles (20,780 km; 12,910 mi). Many arrangements from the Type 81, 87, and 93 were also seen on the World War II Type IX U-boats when their design work took place 20 years later.

Compared to the previous type 81, the 87s were 4.26 metres (14.0 ft) shorter, while the pressure hull was shortened .48 metres (1 ft 7 in).[2] They were 1.2 knots (2.2 km/h; 1.4 mph) slower on the surface, and .5 knots (0.93 km/h; 0.58 mph) slower submerged, but increased range by 180 nautical miles (330 km; 210 mi) to 11,380 nautical miles (21,080 km; 13,100 mi) at 8 knots. They carried 16 torpedoes instead of 12. As with the previous type, there was a mixture of guns. Crew size was increased by 1 to 36.

Compared to the following type 93, the 87s were 5.75 metres (18.9 ft) shorter, with the pressure hull 5.98 metres (19.6 ft) shorter and 105 tons lighter.[3] Their range was 2,288 nautical miles (4,237 km; 2,633 mi) longer, but speed was 1.2 knots (2.2 km/h; 1.4 mph) slower on the surface and unchanged submerged.

Type 87 boats were responsible for sinking 2.218% of all allied shipping sunk during the war, taking a total of 284,961 combined tons. They also damaged 36,595 combined tons.

Boat Sunk Damaged Total
Script error: The function "ship_prefix_templates" does not exist. 59,828 7,638 67,466
Script error: The function "ship_prefix_templates" does not exist. 39,382 845 40,227
Script error: The function "ship_prefix_templates" does not exist. 8,496 324 8,820
Script error: The function "ship_prefix_templates" does not exist. 74,175 8,594 82,769
Script error: The function "ship_prefix_templates" does not exist. 87,119 11,821 98,940
Script error: The function "ship_prefix_templates" does not exist. 15,961 7,373 23,334
Totals 284,961 36,595 321,556

References

Bibliography

  • Gröner, Erich; Jung, Dieter; Maass, Martin (1991). U-boats and Mine Warfare Vessels. German Warships 1815–1945. 2. London: Conway Maritime Press. ISBN 0-85177-593-4.