U-821

CountryGermany
Ship ClassType VII-class Submarine
BuilderOderwerke AG
Slip/Drydock NumberII
Ordered20 Jan 1941
Laid Down2 Oct 1941
Launched26 Jun 1943
Commissioned11 Oct 1943
Sunk10 Jun 1944
Displacement769 tons standard; 871 tons submerged
Length220 feet
Beam20 feet
Draft18 feet
Machinery2 Germaniawerft supercharged F46 diesel engines (2,800-3,200bhp); 2 Brown, Boveri & Cie GG UB 720/8 elector motors (740shp); 2 shafts
Speed18 knots
Range8,500nm at 10 knots surfaced, 80nm at 4 knots submerged
Crew60
Armament4x53.3cm bow torpedo tubes, 1x53.3cm stern torpedo tube, 14 torpedoes or 26 TMA mines, 1x8.8cm deck gun, 1x3.7cm Flak M42 anti-aircraft gun, 2x2x2cm C/30 anti-aircraft guns
Submerged Speed7.6 knots

Contributor:

ww2dbaseGerman submarine U-821 was commissioned into service in Oct 1943. She was a member of the 4th and 24th Submarine Flotillas before being assigned to the 1st Submarine Flotilla in Mar 1944 for her first war patrol out of Bergen, Norway, during which she encountered no targets. Her second war patrol, out of Brest, France, was ended merely four days after it began. She was discovered on the surface by British Royal Air Force aircraft off Ushant island, France. Commanding officer Oberleutnant zur See Ulrich Knackfuss decided against diving, instead ordering her crew to fire on the British aircraft. Attacking aircraft eventually grew to three Mosquito aircraft (of No. 248 Squadron RAF) and one Liberator bomber (No. 206 Squadron RAF), overpowering and sinking the submarine. U-821 was able to shoot down one Mosquito aircraft. 50 were killed; one survivor was picked up by a German rescue vessel a few hours after the sinking.

ww2dbaseSource: Wikipedia

Last Major Revision: Aug 2021

Submarine U-821 Interactive Map

Photographs

U-821 under construction at the Oderwerke shipyard in Stettin, Germany, 1943

U-821 Operational Timeline

20 Jan 1941 The order for U-821 was issued.
2 Oct 1941 The keel of U-821 was laid down by Oderwerke in Stettin, Germany.Pommern,
26 Jun 1943 U-821 was launched by Oderwerke in Stettin, Germany.
11 Oct 1943 U-821 was commissioned into service with Ludwig Fabricius in command; she was assigned to the 4th Submarine Flotilla.
1 Nov 1943 U-821 was assigned to the 24th Submarine Flotilla.
2 Dec 1943 Ernst Fischer was named the commanding officer of U-821, relieving Ludwig Fabricius.
1 Jan 1944 U-821 was assigned to the 4th Submarine Flotilla; Ulrich Knackfuss was named her commanding officer, relieving Ernst Fischer.
1 Mar 1944 U-821 was assigned to the 1st Submarine Flotilla.
19 Mar 1944 U-821 departed Bergen, Norway for her first war patrol.
12 Apr 1944 U-821 completed her first war patrol.
6 Jun 1944 U-821 departed Brest, France for her second war patrol.
10 Jun 1944 U-821 was sunk by aircraft off Ushant, France.




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U-821 under construction at the Oderwerke shipyard in Stettin, Germany, 1943


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