SM U 76

• Waldemar Bender

Peculiarity of the armament and engine

The main task of U 76 was the laying of sea mines, of which up to 38 pieces inside the boat could be transported. They were laid over two outlet pipes in the boat tail. It therefore was not a question one attack submarine and it was compared with other ocean-going submarines relatively weak motorized. Even the above-water velocity remained in the single digits. The torpedo armament was used only for self-defense.

Inserts

U 76 was launched on March 12, 1916 at the Vulkan yard in Hamburg from the stack and was put into service on May 11, 1916. The submarine was assigned in June 1916 the First Submarine Flotilla. The first and only commander was Lieutenant Waldemar Bender, who commanded the submarine from its entry into service until his demise on 27 January 1917.

U 76 led during the First World War through four operations in the eastern North Atlantic and the North Sea. Among other mines were laid off the coast of Murmansk, which on 17 October 1916, the Norwegian freighter sank Botnia (just under 1150 GRT). In November 1916, the Russian icebreaker Anna I was sunk by mines and the Russian freighter Koursk damaged.

Whereabouts

On January 22, 1917 - according to other sources on January 26 - U 76 was rammed off the northern coast of Norway by a Russian trawler and damaged heavily. On January 27, 1917, the U- boat off Hammerfest ran into a strong storm. As the machines failed to Bender decided to abandon the boat and could not deliver the self detonation. The crew sent distress signals that were noticed by a Norwegian fishing boat. Except for a machinist all crew members were rescued. The submarine sank at about the following position at Sørøya: 71 ° 0 ' N, 23 ° 0' O7123. Since the boat was not lost by direct enemy action, the crew was not interned in Norway. Bender was able to return to Germany and later take over command of U 43. In July 1971, the wreck of the submarine was raised and subsequently scrapped.