German submarine U-962
Encyclopedia
German submarine U-962 was a Type VIIC
U-boat
built during World War II
. Her keel was laid at the yards of Blohm & Voss in Hamburg
on 7 April 1942. Launched on 17 December 1942, she was formally commissioned on 11 February 1943 and given to Oblt. Ernst Liesberg, who commanded the submarine on both of her active war patrols.
for Bergen
, Norway
on 23 September 1943, arriving on 27 September. After a stay of about a month, the crew cast off on their first active patrol 3 November 1943. This 56 day cruise in the mid-Atlantic Ocean yielded no targets and the patrol was terminated at St. Nazaire in occupied France
on 28 December 1943.
On 14 February 1944, U-962 departed St. Nazaire on her second and last patrol. She again cruised in the central Atlantic for 55 days until she ran afoul of the British sloops
and and sunk in position 45°43′N 19°57′W by depth charges. There were no survivors.
German Type VII submarine
Type VII U-boats were the most common type of German World War II U-boat. The Type VII was based on earlier German submarine designs going back to the World War I Type UB III, designed through the Dutch dummy company Ingenieurskantoor voor Scheepsbouw den Haag which was set up by Germany after...
U-boat
U-boat
U-boat is the anglicized version of the German word U-Boot , itself an abbreviation of Unterseeboot , and refers to military submarines operated by Germany, particularly in World War I and World War II...
built during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. Her keel was laid at the yards of Blohm & Voss in Hamburg
Hamburg
-History:The first historic name for the city was, according to Claudius Ptolemy's reports, Treva.But the city takes its modern name, Hamburg, from the first permanent building on the site, a castle whose construction was ordered by the Emperor Charlemagne in AD 808...
on 7 April 1942. Launched on 17 December 1942, she was formally commissioned on 11 February 1943 and given to Oblt. Ernst Liesberg, who commanded the submarine on both of her active war patrols.
War Patrols
After her working up period ended, U-962 departed KielKiel
Kiel is the capital and most populous city in the northern German state of Schleswig-Holstein, with a population of 238,049 .Kiel is approximately north of Hamburg. Due to its geographic location in the north of Germany, the southeast of the Jutland peninsula, and the southwestern shore of the...
for Bergen
Bergen
Bergen is the second largest city in Norway with a population of as of , . Bergen is the administrative centre of Hordaland county. Greater Bergen or Bergen Metropolitan Area as defined by Statistics Norway, has a population of as of , ....
, Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
on 23 September 1943, arriving on 27 September. After a stay of about a month, the crew cast off on their first active patrol 3 November 1943. This 56 day cruise in the mid-Atlantic Ocean yielded no targets and the patrol was terminated at St. Nazaire in occupied France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
on 28 December 1943.
On 14 February 1944, U-962 departed St. Nazaire on her second and last patrol. She again cruised in the central Atlantic for 55 days until she ran afoul of the British sloops
Black Swan class sloop
The Black Swan class and Modified Black Swan class were two classes of sloop of the Royal Navy and Royal Indian Navy. Thirteen Black Swans were launched between 1939 and 1943, including four for the Royal Indian Navy; twenty-four Modified Black Swans were launched between 1942 and 1945, including...
and and sunk in position 45°43′N 19°57′W by depth charges. There were no survivors.