German submarine U-72 (1940)

History
Nazi Germany
NameU-72
Ordered25 January 1939
BuilderGermaniawerft, Kiel
Yard number619
Laid down28 December 1939
Launched22 November 1940
Commissioned4 January 1941
FateSunk by bombing, 30 March 1945
General characteristics
Class & typeType VIIC submarine
Displacement
Length
Beam
  • 6.20 m (20 ft 4 in) o/a
  • 4.70 m (15 ft 5 in) pressure hull
Height9.60 m (31 ft 6 in)
Draught4.74 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
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)
Complement4 officers, 40–56 enlisted
Armament
Service record
Part of:
Identification codes: M 21 325
Commanders:
  • K.Kapt. Hans-Werner Neumann
  • 4 January – September 1941
  • Oblt.z.S. Helmut Köster
  • September – 1 December 1941
  • Kptlt. Waldemar Mehl
  • 2 December 1941 – 6 May 1942
  • Oblt.z.S. Hans-Martin Scheibe
  • 7 May – 19 November 1942
  • Oblt.z.S. Helmut Lange
  • 20 November 1942 – 14 December 1943
  • Oblt.z.S. Paul Sander
  • 15 December 1943 – 19 May 1944
  • Oblt.z.S. Karl-Theodor Mayer
  • 20 May 1944 – 30 March 1945
Operations: None
Victories: None

German submarine U-72 was a Type VIIC submarine of Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine during World War II.

U-72 was launched on 22 November 1940 and commissioned on 4 January 1941. U-72 served with 24th U-boat Flotilla (a training unit), and later with 21st U-boat Flotilla (also a training unit), from 2 July 1941 to 30 March 1945. U-72 was used throughout World War II as a training boat until it was sunk in a daylight American bombing raid on 30 March 1945.