German submarine U-85 (1941)

U-52, a typical Type VIIB boat
History
Nazi Germany
NameU-85
Ordered9 June 1938
BuilderFlender Werke, Lübeck
Yard number281
Laid down18 December 1939
Launched10 April 1941
Commissioned7 June 1941
FateSunk by USS Roper, 14 April 1942
General characteristics
Class & typeType VIIB U-boat
Displacement
  • 753 t (741 long tons) surfaced
  • 857 t (843 long tons) submerged
Length
  • 66.50 m (218 ft 2 in) o/a
  • 48.80 m (160 ft 1 in) pressure hull
Beam
  • 6.20 m (20 ft 4 in) o/a
  • 4.70 m (15 ft 5 in) pressure hull
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
  • 17.9 knots (33.2 km/h; 20.6 mph) surfaced
  • 8 knots (15 km/h; 9.2 mph)
Range
  • 8,700 nmi (16,100 km; 10,000 mi) at 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph) surfaced
  • 90 nmi (170 km; 100 mi) at 4 knots (7.4 km/h; 4.6 mph) submerged
Test depth
  • 220 m (720 ft)
  • Crush depth: 230–250 m (750–820 ft)
Complement4 officers, 40–56 enlisted
Sensors &
processing systems
Gruppenhorchgerät
Armament
Service record
Part of:
Identification codes: M 40 935
Commanders:
  • Oblt.z.S. Eberhard Greger
  • 7 June 1941 – 14 April 1942
Operations:
  • 4 patrols:
  • 1st patrol:
  • a. 28 August – 18 September 1941
  • b. 11 – 13 October 1941
  • 2nd patrol:
  • 16 October – 27 November 1941
  • 3rd patrol:
  • 8 January – 23 February 1942
  • 4th patrol:
  • 21 March – 14 April 1942
Victories: 3 merchant ships sunk
(15,060 GRT)
U-85 (submarine) shipwreck and remains
Nearest cityNags Head, North Carolina
MPSWorld War II Shipwrecks along the East Coast and Gulf of Mexico MPS
NRHP reference No.15000805
Added to NRHP12 November 2015

German submarine U-85 was a Type VIIB U-boat of Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine during World War II.

She was laid down at the Flender Werke in Lübeck on 18 December 1939 as yard number 281. Launched on 10 April 1941, she was commissioned on 7 June and assigned to the 3rd U-boat Flotilla under the command of Oberleutnant zur See Eberhard Greger.

U-85 conducted four war patrols with the flotilla, and sank three ships, totalling 15,060 gross register tons (GRT). She was sunk in April 1942 by the US destroyer Roper.