German submarine U-187


German submarine U-187 was a Type IXC/40 U-boat of Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine built for service during World War II.
Her keel was laid down on 6 August 1941 by DeSchiMAG AG Weser in Bremen as yard number 1027. She was launched on 16 March 1942 and commissioned on 23 July with Kapitänleutnant Ralph Münnich in command.
The U-boat's service began with training as part of the 4th U-boat Flotilla. She then moved to the 10th flotilla on 1 January 1943 for operations.
She was sunk by two British destroyers on 4 February 1943.

Design

German Type IXC/40 submarines were slightly larger than the original Type IXCs. U-187 had a displacement of when at the surface and while submerged. The U-boat had a total length of, a pressure hull length of, a beam of, a height of, and a draught of. The submarine was powered by two MAN M 9 V 40/46 supercharged four-stroke, nine-cylinder diesel engines producing a total of for use while surfaced, two Siemens-Schuckert 2 GU 345/34 double-acting electric motors producing a total of for use while submerged. She had two shafts and two propellers. The boat was capable of operating at depths of up to.
The submarine had a maximum surface speed of and a maximum submerged speed of. When submerged, the boat could operate for at ; when surfaced, she could travel at. U-187 was fitted with six torpedo tubes, 22 torpedoes, one SK C/32 naval gun, 180 rounds, and a SK C/30 as well as a C/30 anti-aircraft gun. The boat had a complement of forty-eight.

Service history

Patrol and loss

U-187s patrol took her from Kiel on 12 January 1943, across the North Sea and into the Atlantic Ocean through the gap between Iceland and the Faroe Islands.
She was surprised on the surface, ahead of Convoy SC 118. She was sunk in mid-Atlantic by depth charges dropped by the British destroyers and at position on 4 February 1943. Nine men died; there were 45 survivors.

Movie appearance

In the 1944 British movie Western Approaches her number can be clearly seen on the submarine that was sunk in a fictional gun battle with a merchant ship.

Wolfpacks

U-187 took part in two wolfpacks, namely: