German submarine U-702

German submarine U-702 was a [German German Type VIIC submarine|Type VIIC submarine|Type VIIC] U-boat built for the Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine for service during World War II. She was under the command of Kapitänleutnant Wolf-Rüdiger von Rabenau.

Design

German Type VIIC submarines were preceded by the shorter Type VIIB submarines. U-702 had a displacement of when at the surface and while submerged. She 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 Germaniawerft F46 four-stroke, six-cylinder supercharged diesel engines producing a total of for use while surfaced, two Garbe, Lahmeyer & Co. RP 137/c 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-702 was fitted with five torpedo tubes, fourteen torpedoes, one SK C/35 naval gun, 220 rounds, and a C/30 anti-aircraft gun. The boat had a complement of between forty-four and sixty.

Service

Originally serving with 5th U-Boat Flotilla a training vessel from 3 September 1941 until 28 February 1942, U-702 was transferred to the 7th U-Boat Flotilla for her official war-time service. On 21 March, twenty-one days after her transfer, she set sail from Hamburg on a two-day voyage to the Heligoland island chain to prepare for her first assignment. She left port on the twenty-ninth, and began her patrol of the North Sea. On 31 March 1942, U-702 struck a mine laid by the French submarine in position