German submarine U-127 (1941)

German submarine U-127 was a Type IXC U-boat of Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine during World War II. She was laid down at the DeSchiMAG AG Weser yard in Bremen as yard number 990 on 20 June 1940, launched on 1 February 1941 and commissioned on 24 April under the command of Korvettenkapitän Bruno Hansmann.

Design
German Type IXC submarines were slightly larger than the original Type IXBs. U-127 had a displacement of 1120 t when at the surface and 1232 t while submerged. The U-boat had a total length of 76.76 m, a pressure hull length of 58.75 m, a beam of 6.76 m, a height of 9.60 m, and a draught of 4.70 m. The submarine was powered by two MAN M 9 V 40/46 supercharged four-stroke, nine-cylinder diesel engines producing a total of 4400 PS for use while surfaced, two Siemens-Schuckert 2 GU 345/34 double-acting electric motors producing a total of 1000 PS for use while submerged. She had two shafts and two 1.92 m propellers. The boat was capable of operating at depths of up to 230 m.

The submarine had a maximum surface speed of 18.3 kn and a maximum submerged speed of 7.3 kn. When submerged, the boat could operate for 63 nmi at 4 kn; when surfaced, she could travel 13450 nmi at 10 kn. U-127 was fitted with six 53.3 cm torpedo tubes (four fitted at the bow and two at the stern), 22 torpedoes, one 10.5 cm SK C/32 naval gun, 180 rounds, and a 3.7 cm SK C/30 as well as a 2 cm C/30 anti-aircraft gun. The boat had a complement of forty-eight.

Service history
She began her brief service career training with the 2nd U-boat Flotilla and was declared operational with the same organization on 1 November 1941.

Patrol and loss
U-127 departed Kiel on 29 November, crossed the North Sea and entered the Atlantic Ocean via the 'gap' between the Faroe and Shetland Islands.

She was sunk west of Gibraltar on 15 December by the Australian destroyer HMAS Nestor (G02). Out of a crew of 51, there were no survivors.

Wolfpacks
U-127 took part in one wolfpack, namely:
 * Seeräuber (14 – 15 December 1941)