German submarine U-974

German submarine U-974 was a Type VIIC U-boat of Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine during World War II.

She was ordered on 5 June 1941, and was laid down on 26 June 1942 at Blohm & Voss, Hamburg, as yard number 174. She was launched on 11 March 1943 and commissioned under the command of Oberleutnant zur See Joachim Zaubitzer on 22 April 1943.

Design
German Type VIIC submarines were preceded by the shorter Type VIIB submarines. U-974 had a displacement of 769 t when at the surface and 871 t while submerged. She had a total length of 67.10 m, a pressure hull length of 50.50 m, a beam of 6.20 m, a height of 9.60 m, and a draught of 4.74 m. The submarine was powered by two Germaniawerft F46 four-stroke, six-cylinder supercharged diesel engines producing a total of 2800 to 3200 PS for use while surfaced, two Garbe, Lahmeyer & Co. RP 137/c double-acting electric motors producing a total of 750 PS for use while submerged. She had two shafts and two 1.23 m propellers. The boat was capable of operating at depths of up to 230 m.

The submarine had a maximum surface speed of 17.7 kn and a maximum submerged speed of 7.6 kn. When submerged, the boat could operate for 80 nmi at 4 kn; when surfaced, she could travel 8500 nmi at 10 kn. U-974 was fitted with five 53.3 cm torpedo tubes (four fitted at the bow and one at the stern), fourteen torpedoes or 26 TMA mines, one 8.8 cm SK C/35 naval gun, 220 rounds, and one twin 2 cm C/30 anti-aircraft gun. The boat had a complement of between 44 — 52 men.

Service history
On 19 April 1944, U-974 was sunk by torpedoes near Stavanger, Norway, in the Boknafjord. U-974 was attacked by a Norwegian submarine, HNOMS Ula (1943). Eight of the crew of fifty survived.

The wreck is located at 59.13333°N, 5.38333°W.

Discovery of wreck
In 1996, an ROV at a depth of about 190 m discovered the wreck of U-974. She had broken into two separate parts of about 15 m and 40 m in length. The wreck of U-974 lies in the Boknafjord around 1000 m southeast of Loten, Bokn.