U-802

Type

IXC/40

Ordered

7 Dec, 1940

Laid down

1 Dec, 1941

Seebeck, Bremen (werk 360)

Launched

31 Oct, 1942

Commissioned

12 Jun, 1943

Kptlt. Rolf Steinhaus

Commanders

12 Jun, 1943 - 12 Dec, 1943	Kptlt. Rolf Steinhaus
13 Dec, 1943 - 11 May, 1945	Kptlt. Helmut Schmoeckel

Career

4 patrols

16 May, 1943 - 31 Jan, 1944  4. Flottille (training)
1 Feb, 1944 - 30 Nov, 1944  2. Flottille (front boat)
1 Dec, 1944 - 8 May, 1945  33. Flottille (front boat)

Successes

1 ship sunk for a total of 1.621 GRT

Fate

Surrendered at Loch Eriboll, Scotland, on 11 May, 1945; transferred to Lisahally for Operation Deadlight.

Operation Deadlight (post-war Allied operation, info)
Sunk on 31 Dec, 1945 in position 55.30N, 08.25W.

See the 1 ships hit by U-802 - View the 4 war patrols

Attacks on this boat

28 Apr, 1944
The attack on 28 Apr, 1944 in the Bay of Biscay west of Nantes, France, in position 45.38N, 09.43W, by depth charges from a British Wellington aircraft (Sqdn. 612/W) was formerly credited with sinking the U-193.

This attack was actually against U-802 inflicting no damage.

(Sources: 1996-07-01, Axel Niestle)

19 Aug, 1944
Enroute to the St. Lawrence River the boat was ambushed by the USS Bogue hunter-killer group and damaged during the night by one of its aircraft with 3 depth charges. (Sources: Blair, vol 2, page 622)

28 Aug, 1944
Allied aircraft forced the boat to submerge but suffer no damages. (Sources: Blair, vol 2, page 622)

14 Sep, 1944
The boat fired a T-5 torpedo at a "destroyer" but missed and was in turn attacked by the escorts but managed to escape and finally entered Bergen, Norway on Nov 12. (Sources: Blair, vol 2, page 622)

4 recorded attacks on this boat.

General notes on this boat

You can listen to the second and last commander of U-802, Helmut Schmoeckel, speak of his late-war experiences on our Commander Interviews pages.

Schnorchel-fitted U-boat
This boat was fitted with a Schnorchel underwater-breathing apparatus in June 1944. Read more about the Schnorchel and see list of fitted boats.

Men lost from U-boats

Unlike many other U-boats, which during their service lost men due to accidents and various other causes, U-802 did not suffer any casualties (we know of) until the time of her loss.