ROMSO Cyprus Knowledge Base

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U 83 was a German submarine of type VII B, which was used in the Second World War by the German Kriegsmarine.

History
The order for the boat was placed on 9. June 1938 to the Flender-Werke in Lübeck. The keel was laid on 5 October 1939, the launching on 9 December 1940. The commissioning under chief lieutenant to the lake Hans Kraus finally took place on 8. February 1941. Like most German submarines of its time, U 83 carried a boat-specific sign on the submarine tower: a Viking boat with a wind-bloated red-and-white striped sail. This was the coat of arms of the Kampfgeschwader 100.

The boat belonged after its commissioning on the 8. February 1941 to 31 December 1941 as training and front boat for the 1st U-flotilla in Kiel and Brest. Used in the Mediterranean from 1 January 1942, it came only until 30 January 1942. April 1942 as a front boat to the 23rd U-flotilla in Salamis and then from 1. May 1942 until its sinking on 4. March 1943 as a front boat for the 29th U-flotilla to La Spezia.

Operational statistics
During his service, U 83 completed eleven ventures, on which six ships with a total tonnage of 8,516 GRT were sunk and two with a total tonnage of 9,336 GRT were damaged.

First undertaking
The boat ran on 26. July 1941 at 5:00 am from Kiel and on 9. September 1941 at 10:45 in Brest. U 83 entered Kristiansand for supplementation on 28 July 1941 and expired again on 29 July 1941. During this 45-day and approximately 7,800 sm long venture into the North Atlantic west of the North Channel and southwest of Ireland, no ships were sunk or damaged.

Second company
The boat ran on the 28. September 1941 at 11:00 from Brest and on October 31, 1941 at 16:30. During this 34-day and approximately 6,000 sm long venture into the North Atlantic west of Gibraltar and off Cape Spartel, a ship with 2,044 GRT was sunk and a ship with 6,746 GRT damaged.

12 October 1941: sinking of the Portuguese steamer Corte Real with 2,044 GRT. The steamer was sunk by two torpedoes. He had loaded machine parts, watches, cork and chemicals and was on his way from Lisbon to New York. There were no losses, 32 survivors.

26 October 1941: Damage of the British steamer Ariguani with 6,746 GRT. The steamer was damaged by a torpedo. The ship belonged to the HG-75 convoy.

Third company
The boat departed from Brest on 11 December 1941 at 12:45 and arrived in Salmais on 30 December 1941. U 83 ran on 23. December 1941 to the supplement in Messina and on 25 December 1941 again out. During this 18-day and 3,233 sm long undertaking, which succeeded in breaking through the Strait of Gibraltar and operating in the eastern Mediterranean, no ships were sunk or damaged.

Fourth Company
The boat ran on 12 February 1942 at 16:3