German submarine U-402

History
Nazi Germany
Name	U-402
Ordered	23 September 1939
Builder	Danziger Werft, Danzig
Yard number	103
Laid down	22 April 1940
Launched	28 December 1940
Commissioned	21 May 1941
Fate	Sunk on 13 October 1943 by Mark 24 FIDO Torpedo from Grumman TBF Avenger aircraft of USS Card
General characteristics
Class and type	Type VIIC submarine
Displacement	769 tonnes (757 long tons) surfaced 871 t (857 long tons) submerged
Length	67.10 m (220 ft 2 in) o/a 50.50 m (165 ft 8 in) pressure hull
Beam	6.20 m (20 ft 4 in) o/a 4.70 m (15 ft 5 in) pressure hull
Height	9.60 m (31 ft 6 in)
Draught	4.74 m (15 ft 7 in)
Installed power	2,800–3,200 PS (2,100–2,400 kW; 2,800–3,200 bhp) (diesels) 750 PS (550 kW; 740 shp) (electric)
Propulsion	2 shafts 2 × diesel engines 2 × electric motors
Speed	17.7 knots (32.8 km/h; 20.4 mph) surfaced 7.6 knots (14.1 km/h; 8.7 mph) submerged
Range	8,500 nmi (15,700 km; 9,800 mi) at 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph) surfaced 80 nmi (150 km; 92 mi) at 4 knots (7.4 km/h; 4.6 mph) submerged
Test depth	230 m (750 ft) Crush depth: 250–295 m (820–968 ft)
Complement	4 officers, 40–56 enlisted
Armament	5 × 53.3 cm (21 in) torpedo tubes (four bow, one stern) 14 × torpedoes or 26 TMA mines 1 × 8.8 cm (3.46 in) deck gun (220 rounds) 1 x 2 cm (0.79 in) C/30 AA gun
Service record
Part of:	3rd U-boat Flotilla 21 May 1941 – 13 October 1943
Identification codes:	M 43 571
Commanders:	K.Kapt. Siegfried Freiherr von Forstner 21 May 1941 – 13 October 1943
Operations:	8 patrols: 1st patrol: 26 October – 9 December 1941 2nd patrol: 11 January – 11 February 1942 3rd patrol: 26 March – 20 May 1942 4th patrol: 16 June – 5 August 1942 5th patrol: 4 October – 20 November 1942 6th patrol: 14 January – 23 February 1943 7th patrol: 21 April – 26 May 1943 8th patrol: 4 September – 13 October 1943
Victories:	14 merchant ships sunk (70,434 GRT) 1 auxiliary warship sunk (602 GRT) 3 merchant ships damaged (28,682 GRT)

German submarine U-402 was a Type VIIC U-boat built for Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine for service during World War II.

She was laid down at the Danziger Werft in the city of the same name on 22 April 1940 as yard number 103, launched on 28 December 1940^[1] and was commissioned on 21 May 1941, with Kapitänleutnant Siegfried Freiherr von Forstner in command.^[2]

The boat commenced her career with the 3rd U-boat Flotilla on 21 May 1941 carrying-out training before moving on to operations on 1 October 1941. U-402 carried out eight combat patrols, sinking 14 merchantmen and one auxiliary warship for a total of 71,036 gross register tons (GRT) during the Second World War. She also damaged three other ships. The submarine was a member of twelve wolfpacks.

For his numerous successes, von Forstner received the Knight's Cross.