German submarine U-83 was a Type VIIB U-boat of Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine during World War II.
She was laid down in the Flender Werke at Lübeck as yard number 291 on 5 October 1939. Launched on 9 December 1940, she was commissioned on 8 February 1941. U-83 served with 1st U-boat Flotilla from 8 February 1941 to 31 December, with the 23rd flotilla from 1 January 1942 to 30 April and with the 29th flotilla from 1 March 1942 until she was sunk.
German Type VIIB submarines were preceded by the shorter Type VIIA submarines. U-83 had a displacement of when at the surface and while submerged. She had a total length of , a pressure hull length of , a beam of , a height of , and a draught of . The submarine was powered by two Germaniawerft F46 four-stroke, six-cylinder supercharged diesel engines producing a total of for use while surfaced, two AEG GU 460/8-276 double-acting electric motors producing a total of for use while submerged. She had two shafts and two propellers. The boat was capable of operating at depths of up to .
The submarine had a maximum surface speed of and a maximum submerged speed of . When submerged, the boat could operate for at ; when surfaced, she could travel at . Differently from other VII B U-Boats, U-83 was fitted with only the front four torpedo tubes, and only twelve instead of 14 torpedoes, one SK C/35 naval gun, 220 rounds, and one anti-aircraft gun The boat had a complement of between forty-four and sixty.
U-83 conducted twelve patrols and sank five ships totalling and one auxiliary warship - the Q-ship , of . She damaged one other ship of and damaged the fighter catapult ship , of .
U-83 was sunk on 4 March 1943 with all hands southeast of Cartagena in Spain in position , by three depth charges dropped from an RAF Hudson bomber (500 Squadron).
U-83 took part in three wolfpacks, namely: