German submarine U-610

Last updated
History
War ensign of Germany (1938-1945).svg Nazi Germany
NameU-610
Ordered22 May 1940
Builder Blohm & Voss, Hamburg
Yard number586
Laid down5 April 1941
Launched24 December 1941
Commissioned19 February 1942
FateSunk by depth charges on 8 October 1943
General characteristics
Class and type Type VIIC submarine
Displacement
Length
Beam
  • 6.20 m (20 ft 4 in) o/a
  • 4.70 m (15 ft 5 in) pressure hull
Height9.60 m (31 ft 6 in)
Draught4.74 m (15 ft 7 in)
Speed
  • 17.7 knots (32.8 km/h; 20.4 mph) surfaced
  • 7.6 knots (14.1 km/h; 8.7 mph) submerged
Test depth
  • 230 m (750 ft)
  • Crush depth: 250–295 m (820–968 ft)
Complement4 officers, 40–56 enlisted
Armament
Service record
Part of:
Identification codes: M 42 489
Commanders:
  • Kptlt. Walter Freiherr von Freyberg-Eisenberg-Allmendingen
  • 19 February 1942 – 8 October 1943
Operations:
  • 4 patrols:
  • 1st patrol:
  • 12 September – 31 October 1942
  • 2nd patrol:
  • 22 November – 26 December 1942
  • 3rd patrol:
  • a. 8 March – 12 May 1943
  • b. 4 – 8 September 1943
  • 4th patrol:
  • 12 September – 8 October 1943
Victories:
  • 4 merchant ships sunk
    (21,273  GRT)
  • 1 merchant ship damaged
    (9,551  GRT)

German submarine U-610 was a Type VIIC U-boat built for the Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine for service during World War II. She was laid down on 5 April 1941, launched on 24 December 1941 and commissioned on 19 February 1942. She sunk on 8 October 1943, having sunk 4 ships and damaging another. Her commander was Kapitänleutnant Walter Freiherr von Freyberg-Eisenberg-Allmendingen.

Contents

Design

German Type VIIC submarines were preceded by the shorter Type VIIB submarines. U-610 had a displacement of 769 tonnes (757 long tons) when at the surface and 871 tonnes (857 long tons) while submerged. [1] She had a total length of 67.10 m (220 ft 2 in), a pressure hull length of 50.50 m (165 ft 8 in), a beam of 6.20 m (20 ft 4 in), a height of 9.60 m (31 ft 6 in), and a draught of 4.74 m (15 ft 7 in). The submarine was powered by two Germaniawerft F46 four-stroke, six-cylinder supercharged diesel engines producing a total of 2,800 to 3,200 metric horsepower (2,060 to 2,350 kW; 2,760 to 3,160 shp) for use while surfaced, two BBC GG UB 720/8 double-acting electric motors producing a total of 750 metric horsepower (550 kW; 740 shp) for use while submerged. She had two shafts and two 1.23 m (4 ft) propellers. The boat was capable of operating at depths of up to 230 metres (750 ft). [1]

The submarine had a maximum surface speed of 17.7 knots (32.8 km/h; 20.4 mph) and a maximum submerged speed of 7.6 knots (14.1 km/h; 8.7 mph). [1] When submerged, the boat could operate for 80 nautical miles (150 km; 92 mi) at 4 knots (7.4 km/h; 4.6 mph); when surfaced, she could travel 8,500 nautical miles (15,700 km; 9,800 mi) at 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph). U-610 was fitted with five 53.3 cm (21 in) torpedo tubes (four fitted at the bow and one at the stern), fourteen torpedoes, one 8.8 cm (3.46 in) SK C/35 naval gun, 220 rounds, and a 2 cm (0.79 in) C/30 anti-aircraft gun. The boat had a complement of between forty-four and sixty. [1]

Service history

U-610 was built by Blohm & Voss, Hamburg as yard number 586. She was ordered on 22 May 1940 and the keel was laid down on 5 April 1941. U-601 was launched on 24 December 1941. [2]

Wolfpacks

U-610 took part in nine wolfpacks, namely:

Fate

On 8 October 1943, while in the North Atlantic Ocean, the U-601 was sunk by a Canadian Sunderland aircraft by depth charges, killing all 51 men on board. [2]

Summary of raiding history

DateShip NameNationalityTonnage
(GRT)
Fate [3]
29 September 1942 Lifland Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom 2,254Sunk
19 October 1942 Steel Navigator Flag of the United States (1912-1959).svg  United States 5,718Sunk
16 December 1942 Bello Flag of Norway.svg  Norway 6,125Sunk
16 December 1942 Regent Lion Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom 9,551Damaged
29 March 1943 William Pierce Frye Flag of the United States (1912-1959).svg  United States 7,176Sunk

Related Research Articles

German submarine U-337 was a Type VIIC U-boat of Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine during World War II.

German submarine U-562 was a Type VIIC U-boat built for Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine for service during World War II. She was laid down on 7 February 1940 by Blohm & Voss in Hamburg as yard number 538, launched on 24 January 1941 and commissioned on 20 March 1941 under Oberleutnant zur See Herwig Collmann.

German submarine U-458 was a Type VIIC U-boat built for Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine for service during World War II. She was laid down on 16 October 1940 by Deutsche Werke AG, Kiel as yard number 289, launched on 4 October 1941 and commissioned on 12 December 1941 under Oberleutnant zur See Kurt Diggins.

German submarine U-616 was a Type VIIC U-boat built for Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine, for service during World War II. She was laid down on 20 May 1941 by Blohm & Voss, Hamburg as yard number 592, launched on 8 February 1942 and commissioned on 2 April 1942 under Oberleutnant zur See (Oblt.z.S.) Johann Spindlegger.

German submarine U-642 was a Type VIIC U-boat built for Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine for service during World War II. She was laid down on 19 November 1941 by Blohm & Voss, Hamburg as yard number 618, launched on 6 August 1942 and commissioned on 1 October 1942 under Kapitänleutnant Herbert Brünning.

German submarine U-258 was a Type VIIC U-boat of Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine during World War II. She was laid down at the Bremer Vulkan yard at Bremen-Vegesack on 20 March 1941 as yard number 23. She was launched on 13 December and commissioned on 4 February 1942.

German submarine U-356 was a Type VIIC U-boat of Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine during World War II. The submarine was laid down in May 1940 at the Flensburger Schiffbau-Gesellschaft yard at Flensburg, launched on 16 September 1941, and commissioned on 20 December 1941.

German submarine U-332 was a Type VIIC U-boat of Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine during World War II. She saw service in the Atlantic Ocean and Mediterranean Sea. Built in 1941 and 1942 at Nordsee-Werke, Emden, U-332 was a Type VIIC U-boat, capable of lengthy ocean patrols and of operating in distant environments.

German submarine U-225 was a Type VIIC U-boat of Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine during World War II.

German submarine U-456 was a Type VIIC U-boat built for Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine for service during World War II. She was laid down on 3 September 1940 by Deutsche Werke in Kiel as yard number 287, launched on 21 June 1941 and commissioned on 18 September 1941 under Kapitänleutnant Max-Martin Teichert.

German submarine U-378 was a Type VIIC U-boat of Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine during World War II.

German submarine U-384 was a Type VIIC U-boat of Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine during World War II.

German submarine U-389 was a Type VIIC U-boat of Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine during World War II.

German submarine U-418 was a Type VIIC U-boat of Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine during World War II.

German submarine U-469 was a Type VIIC U-boat of Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine during World War II.

German submarine U-563 was a Type VIIC U-boat of Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine during World War II. She carried out eight patrols and sank three ships, totalling 14,689 gross register tons (GRT), as well as one warship of 1,870 tons. Two ships were damaged, totalling 16,266 GRT. She was a member of nine wolfpacks, and was sunk by Allied aircraft in the Bay of Biscay on 31 May 1943.

German submarine U-579 was a Type VIIC U-boat of Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine during World War II.

German submarine U-634 was a Type VIIC U-boat built for Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine for service during World War II. She was laid down on 23 September 1941 by Blohm & Voss, Hamburg as yard number 610, launched on 10 June 1942 and commissioned on 6 August 1942 under Oberleutnant zur See Hans-Günther Brosin.

German submarine U-629 was a Type VIIC U-boat built for Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine for service during World War II. She was laid down on 23 August 1941 by Blohm & Voss, Hamburg as yard number 605, launched on 12 May 1942 and commissioned on 2 July 1942 under Oberleutnant zur See Hans-Helmuth Bugs.

German submarine <i>U-999</i> German World War II submarine

German submarine U-999 was a Type VIIC/41 U-boat of Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine during World War II.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Gröner 1991, pp. 43–46.
  2. 1 2 Busch & Röll 1999.
  3. Helgason, Guðmundur. "Ships hit by U-610". German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net. Retrieved 26 April 2014.

Bibliography