German submarine U-60 (1939)

German submarine U-60 was a Type IIC U-boat of Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine that served in the Second World War. She was built by Deutsche Werke AG, Kiel. Ordered on 21 July 1937, she was laid down on 1 October that year as yard number 259. She was launched on 1 June 1939 and commissioned on 22 July under the command of Oberleutnant zur See Georg Schewe.

History
Nazi Germany
Name: U-60
Ordered: 21 July 1937
Builder: Deutsche Werke, Kiel
Yard number: 259
Laid down: 1 October 1938
Launched: 1 June 1939
Commissioned: 22 July 1939
Fate: Scuttled at Wilhelmshaven, 2 May 1945
General characteristics
Class and type: IIC
Type: Coastal submarine
Displacement:
  • 291 t (286 long tons) surfaced
  • 341 t (336 long tons) submerged
Length:
Beam:
  • 4.08 m (13 ft 5 in) (o/a)
  • 4.00 m (13 ft 1 in) (pressure hull)
Height: 8.40 m (27 ft 7 in)
Draught: 3.82 m (12 ft 6 in)
Installed power:
  • 700 PS (510 kW; 690 bhp) (diesels)
  • 410 PS (300 kW; 400 shp) (electric)
Propulsion:
Range:
  • 1,900 nmi (3,500 km; 2,200 mi) at 12 knots (22 km/h; 14 mph) surfaced
  • 35–42 nmi (65–78 km; 40–48 mi) at 4 knots (7.4 km/h; 4.6 mph) submerged
Test depth: 80 m (260 ft)
Complement: 3 officers, 22 men
Armament:
Service record
Part of:
Commanders:
Operations:
  • Nine
  • 1st patrol:
  • 4–21 November 1939
  • 2nd patrol:
  • 12–19 December 1939
  • 3rd patrol:
  • 9–21 January 1940
  • 4th patrol:
  • 14–29 February 1940
  • 5th patrol:
  • 4–27 April 1940
  • 6th patrol:
  • 18 May – 11 June 1940
  • 7th patrol:
  • 30 July – 18 August 1940
  • 8th patrol:
  • 21 August – 6 September 1940
  • 9th patrol:
  • 16 September – 2 October 1940
Victories:
  • Three ships sunk, for a total of 7,561 GRT
  • one ship damaged, of 15,434 GRT[2]

U-60 was initially sent to the 5th U-boat Flotilla for training, until 1 October 1939, when she was reassigned to the 1st flotilla for a front-line combat role. U-60 carried out nine war patrols, sinking three ships for a total of 7,561 gross register tons (GRT) and damaging one other of 15,434 GRT. She then became a 'school' or training boat with the 21st flotilla for the rest of her career.

She was scuttled in May 1945 at Wilhelmshaven.

Design

German Type IIC submarines were enlarged versions of the original Type IIs. U-60 had a displacement of 291 tonnes (286 long tons) when at the surface and 341 tonnes (336 long tons) while submerged. Officially, the standard tonnage was 250 long tons (250 t), however.[3] The U-boat had a total length of 43.90 m (144 ft 0 in), a pressure hull length of 29.60 m (97 ft 1 in), a beam of 4.08 m (13 ft 5 in), a height of 8.40 m (27 ft 7 in), and a draught of 3.82 m (12 ft 6 in). The submarine was powered by two MWM RS 127 S four-stroke, six-cylinder diesel engines of 700 metric horsepower (510 kW; 690 shp) for cruising, two Siemens-Schuckert PG VV 322/36 double-acting electric motors producing a total of 410 metric horsepower (300 kW; 400 shp) for use while submerged. She had two shafts and two 0.85 m (3 ft) propellers. The boat was capable of operating at depths of up to 80–150 metres (260–490 ft).[3]

The submarine had a maximum surface speed of 12 knots (22 km/h; 14 mph) and a maximum submerged speed of 7 knots (13 km/h; 8.1 mph).[3] When submerged, the boat could operate for 35–42 nautical miles (65–78 km; 40–48 mi) at 4 knots (7.4 km/h; 4.6 mph); when surfaced, she could travel 3,800 nautical miles (7,000 km; 4,400 mi) at 8 knots (15 km/h; 9.2 mph). U-60 was fitted with three 53.3 cm (21 in) torpedo tubes at the bow, five torpedoes or up to twelve Type A torpedo mines, and a 2 cm (0.79 in) anti-aircraft gun. The boat had a complement of 25.[3]

Service history

1st, 2nd and 3rd patrols

U-60's first patrol meant that she left and returned to Kiel in November 1939, it involved the boat keeping close to the Norwegian coast.

She moved from Kiel to Wilhelmshaven on 4 December 1939.

The boat began her second patrol on 12 December 1939 and laid mines off Great Yarmouth on the 15th. One of them was struck by the City of Kobe on the 19th. The ship sank, one crew member was lost.

The submarine's third sortie involved patrolling the southern North Sea. It was uneventful.

4th, 5th and 6th patrols

U-60's next three outings took her as far north as the eastern Scottish coast, as far east as the Norwegian coast and as far south as Belgium in the North Sea, all to no avail.

7th, 8th and 9th patrols

Nor did her run of bad luck end there. On 1 August 1940 she was attacked by the Dutch submarine O 21. That same day Junkers Ju 88s of KG 30 also attacked the boat. No damage from either assault was sustained. Things changed when she sank the Nils Gorthan 25 nautical miles (46 km; 29 mi) north northeast of Malin Head (the northernmost tip of the island of Ireland), on the 13th. After the patrol, she docked at Lorient in occupied France, on 18 August.

The boat's eighth patrol included an attack on the Volendam about 200 nautical miles (370 km; 230 mi) west of the Bloody Foreland (northwest Ireland) on 31 August 1940. The ship survived a hit from a torpedo, but while she was being docked prior to repairs being carried out, a second, unexploded torpedo was discovered lodged in the vessel's hull. U-60 was more successful with the Ulva, sinking her on 3 September 180 nautical miles (330 km; 210 mi) north northwest of Inishtrahull (the most northerly island of Ireland).

U-60 departed her French Atlantic base (Lorient) on 16 September 1940, heading for Bergen in Norway. Her route took her west of Ireland and through the gap between the Faroe and the Shetland Islands. The boat arrived in the Nordic port on 2 October.

She then moved from Bergen back to Kiel over October.

Summary of raiding History
Date Ship Nationality Tonnage (GRT) Fate
19 December 1939City of Kobe United Kingdom4,373Sunk (Mine)
13 August 1940Nils Gorthon Sweden1,787Sunk
31 August 1940Volendam Netherlands15,434Damaged
3 September 1940Ulva United Kingdom1,401Sunk

References
  1. Helgason, Guðmundur. "The Type IIC boat U-60". German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net. Retrieved 31 January 2015.
  2. Helgason, Guðmundur. "Ships hit by U-60". German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net. Retrieved 16 November 2012.
  3. Gröner 1991, pp. 39–40.

Bibliography
  • Busch, Rainer; Röll, Hans-Joachim (1999). German U-boat commanders of World War II : a biographical dictionary. Translated by Brooks, Geoffrey. London, Annapolis, Md: Greenhill Books, Naval Institute Press. ISBN 1-55750-186-6.
  • Busch, Rainer; Röll, Hans-Joachim (1999). Deutsche U-Boot-Verluste von September 1939 bis Mai 1945 [German U-boat losses from September 1939 to May 1945]. Der U-Boot-Krieg (in German). IV. Hamburg, Berlin, Bonn: Mittler. ISBN 3-8132-0514-2.
  • Gröner, Erich; Jung, Dieter; Maass, Martin (1991). U-boats and Mine Warfare Vessels. German Warships 1815–1945. 2. Translated by Thomas, Keith; Magowan, Rachel. London: Conway Maritime Press. ISBN 0-85177-593-4.
  • Helgason, Guðmundur. "The Type IIC boat U-60". German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net. Retrieved 7 December 2014.
  • Hofmann, Markus. "U 60". Deutsche U-Boote 1935-1945 - u-boot-archiv.de (in German). Retrieved 1 February 2015.

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