German submarine U-960
History | |
---|---|
![]() | |
Name | U-960 |
Ordered | 5 June 1941 |
Builder | Blohm & Voss, Hamburg |
Yard number | 160 |
Laid down | 20 March 1942 |
Launched | 3 December 1942 |
Commissioned | 28 January 1943 |
Fate | Sunk 19 May 1944 in the Mediterranean in position 37°20′N 01°35′E / 37.333°N 1.583°E, by depth charges from USS Niblack, USS Ludlow plus Wellington and Ventura aircraft. |
General characteristics | |
Class and type | Type VIIC submarine |
Displacement |
|
Length |
|
Beam |
|
Draught | 4.74 m (15 ft 7 in) |
Installed power |
|
Propulsion |
|
Speed |
|
Range | |
Test depth |
|
Armament |
|
Service record[1] | |
Part of: |
|
Commanders: |
|
Operations: |
|
Victories: |
|
German submarine U-960 was a Type VIIC U-boat built for Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine for service during World War II. She was laid down on 20 March 1942 by Blohm & Voss, Hamburg as yard number 160, launched on 3 December 1942 and commissioned on 28 January 1943 under Oberleutnant zur See Günther Heinrich.
Design
German Type VIIC submarines were preceded by the shorter Type VIIB submarines. U-960 had a displacement of 769 tonnes (757 long tons) when at the surface and 871 tonnes (857 long tons) while submerged.[2] 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 Brown, Boveri & Cie 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).[2]
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).[2] 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-960 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 an anti-aircraft gun. The boat had a complement of between forty-four and sixty.[2]
Service history
The boat's career began with training at 5th U-boat Flotilla on 28 January 1943, followed by active service on 1 August 1943 as part of the 3rd Flotilla for the remainder of her service.
In five patrols she sank two merchant ships, for a total of 9,656 gross register tons (GRT), plus one auxiliary warship of 611 tons.
Wolfpacks
U-960 took part in five wolfpacks, namely
- Wiking (20 September – 3 October 1943)
- Coronel 1 (15–17 December 1943)
- Amrum (18–23 December 1943)
- Rügen 4 (23–28 December 1943)
- Rügen 3 (28–31 December 1943)
Fate
U-960 was sunk on 19 May 1944 in the Mediterranean NW of Algiers, in position 37°20′N 01°35′E / 37.333°N 1.583°E, by depth charges from USS Niblack, USS Ludlow plus Wellington and Ventura aircraft.
Summary of raiding history
Date | Name | Nationality | Tonnage[Note 1] | Fate[3] |
---|---|---|---|---|
30 September 1943 | Arkhangel’sk | ![]() |
2,480 | Sunk |
1 October 1943 | T-896 (No 42) | ![]() |
611 | Sunk |
16 January 1944 | Sumner I. Kimball | ![]() |
7,176 | Sunk |
See also
References
Notes
- ^ Merchant ship tonnages are in gross register tons. Military vessels are listed by tons displacement.
Citations
- ^ Helgason, Guðmundur. "The Type VIIC boat U-960". German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net. Retrieved 23 August 2014.
- ^ a b c d Gröner 1991, pp. 43–46.
- ^ Helgason, Guðmundur. "Ships hit by U-960". German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net. Retrieved 23 August 2014.
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.
{{cite book}}
: Invalid|ref=harv
(help) - 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] (in German). Vol. IV. Hamburg, Berlin, Bonn: Mittler. ISBN 3-8132-0514-2.
{{cite book}}
:|work=
ignored (help); Invalid|ref=harv
(help) - Gröner, Erich; Jung, Dieter; Maass, Martin (1991). U-boats and Mine Warfare Vessels. Vol. 2. Translated by Thomas, Keith; Magowan, Rachel. London: Conway Maritime Press. ISBN 0-85177-593-4.
{{cite book}}
:|work=
ignored (help); Cite has empty unknown parameter:|last-author-amp=
(help) - Sharpe, Peter (1998). U-Boat Fact File. Great Britain: Midland Publishing. ISBN 1-85780-072-9.
External links
- Helgason, Guðmundur. "The Type VIIC boat U-960". German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net. Retrieved 29 December 2014.
- Hofmann, Markus. "U 960". Deutsche U-Boote 1935-1945 - u-boot-archiv.de (in German). Retrieved 29 December 2014.