German submarine U-616
History | |
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Name | U-616 |
Ordered | 15 August 1940 |
Builder | Blohm & Voss, Hamburg |
Yard number | 592 |
Laid down | 20 May 1941 |
Launched | 8 February 1942 |
Commissioned | 2 April 1942 |
Fate | Sunk 17 May 1944 in the Mediterranean in position 36°46′N 00°52′E / 36.767°N 0.867°E, by depth charges from USS Nields, USS Gleaves, USS Ellyson, USS Macomb, USS Hambleton, USS Rodman, USS Emmons and a RAF Wellington bomber. |
General characteristics | |
Class and type | Type VIIC submarine |
Displacement |
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Length |
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Beam |
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Draught | 4.74 m (15 ft 7 in) |
Installed power |
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Propulsion |
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Speed |
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Range |
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Test depth |
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Complement | 4 officers, 40–56 enlisted |
Armament |
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Service record[1] | |
Part of: |
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Commanders: |
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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.
On 8 October 1943, Spindlegger was replaced by Oblt.z.S. Siegfried Koitschka, who commanded her until she was sunk in 1944.
Design[]
German Type VIIC submarines were preceded by the shorter Type VIIB submarines. U-616 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-616 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.[2]
Service history[]
The boat's career began with training at 8th U-boat Flotilla on 2 April 1942, followed by active service on 1 January 1943 as part of the 6th Flotilla. On 1 June 1943 she transferred to operations in the Mediterranean as part of 29th Flotilla until her sinking in 1944.
In 9 patrols she sank 2 warships and damaged 2 merchant ships, for a total of 2,181 tons and 17,754 gross register tons (GRT), respectively.
Wolfpacks[]
U-616 took part in two wolfpacks, namely
- Burggraf (24 February – 5 March 1943)
- Westmark (6–11 March 1943)
- Stürmer (11–20 March 1943)
Fate[]
U-616 was sunk on 17 May 1944 in the Mediterranean in position 36°46′N 00°52′E / 36.767°N 0.867°ECoordinates: 36°46′N 00°52′E / 36.767°N 0.867°E, by depth charges from USS Nields, USS Gleaves, USS Ellyson, USS Macomb, USS Hambleton, USS Rodman, USS Emmons and a RAF Wellington bomber of 36 Squadron
Summary of raiding history[]
Date | Name | Nationality | Tonnage[Note 1] | Fate[3] |
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9 October 1943 | USS Buck | ![]() |
1,570 | Sunk |
11 October 1943 | HMS LCT-553 | ![]() |
595 | Sunk |
14 May 1944 | Fort Fidler | ![]() |
7,127 | Damaged |
14 May 1944 | G S Walden | ![]() |
10,627 | Damaged |
See also[]
- Mediterranean U-boat Campaign (World War II)
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-616". German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net. Retrieved 16 August 2014.
- ^ a b c d Gröner 1991, pp. 43–46.
- ^ Helgason, Guðmundur. "Ships hit by U-616". German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net. Retrieved 16 August 2014.
Bibliography[]
- Alden, John D. (2004). "Question 32/03: Loss of U-616 and U-960". Warship International. XLI (4): 333–335. ISSN 0043-0374.
- Busch, Rainer; Röll, Hans-Joachim (1999). German U-boat Commanders of World War II: A Biographical Dictionary. Translated by Brooks, Geoffrey. London, Annapolis, Maryland: 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). Vol. 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. Vol. 2. Translated by Thomas, Keith; Magowan, Rachel. London: Conway Maritime Press. ISBN 0-85177-593-4.
- 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-616". German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net. Retrieved 29 December 2014.
- German Type VIIC submarines
- 1942 ships
- U-boats commissioned in 1942
- U-boats sunk in 1944
- U-boats sunk by depth charges
- U-boats sunk by US warships
- U-boats sunk by British aircraft
- World War II shipwrecks in the Mediterranean Sea
- World War II submarines of Germany
- Ships built in Hamburg
- Maritime incidents in May 1944