German submarine U-220
| History | |
|---|---|
 Germany | |
| Name | U-220 |
| Ordered | 6 August 1940 |
| Builder | Germaniawerft, Kiel |
| Laid down | 16 June 1941 |
| Launched | 16 January 1943 |
| Commissioned | 27 March 1943 |
| Fate | Sunk by depth charges 28 October 1943 |
| General characteristics [1] | |
| Type | Type XB submarine minelayer |
| Displacement | list error: <br /> list (help) 1,763 long tons (1,791 t) surfaced 2,177 long tons (2,212 t) submerged |
| Length | list error: <br /> list (help) 89.80 m (294 ft 7 in) o/a 70.90 m (232 ft 7 in) pressure hull |
| Beam | list error: <br /> list (help) 9.20 m (30 ft 2 in) o/a 4.75 m (15 ft 7 in) pressure hull |
| Height | 10.20 m (33 ft 6 in) |
| Draught | 4.71 m (15 ft 5 in) |
| Propulsion | list error: <br /> list (help) 2 × diesel engines, 4,800 hp (3,600 kW) 2 × electric motors, 1,100 hp (820 kW) |
| Speed | list error: <br /> list (help) 17 knots (31 km/h; 20 mph) surfaced 7 knots (13 km/h; 8.1 mph) submerged |
| Range | list error: <br /> list (help) 18,450 nmi (34,170 km) at 10 kn (19 km/h) surfaced 93 nmi (172 km) at 4 kn (7.4 km/h) submerged |
| Test depth | Calculated crush depth: 220 m (720 ft) |
| Complement | 48 to 60 officers & ratings |
| Armament | list error: <br /> list (help) • 2 × 53.3 cm (21 in) stern torpedo tubes • 15 × G7e torpedoes • 66 × SMA mines • 1 × 10.5 cm SK C/32 naval gun[2] (200 rounds) |
| Service record[3][4] | |
| Part of: |
list error: <br /> list (help) Kriegsmarine 4th U-boat Flotilla (27 March–31 August 1943) 12th U-boat Flotilla (1 September–28 October 1943) |
| Commanders: |
list error: <br /> list (help) Oblt. Bruno Barber (27 March–28 October 1943) |
| Operations: | 8 September–28 October 1943 |
| Victories: | Two ships sunk, 7,199 GRT |
German submarine U-220 was a Type XB submarine of the German Kriegsmarine during World War II.
The U-boat was laid down on 16 June 1941 at the Germaniawerft yard at Kiel as 'werk' 626, launched on 16 January 1943 and commissioned on 27 March 1943 under the command of Oberleutnant Bruno Barber.
The boat's service career began with training in the 4th U-boat Flotilla followed by reassignment to the 12th flotilla for operations.
In one patrol, the submarine sank two ships.
The boat was sunk in October 1943 by US aircraft in mid-Atlantic.
Service history
Patrol and loss
Following a short journey from Kiel to Bergen in Norway, the submarine set out on patrol on 8 September 1943 through the 'gap' between Iceland and the Faroe Islands, heading for the North American coast. Off St. Johns in Canada, she laid 66 magnetic mines on 9 October, one of which sank the Delisle on the 19th. Also lost on the same day was the Penolver. The master of the Delisle was trapped on the sinking ship by a leg which was wooden. He was freed, rescued and taken to a hospital, minus his leg. He could not be released due to the wartime shortage of artificial limbs, but his original leg was found, washed up on a beach and recovered.
In between these events, two men were lost overboard on the 16th.
U-220 was sunk by depth charges dropped by Avenger and Wildcat aircraft from the carrier USS Block Island on 28 October 1943. Fifty-six men died; there were no survivors.
Summary of raiding history
| Date | Name | Nationality | Tonnage (GRT) |
Fate[5] |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 19 October 1943 | Delisle |  USA |
3,478 | Sunk (Mine) |
| 19 October 1943 | Penolver |  United Kingdom |
3,721 | Sunk (Mine) |
References
- Notes
- ^ "Type XB Mine-laying boats - German U-boat Types of WWII - uboat.net". uboat.net. Retrieved 26 July 2012.
- ^ Campbell, John Naval Weapons of World War Two ISBN 0-87021-459-4 pp. 248 and 249
- ^ "The Type XB boat U-219 - German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net". www.uboat.net. Retrieved 23 July 2012.
- ^ "War Patrols by German U-boat U-220 - Boats - uboat.net". www.uboat.net. Retrieved 23 July 2012.
- ^ http://uboat.net/boats/successes/u220/html
- Bibliography