German submarine U-63 (1939)
| History | |
|---|---|
 Nazi Germany | |
| Name | U-63 |
| Ordered | 21 July 1937 |
| Builder | Deutsche Werke AG, Kiel |
| Yard number | 262 |
| Laid down | 2 January 1939 |
| Launched | 6 December 1939 |
| Commissioned | 18 January 1940 |
| Fate | Sunk, south of the Shetland Islands by British warships, 25 February 1940 |
| General characteristics | |
| Class and type | Type IIC coastal submarine |
| Displacement | |
| Length |
|
| Beam |
|
| Height | 8.40 m (27 ft 7 in) |
| Draught | 3.82 m (12 ft 6 in) |
| Installed power |
|
| Propulsion |
|
| Speed |
|
| Range |
|
| Test depth | 80 m (260 ft) |
| Complement | 3 officers, 22 men |
| Armament |
|
| Service record | |
| Part of: |
|
| Identification codes: | M 06 536 |
| Commanders: |
|
| Operations: |
|
| Victories: |
1 merchant ship sunk (3,840 GRT) |
German submarine U-63 was a
Second World War. She was built by Deutsche Werke AG, Kiel. Ordered on 21 July 1937, she was laid down on 2 January 1939 as yard number 262. She was launched on 6 December 1939 and commissioned on 18 January 1940 under the command of Oberleutnant zur See
Günther Lorentz.
U-63 was initially assigned to the 1st U-boat Flotilla during her training period, until 1 February 1940. She stayed with that organization until her sinking.
Design
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).[1]
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).2 cm (0.79 in) anti-aircraft gun. The boat had a complement of 25.[1]
Patrol
U-63 left the German island of
Shetland Islands between 18 and 20 February.[3]
The boat sank the Santos off Kirkwall, Orkney, on 24 February 1940.
Fate
U-63 was sunk on 25 February 1940 by a mix of depth charges and torpedoes from the British warships HMS Escort, HMS Inglefield and HMS Imogen and the submarine HMS Narwhal south of Shetland. The approximate location of the wreck site is 58°40′N 00°10′W / 58.667°N 0.167°W.
One man died, there were 24 survivors. Those who survived spent the remainder of the war as POWs.[3][4]
Summary of raiding history
| Date | Ship | Nationality | Tonnage (GRT) | Fate[5] |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 24 February 1940 | Santos |  Sweden
|
3,840 | Sunk |
References
- ^ a b c d Gröner 1991, pp. 39–40.
- ^ Helgason, Guðmundur. "War Patrols by German U-boat U-63". German U-boats of World War II - uboat.net.
- ^ a b Helgason, Guðmundur. "The Type IIC boat U-63". German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net. Retrieved 6 December 2014.
- ^ It is alleged one POW Walter Kurt Reich escaped see U-Boat Forum 20 June 2018
- ^ Helgason, Guðmundur. "Ships hit by U-63". German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net. Retrieved 17 November 2012.
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). Der U-Boot-Krieg, 1939-1945: 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.
- Gröner, Eric; Jung, Dieter; Maass, Martin (1991). German Warships 1815-1945: U-boats and Mine Warfare Vessels. Vol. 2. Translated by Thomas, Keith; Magowan, Rachel. London: Conway Maritime Press. ISBN 0-85177-593-4.
External links
- Helgason, Guðmundur. "The Type IIC boat U-63". German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net. Retrieved 6 December 2014.
- Hofmann, Markus. "U 63". Deutsche U-Boote 1935–1945 - u-boot-archiv.de (in German). Retrieved 6 December 2014.