German submarine U-255 facts for kids
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The German submarine U-255 was a special kind of U-boat used by Nazi Germany's navy, the Kriegsmarine, during World War II. It was a Type VIIC submarine. This submarine was built at the Bremer Vulkan yard in Bremen-Vegesack. Its construction started on 21 December 1940. It was launched into the water on 8 October 1941. Finally, it officially joined the navy on 29 November 1941. Its first commander was Kapitänleutnant Reinhart Reche.
U-255 became one of the most successful U-boats in the cold Arctic waters. It operated from Norway between 1942 and 1943. Later, from 1944 to 1945, it was based in France. The submarine went on 15 combat missions. During these missions, it sank ten merchant ships, which together weighed 47,640 GRT tons. It also damaged another ship of 7,191 GRT tons so badly that it was written off. U-255 also sank a 1,200-ton American warship, the USS Leopold. When the war ended, U-255 surrendered to the British. It was later sunk on 13 December 1945, as part of an event called Operation Deadlight.
Contents
- First Mission at Sea
- Second Mission
- Third Mission
- Repairs and Fourth Mission
- Fifth Mission
- Sixth Mission
- Seventh Mission
- Eighth Mission
- Ninth and Tenth Missions
- Later Missions (11th-14th)
- Final Mission (15th)
- Hunting in Groups: Wolfpacks
- The End of U-255
| History | |
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 Nazi Germany |
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| Name | U-255 |
| Ordered | 23 September 1939 |
| Builder | Bremer Vulkan, Bremen-Vegesack |
| Yard number | 20 |
| Laid down | 21 December 1940 |
| Launched | 8 October 1941 |
| Commissioned | 29 November 1941 |
| Decommissioned | 1 September 1944 |
| Recommissioned | 2 March 1945 |
| Fate |
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| General characteristics | |
| Class and type | Type VIIC submarine |
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| Length |
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| Draught | 4.74 m (15 ft 7 in) |
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| Range | |
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| Complement | 4 officers, 40–56 enlisted |
| Armament | |
| Service record | |
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Building the U-255
The U-255 was ordered by the Kriegsmarine on 23 September 1939. Its construction began over a year later, on 21 December 1940. It was built at the Bremer Vulkan shipyard in Bremen-Vegesack. The shipyard gave it the number 20. The U-255 was launched on 8 October 1941. It officially joined the navy on 29 November of the same year. Kptlt. Reinhart Reche was its first commander.
U-255's Design and Features
German Type VIIC submarines were a newer version of the Type VIIB submarines. The U-255 weighed 769 tonnes (757 long tons) when it was on the surface. When it was underwater, it weighed 871 tonnes (857 long tons). The submarine was 67.10 m (220 ft 2 in) long overall. Its strong inner hull, called the pressure hull, was 50.50 m (165 ft 8 in) long.
The U-255 was 6.20 m (20 ft 4 in) wide. It stood 9.60 m (31 ft 6 in) tall and sat 4.74 m (15 ft 7 in) deep in the water. It used two powerful diesel engines when on the surface. These engines produced a total of 2,800 to 3,200 metric horsepower (2,060 to 2,350 kW; 2,760 to 3,160 shp) of power. When underwater, it used two electric motors. These motors produced 750 metric horsepower (550 kW; 740 shp) of power. The submarine had two propellers, each 1.23 m (4 ft) wide. It could dive to a depth of 230 metres (750 ft).
On the surface, the submarine could travel at a top speed of 17.7 knots (32.8 km/h; 20.4 mph) (knots). Underwater, its top speed was 7.6 knots (14.1 km/h; 8.7 mph). When submerged, it could travel 80 nautical miles (150 km; 92 mi) (nautical miles) at 4 knots (7.4 km/h; 4.6 mph). On the surface, it could go 8,500 nautical miles (15,700 km; 9,800 mi) at 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph). The U-255 was armed with five torpedo tubes. Four were at the front and one at the back. It carried fourteen torpedoes or 26 mines. It also had one 8.8 cm (3.46 in) deck gun with 220 rounds. For air defense, it had two twin 2 cm (0.79 in) C/30 anti-aircraft guns. The crew of the submarine was usually between 44 and 60 people.
U-255's Wartime Journeys
After its training, U-255 joined the 8th U-boat Flotilla in Königsberg. Then, on 1 July 1942, it moved to the 11th U-boat Flotilla in Bergen, Norway. This was its first front-line assignment.
First Mission at Sea
On 15 June 1942, U-255 left Kiel with Kptlt. Reche in command. It reached Narvik on 20 June. Its first patrol began on 23 June, heading into the Barents Sea near Russia.
On 6 July, it sank its first ship, the American John Witherspoon. This ship was part of Convoy PQ 17. The convoy had spread out on 4 July. The John Witherspoon was hit by four torpedoes and sank quickly. The crew escaped, and U-255 offered them help before leaving.
The next day, 7 July, U-255 sank another ship from Convoy PQ 17, the American Alcoa Ranger. A single torpedo hit the ship. After the crew left, U-255 fired many shells until the ship sank. Soviet boats later rescued the crew.
On 8 July, U-255 found another Convoy PQ 17 ship, the American Olopana. One torpedo hit, causing a big explosion and killing seven crew members. The survivors left the ship. U-255 surfaced and fired shells until the ship sank. The submarine asked the survivors if they had enough supplies before leaving.
On 13 July, U-255 found the Dutch ship Paulus Potter drifting. This ship had been attacked by German planes earlier. Its crew had abandoned it. U-255's crew boarded the ship, took useful items, and even the ship's flag. They then sank the ship with a torpedo. U-255 returned to Narvik on 15 July.
Second Mission
U-255 left Narvik on 18 July 1942 and arrived in Bergen on 20 July. Its second patrol started on 4 August. It went deep into Soviet waters but did not sink any ships. It did shell two Soviet radio stations. This was part of a plan called Operation Wunderland. It returned to Neidenfjord on 9 September.
Third Mission
U-255 left Neidenfjord on 13 September 1942. It patrolled the Barents Sea and then the Greenland Sea. On 20 September, it attacked the American ship Silver Sword. This ship was hit by two torpedoes, which badly damaged its back. The crew and passengers left the ship. A British destroyer then shelled and sank the damaged ship.
Three days later, on 23 September, a Catalina patrol plane attacked U-255. The submarine was badly damaged by two depth charges. It had to return to Bergen, arriving on 25 September.
Repairs and Fourth Mission
On 29 September 1942, U-255 sailed from Bergen back to Kiel, arriving on 3 October. There, the submarine was fitted with a Schnorchel. This device allowed it to breathe underwater. It sailed again on 7 January 1943, reaching Hammerfest in northern Norway on 18 January.
U-255 went back to its hunting areas north of Norway. On 26 January, it likely sank the Soviet ship Krasnyj Partizan. The submarine tried to question survivors, but they only spoke Russian. On 29 January, it sank another Russian ship, the Ufa. Both ships were carrying timber. No survivors were found from Ufa.
On 3 February, U-255 attacked Convoy RA 52. It hit the American ship Greylock. The ship was badly damaged and began to sink. The crew left the ship. A British escort ship then sank the damaged vessel. U-255 returned to Narvik on 9 February.
Fifth Mission
U-255 left Narvik on 22 February 1943 for another northern patrol. On 5 March, it attacked Convoy RA 53. It hit two American ships: the Executive and the Richard Bland.
The Executive was hit on its side. The explosion destroyed parts of the ship. Nine crew members died, and the rest abandoned ship. A destroyer sank the ship about an hour later.
The Richard Bland was hit by a torpedo that did not explode. It made holes but the ship kept going. Days later, on 10 March, U-255 found the Richard Bland again. It hit the ship with two more torpedoes, breaking it in half. Many crew members were lost in heavy seas. The back part of the ship sank. The front part was towed to Iceland but was declared a total loss. U-255 then returned to Narvik on 15 March.
Sixth Mission
U-255 sailed from Narvik on 29 March 1943 to patrol the Barents Sea. It had no successes and arrived in Bergen on 29 April. On 1 June 1943, U-255 was moved to the new 13th U-boat Flotilla in Trondheim.
Seventh Mission
Oberleutnant zur See Erich Harms took command of U-255 on 7 June 1943. The submarine left Bergen on 9 July and arrived in Narvik on 16 July. It then sailed into Soviet waters on 19 July. On 27 July, it sank the Russian survey ship Akademik Shokalskij using its deck gun and small arms. U-255 also set up a secret seaplane base on Novaya Zemlya. It returned to Narvik on 19 September after 63 days at sea.
On 1 December 1943, U-255 was moved again. This time, it joined the 7th U-boat Flotilla in Saint-Nazaire, France.
Eighth Mission
U-255 left Bergen on 26 February 1944. It sailed into the northern Atlantic between Greenland and Iceland. On 10 March, it found Convoy CU 16. The US Navy ship Leopold detected U-255 with sonar. The Leopold was hit by an acoustic torpedo and sank after several hours. Only 28 survivors were rescued from its crew of 199. Other ships hunted U-255 for three hours, but it escaped. On 11 April, British planes attacked U-255 and its escort. German planes also joined the fight. U-255 reached St. Nazaire with only minor damage.
Ninth and Tenth Missions
U-255 went on two short patrols in the Bay of Biscay. These were from 6 to 9 May and 6 to 15 June 1944. It did not sink any ships. The ninth patrol started on 6 May 1944 but was called back after only two days. The tenth patrol began on 6 June 1944, the day of the Normandy landings. It was also called back on 15 June after ten days.
Later Missions (11th-14th)
U-255 was damaged in an air raid in August 1944. It was taken out of service for repairs. On 1 March 1945, it was transferred back to the 13th U-boat Flotilla. It was put back into service on 2 March with Oberleutnant zur See Helmuth Heinrich in command. U-255 made four short patrols between St. Nazaire and La Pallice in April and early May 1945, laying mines.
Final Mission (15th)
U-255 began its last journey on 8 May 1945, the day Germany surrendered. It sailed from St. Nazaire to Loch Alsh in Scotland. It arrived there on 19 May to formally surrender.
Hunting in Groups: Wolfpacks
U-255 took part in six wolfpacks. These were groups of U-boats that hunted together:
- Eisteufel (1 – 12 July 1942)
- Nebelkönig (7 – 9 August 1942)
- Nordwind (24 January - 4 February 1943)
- Taifun (2 – 4 April 1943)
- Eisbär (4 – 15 April 1943)
- Preussen (9 – 22 March 1944)
The End of U-255
U-255 was moved to Loch Eriboll and then Loch Ryan on 19 May 1945. This was for "Operation Deadlight". On 13 December, the British ship HMS Cubitt towed U-255 out to sea. Then, Beaufighter aircraft from No. 254 Squadron RAF sank it with RP-3 rockets. This happened southwest of Ireland at 51°16′N 13°38′W / 51.267°N 13.633°W.
Ships Sunk by U-255
During its time with Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine, U-255 sank ten merchant ships. These ships totaled 47,640 GRT tons. It also sank one warship that weighed 1,200 tons. Another merchant ship, weighing 7,191 GRT tons, was damaged so badly it was considered a total loss.
| Date | Ship Name | Nationality | Tonnage | Fate and location |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 July 1942 | John Witherspoon |  United States |
7,191 | Sunk at 72°05′N 40°30′E / 72.083°N 40.500°E |
| 7 July 1942 | Alcoa Ranger | United States |
5,116 | Sunk at 71°38′N 49°35′E / 71.633°N 49.583°E |
| 8 July 1942 | Olopana | United States |
6,069 | Sunk at 72°10′N 51°00′E / 72.167°N 51.000°E |
| 13 July 1942 | Paulus Potter |  Netherlands |
7,168 | Sunk at 70°00′N 52°00′E / 70.000°N 52.000°E |
| 20 September 1942 | Silver Sword | United States |
4,937 | Sunk at 75°52′N 00°20′W / 75.867°N 0.333°W |
| 26 January 1943 | Krasnyj Partizan |  Soviet Union |
2,418 | Sunk at 73°45′N 17°30′E / 73.750°N 17.500°E |
| 29 January 1943 | Ufa | Soviet Union |
1,892 | Sunk at 73°40′N 24°30′E / 73.667°N 24.500°E |
| 3 February 1943 | Greylock | United States |
7,460 | Sunk at 70°52′N 00°21′W / 70.867°N 0.350°W |
| 5 March 1943 | Executive | United States |
4,978 | Sunk at 72°44′N 11°27′E / 72.733°N 11.450°E |
| 10 March 1943 | Richard Bland | United States |
7,191 | Total loss at 66°53′N 14°10′W / 66.883°N 14.167°W |
| 27 July 1943 | Akademik Shokalskij | Soviet Union |
411 | Sunk at Grid AT 3513 |
| 9 March 1944 | USS Leopold (DE-319) | United States Navy |
1,200 | Sunk at 58°44′N 25°50′W / 58.733°N 25.833°W |
See also
- German U-boat bases in occupied Norway
