German submarine U-255
German World War II submarine / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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German submarine U-255 was a Type VIIC U-boat that served in Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine during World War II. The submarine was laid down on 21 December 1940 at the Bremer Vulkan yard at Bremen-Vegesack, launched on 8 October 1941 and commissioned on 29 November 1941 under the command of Kapitänleutnant Reinhart Reche.[1]
U-255 at Narvik flying four victory pennants and the flag of the merchant ship SS Paulus Potter after the attack on the ships of Convoy PQ 17 | |
History | |
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Nazi Germany | |
Name | U-255 |
Ordered | 23 September 1939[1] |
Builder | Bremer Vulkan, Bremen-Vegesack[1] |
Yard number | 20[1] |
Laid down | 21 December 1940[1] |
Launched | 8 October 1941[1] |
Commissioned | 29 November 1941[1] |
Decommissioned | 1 September 1944[1] |
Recommissioned | 2 March 1945[1] |
Fate |
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General characteristics | |
Class and type | Type VIIC submarine |
Displacement | |
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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 | |
Test depth |
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Complement | 4 officers, 40–56 enlisted |
Armament |
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Service record[1][2] | |
Part of: |
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Identification codes: | M 47 763 |
Commanders: | |
Operations: |
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Victories: |
One of the most successful U-boats to operate in Arctic waters,[3] she operated from Norway during 1942–1943, and then from France in 1944–1945, sailing on 15 combat patrols, sinking ten merchant ships totalling 47,640 GRT and damaging another of 7,191 GRT enough for it to be written off as a total loss.[4] She also sank the 1,200-tons Edsall-class destroyer escort USS Leopold.[4] At the end of the war U-255 surrendered to the British, and was sunk during Operation Deadlight on 13 December 1945.[1]