| Career | |
|---|---|
| Name: | U-65 |
| Ordered: | 16 July 1937[1] |
| Builder: | AG Weser, Bremen |
| Yard number: | 953[1] |
| Laid down: | 16 December 1938[1] |
| Launched: | 6 November 1939[1] |
| Commissioned: | 15 February 1940[1] |
| Fate: | Sunk on 28 April 1941 in the Herjangsfjord near Narvik, Norway, by depth charges from the British destroyer HMS Douglas. All hands lost.[2] |
| Status: | Sunk |
| General characteristics [3][4] | |
| Displacement: | 1,051 t (1,034 long tons) surfaced 1,178 t (1,159 long tons) submerged |
| Length: | 76.5 m (251 ft 0 in) overall 58.7 m (192 ft 7 in) pressure hull |
| Beam: | 6.8 m (22 ft 4 in) overall 4.4 m (14 ft 5 in) pressure hull |
| Height: | 9.6 m (31 ft 6 in) |
| Draft: | 4.7 m (15 ft 5 in) |
| Speed: | 18.3 knots (33.9 km/h) surfaced 7.3 knots (13.5 km/h) submerged |
| Range: | 22,200 nmi (41,100 km) at 10 knots (19 km/h) surfaced 118 nmi (219 km) at 4 kn (7.4 km/h) submerged |
German submarine U-65 was a Type IXB U-boat of the German Kriegsmarine during World War II. Over the course of six war patrols from 15 February 1940 through 28 April 1941, she sank twelve ships and damaged three others for a total loss of 88,664 GRT.
Contents |
U-65 was ordered to be built by the German Kriegsmarine on 16 July 1937. Her keel was laid down on 6 December 1938 by AG Weser, Bremen as Werk 953. U-65 was launched on 6 November 1939 and commissioned on 15 February 1940 under the command of Kapitänleutnant Hans-Gerrit von Stockhausen.[2]
Like all Type IXB submarines, U-65 had a total output of 1,000 hp (746 kW) while submerged and 4,400 hp (3,281 kW) when surfaced. As a result, she could travel at 18.3 knots (33.9 km/h) while surfaced and 7.3 knots (13.5 km/h) submerged. U-65 had a range of 22,200 nmi (41,100 km) at 10 knots (19 km/h) while on the surface and 118 nmi (219 km) at 4 kn (7.4 km/h) while submerged. She was equipped with 6 torpedo tubes (4 in the bow, 2 in the stern) and carried a total of 22 533 mm (21 in) torpedoes. The submarine was also equipped with 44 TMA mines. U-65's main deck gun was a Utof 105 mm/45 with a magazine of 110 rounds. The last piece of armament that U-65 was equipped with was the standard 2 cm FlaK 30 anti-aircraft guns. U-65 had a crew of 46 men and could carry up to 56 crew members at any given time. After being commissioned and deployed, U-65 was stationed in the German port city of Wilhelmshaven.[3][4]
U-65's first war patrol began on 9 April 1940 when she left her home port of Wilhelmshaven. For 36 days U-65 patrolled the North Sea and the waters off of the western coast of Norway, participating in the German Norwegian Campaign. During this time, U-65 sank no enemy vessels. On 13 April 1940, U-65 attacked a group of British destroyers north of Bergen, Norway; her torpedoes failed to detonate, and the destroyers counter attacked the U-boat in return causing some minor damage to the vessel. U-65 was able to escape the attack, and she safely returned to Wilhelmshaven on 14 May 1940.[5]
U-65's second war patrol began on 8 June 1940. For 30 days U-65 patrolled the North Sea, rounded the British Isles to the north and proceeded through the Celtic Sea to the Bay of Biscay. At 08.17 hours on 21 June 1940, U-65 encountered her first victim, the 1,177 ton Dutch steam merchant Berenice, outbound from Bordeaux carrying 1,000 tons of manganese ore and 22 passengers. A single torpedo hit her amidships and she sank in three minutes. Out of 47 souls aboard, only nine survivors were pulled from the water by a coastal vessel. One of these (the ship master) died of his wounds before the remaining complement was landed at Falmouth. [6]
The following day, at 18.04 hours, U-65 sank an unescorted tanker in the Bay of Biscay. This is believed to have been the 7,011 GRT French steam tanker Monique although there were no survivors to confirm the identity of this victim.[7] The only trace ever found of Monique was the body of one of her sailors, which washed ashore near La Coruña, Spain. [8]
Near midday on 30 June 1940, U-65 located and attacked convoy SL-36, and reported hits on two ships. In fact only one, the 5,802 GRT British steam merchant Clan Ogilvy was hit. There were no casualties; the damaged ship was assisted by HMS Vesper and HMS Gladiolus and arrived at Falmouth on 4 July. [9]
One day later (1 July 1940), the U-Boat attacked convy OA-175. At 13.51 hours U-65 fired her sole remaining torpedo at the Dutch steam merchant Amstelland about 380 miles southwest of Lands End. The torpedo struck her on the starboard side; one crew member was blown overboard and drowned. Kapit. Stockhausen claimed to have sunk his target, but despite being disabled Amstelland remained afloat for two days with a flooded #5 hold before being taken in tow by the rescue tug HMS Marauder. The Flower Class corvette HMS Calendula escorted the tug and her charge to Falmouth, where they arrived on 5 July. [10]
The last of her torpedoes expended, U-65 headed for home. This successful patrol was terminated at Wilhelmshaven on 7 July 1940. [11]
Departing Wilhelmshaven on 8 August 1940, U-65 proceeded into the North Sea and around the British Isles on her way to her new base in Lorient, France. The journey took twelve days. This patrol was unfruitful however, and the submarine arrived at Lorient on 19 August without scoring any kills.
U-65 stood out of Lorient on 21 August 1940 for her fourth patrol. After a brief stop of about six days at Brest, the North Atlantic patrol began in earnest. No targets were sighted until 20.00 hours on 14 September, when convoy HX-70 was located about 180 miles off Barra Head, Scotland.
At 21.18 hours, a torpedo was fired that missed ahead of the Norwegian motor merchant Hird's bow. Noticing the attack, the merchant began zigzagging at full speed trying to escape. Due to the evasive course, it took nine hours to reach a firing position again, but at 06.05 hours a single stern torpedo struck the merchant on the starboard side between the bridge and the foremast. As the ship developed a heavy list, the crew abandoned ship in one lifeboat and a gig, signalling a nearby trawler to pick them up. The Germans observed the crew being rescued and the Hird sinking at 20.30 hours. The trawler, the Icelandic Þórólfur, landed the survivors at Fleetwood on 17 September. [12]
A second successful attack occurred on 17 September 1940, when U-65 torpedoed the British steam merchant Treganna which had been travelling with convoy HX-71. A single torpedo hit sent her to the bottom in a matter of seconds; of her 37 crew, only four survived. They were picked up by the British merchant Filleigh from the same convoy, and landed at Avonmouth. [13]
Another twelve days at sea provided no additional targets, and U-65 returned to Lorient on 25 September.
Several weeks later, on 15 October, U-65 sortied from Lorient bound for the west coast of Africa and the South Atlantic. This would become both her longest and most successful patrol. A full month at sea passed before the submarine spotted her first target, the 5,168 GRT British steam merchant Kohinur; recently dispersed from convoy OB-235. At 15.11 hours, U-65 attacked and sank her about 250 miles north of the Equator. Initially, 68 of 85 men aboard survived however many of them were killed a few hours later when U-65 sank her second victim of the patrol, the 7,614 GRT Norwegian motor tanker Havbør. [14]
British sailors on a raft from Kohinur had warned Havbør that a submarine was in the area, but boats were lowered to assist the 31 survivors anyhow. While this operation was in progress, Havbør was hit on the port side by a single topedo from U-65 and immediately caught fire, spreading buring oil over the surface of the water and engulfing many of the boats involved in the rescue operation. 28 members of Havbør's crew (including the shipmaster) and all 31 men from Kohinur perished in the flames. The sticken tanker sank seven hours later. Of the five survivors, one more died of his wounds before rescue finally arrived on 24 November. The four remaining men were landed at Freetown. [15]
On 16 November, the submarine found her next mark in the 3,059 GRT British steam merchant Fabian. A single torpedo at 14.29 hours hit her in the foreship. The U-Boat surfaced and finished off the stricken freighter with five rounds from the deck gun and she sank with a loss of six men. The 33 survivors were questioned by the Germans, who treated two injured men and provided food and water before departing the scene. [16]
At 18.02 hours on 18 November, U-65 sighted the unescorted British motor tanker Congonian. The first torpedo hit the tanker's engine compartment. A coup de grâce followed at 18.12 hours, hitting her near the stern. One man was lost, the remaining 35 survived and were picked up by HMS Devonshire and landed at Freetown a few days later (29 November). [17]
On December 11, 1940 U-65 became the first U-Boat to cross the Equator. [18]
After the sinking of Congonian, more than a month passed before U-65 encountered her next victim. At 16.05 hours on 21 December, the unescorted (neutral) Panamanian steam tanker Charles Pratt was hit amidships by a single torpedo from U-65. Although Kapit Stockhausen noted that the neutral flags painted on her sides were clearly visible, he decided to attack without warning as it was clear (based on her position and heading) that she was bound for an enemy port. The tanker's fire supression system was damaged in the attack, and the crew abandoned their vessel in two portside lifeboats. A second torpedo hit on the starboard side just forward of the midship house about 20 minutes later showering the surrounding water with debris, some of which barely missed the lifeboats. Although this second attack extinguished the fire, the flooding was too much and the ship sank with a heavy list. The survivors were picked up a few days later by the British merchants Gascony and Langleegorse and landed at Freetown. [19]
On Christmas Eve U-65 encountered the steam tanker British Premier, a straggler from convoy SLS-60. Two torpedoes sealed her fate at 16.41 hours; she sank about 200 miles southwest of Freetown. The shipmaster, thirty crew, and a gunner were lost in the sinking. Of the thirteen survivors, 9 were picked up on 3 January 1941 by HMS Hawkins and landed at Freetown. The other four drifted in an open boat for 41 days (25 of those without food) before being rescued by HMS Faulknor. [20]
Three days later, the unescorted Norwegian steam merchant Risanger (5,455 GRT) was sighted. At 11.31 hours a single stern torpedo hit her amidships. U-65 surfaced and fired 70 rounds from the deck gun to finish off the merchant, which sank with her screw still turning. All 29 men aboard abandoned ship in lifeboats and were picked up a few days later by the Norwegian motor tanker Belinda and landed at Capetown, South Africa on 10 January 1941. [21]
On 31 December, U-65 sighted the 8,532 GRT motor tanker British Zeal traveling on a non-evasive course at 10.5 knots east of the Cape Verde Islands. The submarine fired two torpedoes at 17.52 hours, one of which ran hot in the tube and had to be launched manually; both of these shots missed. At 23.00 hours a lookout spotted another torpedo track and the helm was thrown hard to starboard, but the torpedo struck the tanker squarely on the starboard side under the bridge, rupturing #2 tank. Despite rough seas, the crew took to the lifeboats immediately. A first coup de grâce missed due to a malfunction, but a second struck the starboard side at the bulkhead between #3 and #4 tanks about 30 minutes after the first hit. The darkness and adverse weather prevented use of the deck gun, but having observed the crew abandoning ship the submarine departed the area assuming the tanker would sink.
At first light, the tanker's crew spotted their still floating ship and reboarded her. Despite three flooded tanks, two large holes in the starboard side, and a deck torn open by the explosions the enigne room was found intact. The crew raised steam and tested the engines and steering, but then abandoned the ship again in case the sub was still nearby. At dawn the next day, the crew re-boarded a second time, raised steam, and headed toward Bathurst at 5 knots. A few hours later HMS Encounter arrived, offered assistance, and then left to search for the long-departed attacker. The damaged tanker continued alone until joined by the rescue tug HMS Hudson on 4 January. Despite heavy damage and inclement weather, British Zeal made harbor at Freetown on 8 January. [22]
A final kill was added to the submarine's tally on 2 January 1941. At 22.07 hours a single torpedo from U-65 struck the British steam merchant Nalgora (6,579 GRT) about 350 miles north of the Cape Verde Islands. About 20 minutes later, the U-Boat surfaced and finished off the stricken vessel with the deck gun. All 105 souls aboard the merchant survived. 86 were picked up by the British merchants Nolisement and Umgeni after eight days adrift. The remaining 19 reached shore in the Cape Verde Islands. [23]
After months at sea, U-65 returned to the U-Boat pens at Lorient on 10 January 1941. In honor of this highly successful patrol, Kaipt Stockhausen was promoted to Korvettenkapitän and awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross. Stockhausen left the boat at this time and assumed command of the newly formed 26th U-boat Flotilla. [24]
After a much needed break from life at sea, U-65 sortied again from Lorient on 12 April 1941. Under the command of Kptlt. Joachim Hoppe, she made for the North Atlantic where, on 28 April 1941 she was attacked and sunk with all hands by depth charges from HMS Douglas.
|
|
||||||||