| Career (Nazi Germany) | |
|---|---|
| Name: | U-68 |
| Ordered: | August 7, 1939 |
| Builder: | AG Weser, Bremen |
| Yard number: | 987 |
| Laid down: | April 20, 1940 |
| Launched: | October 22, 1940 |
| Commissioned: | February 1, 1941 |
| Fate: | Sunk April 10, 1944 north-west of Madeira, Portugal. 56 dead and 1 survivor |
| General characteristics | |
| Type: | Type IXC submarine |
| Displacement: | 1,120 t (1,100 long tons) surfaced 1,232 t (1,213 long tons) submerged |
| Length: | 76.8 m (252 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: | 9.4 m (30 ft 10 in) |
| Draft: | 4.7 m (15 ft 5 in) |
| Propulsion: | 2 × MAN M9V40/46 supercharged 9-cylinder diesel engines, 4,000 hp (2,983 kW) 2 × SSW GU345/34 double-acting electric motors, 1,000 hp (746 kW) |
| Speed: | 18.2 knots (33.7 km/h) surfaced 7.3 knots (13.5 km/h) submerged |
| Range: | 24,880 nmi (46,080 km) at 10 knots (19 km/h) surfaced 117 nmi (217 km) at 4 kn (7.4 km/h) submerged |
| Test depth: | 230 m (750 ft) |
| Complement: | 48 to 56 |
| Armament: | 6 × torpedo tubes (4 bow, 2 stern) 22 × 55 cm (22 in) torpedoes 1 × Utof 105 mm/45 deck gun (110 rounds) |
| Service record | |
| Part of: | Kriegsmarine: 2nd U-boat Flotilla |
| Identification codes: | M 29 442 |
| Commanders: | Karl-Friedrich Merten Albert Lauzemis Ekkehard Scherraus Gerhard Seehausen |
| Operations: | 10 |
| Victories: | 32 ships sunk for a total of 197,453 gross register tons (GRT) 1 auxiliary warship sunk for a total of 545 GRT |
German submarine U-68 was a Type IXC U-boat of the German Kriegsmarine that operated during World War II. U-68 was one of the most successful boats, succeeding in sinking over 197,000 tons of allied shipping in 10 patrols, a career lasting more than three years.
U-68 was built at the AG Weser in Bremen during 1940, and was ready for service in 1941. After her warm up, designed to give her an opportunity to train and repair minor faults, she was deployed into the Atlantic Ocean in February, 1941 and saw overwhelming success sinking 33 ships, including 1 auxiliary warship and the SS City of Cairo.
On the April 10, 1944 she was sunk northwest of Madeira, Portugal by depth charges and rockets from Avenger and Wildcat aircraft of the US escort carrier Guadalcanal. U-68 was lost at position with 56 dead and 1 survivor.
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