German submarine U-410

Career (Germany)
Name: U-410
Ordered: 30 October 1939
Builder: Danziger Werft, Danzig
Yard number: Werk 111
Laid down: 9 January 1941
Launched: 14 October 1941
Commissioned: 23 February 1942
Fate: Sunk on 11 March, 1944 by US aircraft
General characteristics
Type: Type VIIC submarine
Displacement: 769 tonnes (757 long tons) surfaced
871 t (857 long tons) submerged
Length: 67.1 m (220 ft 2 in) o/a
50.5 m (165 ft 8 in) pressure hull
Beam: 6.2 m (20 ft 4 in) o/a
4.7 m (15 ft 5 in) pressure hull
Draft: 4.74 m (15 ft 7 in)
Propulsion: 2 × supercharged Germaniawerft 6-cylinder 4-stroke M6V 40/46 diesel engines, totalling 2,800–3,200 bhp (2,100–2,400 kW). Max rpm: 470-490
2 × electric motors, totalling 750 shp (560 kW) and max rpm: 296
Speed: 17.7 kn (20.4 mph; 32.8 km/h) surfaced
7.6 knots (8.7 mph; 14.1 km/h) submerged
Range: 15,170 km (8,190 nmi) at 10 kn (19 km/h) surfaced
150 km (81 nmi) at 4 kn (7.4 km/h) submerged
Test depth: 230 m (750 ft)
Crush depth: 250–295 m (820–968 ft)
Complement: 44–52 officers & ratings
Armament: • 5 × 533 mm (21 in) torpedo tubes (4 bow, 1 stern)
• 14 × torpedoes or 26 TMA mines
• 1 × C35 88mm gun/L45 deck gun (220 rounds)
• Various AA guns
Service record

German submarine U-410 was a Type VIIC U-boat built for the German Kriegsmarine for service during World War II operating mainly in the Mediterranean. Her Insignia was a Sword & Shield. [1] and did not suffer any casualties until she was sunk.

U-410 was first commanded by Kapitänleutnant Kurt Sturm during her working up / training period and on her first patrol before being commanded by Horst-Arno Fenski for her 6 combat patrols. U-410 sank 8 merchantmen, Landing ship, Tank (LST), and a warship during the Second World War. For his successes, Fenski received the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross.

Contents

Commanders

February 23 1942 - February 4 1943 Kurt Sturm. February 5 1943 - March 11 1944 Oberleutnant zur See Horst-Arno Fenske ( knight of the Knights of the Iron Cross )

Fleets

February 23 1942 - August 31 1942 - 5th Flotilla (Training) September 1 1942 - May 31 1943 - 7th Flotilla June 1st 1943 - March 11 1944 - The 29th Flotilla

Wolf Packs

U-410 was part of the following "wolf packs": Letzte Ritter September 30 1942 - October 2 1942 Wotan 8 - October 16 1942 Raufbold 15 - December 22 1942 Robbe February 16 1943 - March 13 1943

Rescue of survivors from MV Rhakotis

On 2 Jan 1943 U-410 rescued 80 survivors from the German blockade-runner MV Rhakotis after she was sunk by HMS Scylla. The survivors were returned to St. Nazaire the next day. [2] Among the survivors were 2 English men who received a special guard. [3]

Sinking of Penelope

On 18 February 1944, HMS Penelope (Capt. G.D. Belben, DSO, DSC, AM, RN) was leaving Naples to return to the Anzio area when she was torpedoed at by U-410. A torpedo struck the British Cruiser in the aft engine room then sixteen minutes later U-410 fired another torpedo that hit Penelope in her boiler room, causing her immediate sinking. 415 of the crew, including the captain, went down with the ship. There were 206 survivors.

The remarkable point of the attack by U-410 was that the cruiser was making 26 kn (48 km/h) when hit. As far as can be ascertained, this is a unique case. In the history of submarine attacks during World War II, no other ship running at such speed was ever successfully attacked.

Sinking of USS LST-348

On the February 20th 1944 Landing ship, Tank (LST) 348 was returning from Sicily, supporting Operation Shingle and roughly 40 miles South of Naples when she was spotted by U-410, who fired two torpedos at around 02:00 hrs. Both hit the vessel on her port side, and she sank 20 minutes later. [4]

Sinking

On the 11 March, 1944 while on patrol in the Mediterranean near Toulon, France, U-410 was sunk by bombs from US aircraft.

References

  1. ^ U-Boat Insignia & Emblems http://www.uboataces.com/ref-insignia32.shtml#U-410
  2. ^ http://www.wrecksite.eu/wreck.aspx?58439| MV Rhakotis at wrecksite
  3. ^ http://www.ubootwaffe.net/ops/boat.cgi?boat=410| U-410 at ubootwaffe.net
  4. ^ http://www.navsource.org/archives/10/16/160348.htm NavSource Online NavSource Online

External links