German submarine U-260

Career
Name: U-260
Ordered: 23 December 1939
Builder: Bremer Vulkan, Bremen-Vegesack
Yard number: 25
Laid down: 7 May 1941
Launched: 9 February 1942
Commissioned: 14 March 1942
Fate: Scuttled, 12 March 1945
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). Max rpm: 296
Speed: 17.7 knots (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[1][2]
Part of: 8th U-boat Flotilla
(14 March–30 September 1942)
6th U-boat Flotilla
(1 October 1942–31 October 1944)
33rd U-boat Flotilla
(1 November 1944–12 March 1945)
Commanders: Kptlt. Hubertus Purkhold
(14 March 1942–April 1944)
Oblt. Klaus Becker
(April 1944–12 March 1945)
Operations: 1st patrol: 10 September–15 November 1942
2nd patrol: 14 December 1942–3 February 1943
3rd patrol: 12 March–22 May 1943
4th patrol: 25 August–24 October 1943
5th patrol: 18 December 1943–27 February 1944
6th patrol: 6–16 June 1944
7th patrol: 7–13 August 1944
8th patrol: 3 September–17 October 1944
9th patrol: 18 February–12 March 1945
Victories: 1 commercial ship sunk (4,893 GRT)

German submarine U-260 was a Type VIIC U-boat built for the German Kriegsmarine for service during World War II. Her keel was laid down 7 May 1941 by Bremer Vulkan, of Bremen-Vegesack. She was commissioned 14 March 1942 with Kapitänleutnant Herbertus Purkhold in command.

Contents

Service history

U-260 conducted nine patrols in total. On her second patrol U-260 was part of the Spitz wolfpack[3] which attacked Convoy ON-154, making contact with the convoy on 28 December 1942, and sinking the 4893 ton British freighter Empire Wagtail (lost with all hands - 43 dead).[4] This was the only ship sunk by U-260.

Purkhold was relieved in April 1944 by Oberleutnant zur See Klaus Becker. Becker commanded the boat until March 1945.

On 12 March 1945, U-260 was scuttled south of neutral Ireland, in position , after sustaining mine damage. The minefield had been laid by HMS Apollo, an Abdiel-class minelayer.

After the sinking, a sealed container of papers floated to the surface. A British expert flew to Cork to examine them.[5]

The crew of 5 officers and 48 crew were interned in Ireland for the remainder of the war. In her entire career, U-260 suffered no casualties to her crew.

Post war

The wreck site of the U-260 was discovered in 1975 by local fishermen Colin Barnes after snagging nets, though it was presumed that the wreck of the Counsellor (sunk due to a mine in 1917) was in the area. A friend of his, Joe Barry, dove on the noted position and discovered the U-boat rather than the expected cargo ship.

U-260 currently lies in about 40–45 metres (130–148 ft) of water approximately four miles south of Glandore, and is a popular scuba diving site from Baltimore, County Cork and Union Hall.

There is recent speculation that U-260 did not actually strike a mine, but instead struck an underwater pinnacle (now known as '78 Rock' but which was uncharted at the time) leading to its damaged state.

References

Notes
  1. ^ "The Type VIIC boat U-260 - German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net". www.uboat.net. http://www.uboat.net/boats/u260.htm. Retrieved 2009-12-30. 
  2. ^ "War Patrols by German U-boat U-260 - Boats - uboat.net". www.uboat.net. http://www.uboat.net/boats/patrols/u260.html. Retrieved 2009-12-30. 
  3. ^ Rohwer & Hummelchen 1992 p.183
  4. ^ Hague 2000 p.135
  5. ^ Bourke, Edward. Shipwrecks of the Irish Coast. 2. p. 197. ISBN 092302713. 
Bibliography

See also