German submarine U-510

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Career (Germany)
Name: U-510
Ordered: 20 October 1939
Builder: Deutsche Werft, Hamburg
Yard number: 306
Laid down: 1 November 1940
Launched: 4 September 1941
Commissioned: 25 November 1941
Captured: by American forces, 10 May 1945
Fate: Awarded to France, 1946
Career (France)
Name: Bouan
Acquired: 1946
Commissioned: 24 June 1947
Struck: 1 May 1959
Fate: Broken up, 1960
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) o/a
58.7 m (192 ft 7 in) pressure hull
Beam: 6.8 m (22 ft 4 in) o/a
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, 4,400 hp (3,281 kW)
2 × SSW GU345/34 double-acting electric motors, 1,000 hp (746 kW)
Speed: 18.2 knots (33.7 km/h) surfaced
7.7 knots (14.3 km/h) submerged
Range: 24,880 nmi (46,080 km; 28,630 mi) at 10 knots (19 km/h) surfaced
117 nautical miles (217 km; 135 mi) 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 × 53.3 cm (21 in) torpedoes
1 × 10.5 cm SK C/32 naval gun[1] (110 rounds)
AA guns
Service record (Kriegsmarine)[2][3]
Part of: 4th U-boat Flotilla
(25 November 1941 – 31 July 1942)
10th U-boat Flotilla
(1 August 1942 – 30 September 1944)
33rd U-boat Flotilla
(1 October 1944 – 8 May 1945)
Commanders: KrvKpt. Karl Neitzel
(25 November 1941 – 21 May 1943)
Kptlt. Alfred Eick
(22 May 1943 – 8 May 1945)
Operations: 1st patrol: 7 July–13 September 1942
2nd patrol: 14 October–12 December 1942
3rd patrol: 16 January–16 April 1943
4th patrol: 3 June–29 August 1943
5th patrol: 3 November 1943–5 April 1944
6th patrol: 26 November–3 December 1944
7th patrol: 11 January–23 April 1945
Victories: 11 commercial ships sunk (71,100 GRT)
one auxiliary warship sunk (249 GRT)
eight commercial ships damaged (53,289 GRT)
three commercial ships a total loss (24,338 GRT)

German submarine U-510 was a Type IXC U-boat of Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine during World War II, which later served in the French Navy. The submarine was laid down on 1 November 1940 at the Deutsche Werft yard at Hamburg as 'werk' 306, launched on 4 September 1941, and commissioned on 25 November 1941 under the command of Korvettenkapitän Karl Neitzel.[2]

After training with the 4th U-boat Flotilla at Stettin, U-510 was transferred to the 10th U-boat Flotilla based at Lorient in occupied France, for front-line service on 1 August 1942. Kapitänleutnant Alfred Eick took command of the U-boat on 22 May 1943, and she was transferred to the 33rd flotilla on 1 October 1944 while operating in Southeast Asian waters. During her seven war patrols the U-boat sank fifteen ships totalling 95,687 gross register tons (GRT) and damaged eight, totalling 53,289 GRT.[2]

The U-boat was captured by American forces at Saint-Nazaire on 10 May 1945. Renamed Bouan she served in the French Navy from 1947 until struck on 1 May 1959. The submarine was broken up in 1960.[4]

Service history

1st patrol

U-510 departed Kiel on 7 July 1942, negotiated the gap between Iceland and the Faeroe Islands and sailed across the Atlantic to the northern coast of South America.[5] There she attacked three ships and sank the 5,285 ton Uruguayan merchant ship Maldonado on 2 August.[6] She also damaged the 8,016 ton British tanker Alexia on 10 August,[7] and sank the 4,971 ton British merchant ship Cressington Court on 19 August.[8] The U-boat docked at Lorient on 13 September.[3]

2nd patrol

U-510 departed Lorient on 14 October 1942 and patrolled the waters west of the Canary Islands.[9] On 31 October she torpedoed and damaged the 5,681 ton Norwegian merchant ship Alaska of Convoy SL 125 while the ship was rescuing men from the troopship Président Doumer, which had been sunk by U-604.[10] After "Operation Torch" began on 8 November, The boat was ordered to patrol the coast of Morocco, but was bombed by an unidentified aircraft, causing a serious oil leak. She returned to Lorient on 12 December.[9]

3rd patrol

The U-boat sailed from Lorient once more on 16 January 1943 and headed across the Atlantic to the northern coast of South America.[11] On 9 March at 03:00, U-510 attacked Convoy BT-6 about 200 nautical miles (370 km) north-east of Paramaribo, Dutch Guiana, sinking the 3,872 ton British merchant ship Kelvinbank,[12] and damaging the 7,176 ton American Liberty ships George G. Meade, Tabitha Brown and Joseph Rodman Drake. She attacked the same convoy again three hours later and this time damaged the Liberty ships Mark Hanna,[13] James Smith, Thomas Ruffin and James K. Polk, the latter two so badly that they were later declared total losses. The U-boat returned to Lorient on 16 April.[3]

4th patrol

Now under the command of Oberleutnant zur See Alfred Eick, U-510 sailed from Lorient on 3 June 1943 and once again headed for the northern South American coast.[14] On 8 July she made a series of attacks on Convoy TJ-1, sinking the 10,324 ton Norwegian tanker B.P. Newton[15] and the 6,900 ton American merchant ship Eldena,[16] and damaging the 3,702 ton Latvian merchant ship Everagra.[17] Two days later, on 10 May, she sank the 1,641 ton Swedish merchant ship Scandinavia.[18] The U-boat returned to Lorient on 29 August.[3]

5th patrol

U-510 left Lorient on 3 November 1943, sailed around the Cape of Good Hope and into the Indian Ocean to operate off the Arabian Peninsula.[19]

On 22 February 1944, she made two attacks on Convoy PA-69 about 200 miles off Aden, sinking the 9,181 ton American tanker E.G. Seubert[20] and the 7,385 ton British tanker San Alvaro;[21] she also damaged the 9,970 ton Norwegian tanker Erling Brøvig.[22]

The U-boat then shaped a course for Penang in Malaya (now Malaysia), making three more attacks en route. On 7 March she torpedoed and sank the unescorted 7,229 ton Norwegian merchant ship Tarifa about 250 miles east of Socotra in the Indian Ocean.[23] On 19 March she sank the American 7,176 ton Liberty ship John A. Poor in the Arabian Sea,[24] and on 27 March the 249 ton British naval trawler HMS Maaløy (J136) off Ceylon (now Sri Lanka),[25] killing Prince Hassan Farid Didi, the son of HRH Abdul Majeed Didi, Sultan Elect of the Maldives, who was aboard as a passenger. Prince Hassan was Minister of the Interior and de facto head of the Government of the Sultanate of the Maldives.[26] U-510 arrived at Penang on 5 April after a voyage of 155 days, her longest patrol.[3]

6th patrol

Operating as part of the Monsun Gruppe the U-boat sailed to Singapore, then to Kobe, Japan, before returning to Batavia (now Jakarta).[3] From there, on 26 November 1944, she sailed on her only combat patrol, returning to Batavia on 3 December having had no successes.[27]

7th patrol

U-510 left Batavia on 11 January 1945 for the voyage back to Europe.[28] On 23 February she sank the unescorted 7,136 ton Canadian merchant ship SS Point Pleasant Park about 500 nautical miles (930 km) north-west of Cape Town.[29] The U-boat arrived at Saint-Nazaire, in France, on 23 April after 103 days at sea.[3]

Post war

U-510 was captured by American forces at Saint-Nazaire on 10 May 1945. Awarded to the French in 1946, she was commissioned into the French Navy, and renamed Bouan (S.612) on 24 June 1947. She served until struck on 1 May 1959, renamed hull Q.176 on 23 November 1959, and was broken up in 1960.[4]

Summary of Raiding Career

Date Name Nationality Tonnage
(GRT)		 Fate
2 August 1942 Maldonado  Uruguay 5,285 Sunk
10 August 1942 Alexia  United Kingdom 8,016 Damaged
19 August 1942 Cressington Court  United Kingdom 4,971 Sunk
31 October 1942 Alaska  Norway 5,681 Damaged
9 March 1943 George C. Meade  United States 7,176 Damaged
9 March 1943 James K. Polk  United States 7,177 Total loss
9 March 1943 James Smith  United States 7,181 Damaged
9 March 1943 James Rodman Drake  United States 7,181 Damaged
9 March 1943 Kelvinbank  United Kingdom 3,872 Sunk
9 March 1943 Mark Hanna  United States 7,176 Damaged
9 March 1943 Tabitha Brown  United States 7,176 Sunk
9 March 1943 Thomas Ruffin  United States 7,191 Total loss
8 July 1943 B. P. Newton  Norway 10,324 Sunk
8 July 1943 Eldena  United States 6,900 Sunk
8 July 1943 Everagra  Latvia 3,702 Damaged
10 July 1943 Scandinavia  Sweden 1,641 Sunk
22 February 1944 E. G. Seubert  United States 9,181 Sunk
22 February 1944 Erling Brøving  Norway 9,970 Total loss
22 February 1944 San Alvaro  United Kingdom 7,385 Sunk
7 March 1944 Tarifa  Norway 7,299 Sunk
7 March 1944 John A. Poor  United States 7,176 Sunk
27 March 1944 HMS Maaløy  Royal Navy 249 Sunk
23 February 1945 Point Pleasant Park  Canada 7,136 Sunk

References

Notes
  1. ↑ Campbell, John Naval Weapons of World War Two ISBN 0-87021-459-4 pp.248&249
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 "The Type IXC boat U-510 - German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net". uboat.net. Retrieved 24 February 2010. 
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.6 "War Patrols by German U-boat U-510 - Boats - uboat.net". uboat.net. Retrieved 24 February 2010. 
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 "Bouan ex-U-510 Type IX-B". u-boote.fr. Retrieved 24 February 2010.  (French)
  5. ↑ "Patrol of U-boat U-510 from 7 Jul 1942 to 13 Sep 1942 - U-boat patrols - uboat.net". uboat.net. Retrieved 24 February 2010. 
  6. ↑ "Maldonado (Steam merchant) - Ships hit by U-boats - uboat.net". uboat.net. Retrieved 24 February 2010. 
  7. ↑ "Alexia (Motor tanker) - Ships hit by U-boats - uboat.net". uboat.net. Retrieved 24 February 2010. 
  8. ↑ "Cressington Court (Motor merchant) - Ships hit by U-boats - uboat.net". uboat.net. Retrieved 24 February 2010. 
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 "Patrol of U-boat U-510 from 14 Oct 1942 to 12 Dec 1942 - U-boat patrols - uboat.net". uboat.net. Retrieved 24 February 2010. 
  10. ↑ "Alaska (Steam merchant) - Ships hit by U-boats - uboat.net". uboat.net. Retrieved 24 February 2010. 
  11. ↑ "Patrol of U-boat U-510 from 16 Jan 1943 to 16 Apr 1943 - U-boat patrols - uboat.net". uboat.net. Retrieved 24 February 2010. 
  12. ↑ "Kelvinbank (Motor merchant) - Ships hit by U-boats - uboat.net". uboat.net. Retrieved 24 February 2010. 
  13. ↑ "Mark Hanna (Steam merchant) - Ships hit by U-boats - uboat.net". uboat.net. Retrieved 24 February 2010. 
  14. ↑ "Patrol of U-boat U-510 from 3 Jun 1943 to 29 Aug 1943 - U-boat patrols - uboat.net". uboat.net. Retrieved 24 February 2010. 
  15. ↑ "B.P. Newton (Motor tanker) - Ships hit by U-boats - uboat.net". uboat.net. Retrieved 24 February 2010. 
  16. ↑ "Eldena (Steam merchant) - Ships hit by U-boats - uboat.net". uboat.net. Retrieved 24 February 2010. 
  17. ↑ "Everagra (Steam merchant) - Ships hit by U-boats - uboat.net". uboat.net. Retrieved 24 February 2010. 
  18. ↑ "Scandinavia (Motor merchant) - Ships hit by U-boats - uboat.net". uboat.net. Retrieved 24 February 2010. 
  19. ↑ "Patrol of U-boat U-510 from 3 Nov 1943 to 5 Apr 1944 - U-boat patrols - uboat.net". uboat.net. Retrieved 24 February 2010. 
  20. ↑ "E.G. Seubert (Steam tanker) - Ships hit by U-boats - uboat.net". uboat.net. Retrieved 24 February 2010. 
  21. ↑ "San Alvaro (Motor tanker) - Ships hit by U-boats - uboat.net". uboat.net. Retrieved 24 February 2010. 
  22. ↑ "Erling Brøvig (Motor tanker) - Ships hit by U-boats - uboat.net". uboat.net. Retrieved 24 February 2010. 
  23. ↑ "Tarifa (Motor merchant) - Ships hit by U-boats - uboat.net". uboat.net. Retrieved 24 February 2010. 
  24. ↑ "John A. Poor (Steam merchant) - Ships hit by U-boats - uboat.net". uboat.net. Retrieved 24 February 2010. 
  25. ↑ "HMS Maaløy (J 136) (M/S trawler) - Ships hit by U-boats - uboat.net". uboat.net. Retrieved 24 February 2010. 
  26. ↑ "Maldives Royal Family Official Website: What happened to Hassan Farid Didi?". maldivesroyalfamily.com. Retrieved 24 February 2010. 
  27. ↑ "Patrol of U-boat U-510 from 26 Nov 1944 to 3 Dec 1944 - U-boat patrols - uboat.net". uboat.net. Retrieved 24 February 2010. 
  28. ↑ "Patrol of U-boat U-510 from 11 Jan 1945 to 23 Apr 1945 - U-boat patrols - uboat.net". uboat.net. Retrieved 24 February 2010. 
  29. ↑ "Point Pleasant Park (Steam merchant) - Ships hit by U-boats - uboat.net". uboat.net. Retrieved 24 February 2010. 
Bibliography

See also

  • List of German U-boats


German Type IXC submarine
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