German submarine U-220

History
Nazi Germany
Name:	U-220
Ordered:	6 August 1940
Builder:	Germaniawerft, Kiel
Laid down:	16 June 1941
Launched:	16 January 1943
Commissioned:	27 March 1943
Fate:	Sunk by depth charges 28 October 1943
General characteristics
Class and type:	German Type X submarine minelayer
Displacement:	1,763 tonnes (1,735 long tons) surfaced 2,177 tonnes (2,143 long tons) submerged
Length:	89.80 m (294 ft 7 in) o/a 70.90 m (232 ft 7 in) pressure hull
Beam:	9.20 m (30 ft 2 in) o/a 4.75 m (15 ft 7 in) pressure hull
Height:	10.20 m (33 ft 6 in)
Draught:	4.71 m (15 ft 5 in)
Propulsion:	2 × supercharged GW F 46 a 9 pu 9 cylinder, four-stroke diesel engines, 4,800 PS (4,700 bhp; 3,500 kW) 2 × AEG GU 720/8-287 electric motors, 1,100 PS (1,100 shp; 810 kW)
Range:	18,450 nautical miles (34,170 km; 21,230 mi) at 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph) surfaced 93 nmi (172 km; 107 mi) at 4 knots (7.4 km/h; 4.6 mph) submerged
Test depth:	Calculated crush depth: 220 m (720 ft)
Complement:	5 officers, 47 enlisted
Armament:	2 × 53.3 cm (21 in) stern torpedo tubes 15 × torpedoes 66 × SMA mines 1 × 10.5 cm (4.1 in) deck gun (200 rounds)
Service record
Part of:	Kriegsmarine 4th U-boat Flotilla 27 March - 31 August 1943 12th U-boat Flotilla 1 September - 28 October 1943
Commanders:	Oblt.z.S. Bruno Barber 27 March - 28 October 1943
Operations:	8 September - 28 October 1943
Victories:	Two ships sunk, 7,199 GRT

German submarine U-220 was a Type XB submarine of Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine during World War II.

The U-boat was laid down on 16 June 1941 at the Germaniawerft yard at Kiel as yard number 626, launched on 16 January 1943 and commissioned on 27 March 1943 under the command of Oberleutnant zur See Bruno Barber.

The boat's service career began with training in the 4th U-boat Flotilla followed by reassignment to the 12th flotilla for operations.

In one patrol, the submarine sank two ships.

The boat was sunk in October 1943 by US aircraft in mid-Atlantic.

Following a short journey from Kiel to Bergen in Norway, the submarine set out on patrol on 8 September 1943 through the gap between Iceland and the Faroe Islands, heading for the North American coast. Off St. Johns in Canada, she laid 66 magnetic mines on 9 October, one of which sank Delisle on the 19th. Also lost on the same day was Penolver. The master of Delisle was trapped on the sinking ship by his wooden leg. He was freed, rescued and taken to a hospital, minus his leg. He could not be released due to the wartime shortage of artificial limbs, but his original leg was found, washed up on a beach and recovered.

In between these events, two men were lost overboard on the 16th.

U-220 was sunk by depth charges dropped by Avenger and Wildcat aircraft from the carrier USS Block Island on 28 October 1943. Fifty-six men died; there were no survivors.

...
Wikipedia