German submarine U-59 (1939)

History
Nazi Germany
Name:	U-59
Ordered:	17 June 1937
Builder:	Deutsche Werke, Kiel
Cost:	2,063,000 Reichsmarks
Yard number:	258
Laid down:	5 October 1937
Launched:	12 October 1938
Commissioned:	4 March 1939
Fate:	Scuttled on 3 May 1945
General characteristics
Class and type:	IIC
Type:	Coastal submarine
Displacement:	291 t (286 long tons) surfaced 341 t (336 long tons) submerged
Length:	43.90 m (144 ft 0 in) o/a 29.60 m (97 ft 1 in) pressure hull
Beam:	4.08 m (13 ft 5 in) (o/a) 4.00 m (13 ft 1 in) (pressure hull)
Height:	8.40 m (27 ft 7 in)
Draught:	3.82 m (12 ft 6 in)
Installed power:	700 PS (510 kW; 690 bhp) (diesels) 410 PS (300 kW; 400 shp) (electric)
Propulsion:	2 shafts 2 × diesel engines 2 × electric motors
Range:	1,900 nmi (3,500 km; 2,200 mi) at 12 knots (22 km/h; 14 mph) surfaced 35–42 nmi (65–78 km; 40–48 mi) at 4 knots (7.4 km/h; 4.6 mph) submerged
Test depth:	80 m (260 ft)
Complement:	3 officers, 22 men
Armament:	3 × 53.3 cm (21 in) torpedo tubes 5 × torpedoes or up to 12 TMA or 18 TMB mines 1 × 2 cm (0.79 in) C/30 anti-aircraft gun
Service record
Part of:	5th U-boat Flotilla 1st U-boat Flotilla 22nd U-boat Flotilla 19th U-boat Flotilla
Commanders:	Kptlt. Harald Jürst 4 March 1939 - 17 July 1940 Joachim Matz 18 July - 10 November 1940 Kptlt. Siegfried Freiherr von Forstner 11 November 1940 - 16 April 1941 Oblt.z.S. Günter Gretschel 17 April - December 1941 Günter Poser December 1941 - 15 July 1942 Oblt.z.S. Karl-Heinz Sammler 16 July 1942 - 10 June 1943 Lt.z.S. Herbert Walther July 1944 - 1 April 1945
Operations:	Thirteen: 1st patrol: 29 August – 11 September 1939 2nd patrol: 22 October – 9 November 1939 3rd patrol: 30 November – 8 December 1939 4th patrol: 14–19 December 1939 5th patrol: 14–22 January 1940 6th patrol: 29 January – 8 February 1940 7th patrol: 14–20 March 1940 8th patrol: 31 March – 7 May 1940 9th patrol: 18 July – 4 August 1940 10th patrol: 8 – 19 August 1940 11th patrol: 26 August – 3 September 1940 12th patrol: 7–21 September 1940 13th patrol: 7–21 October 1940
Victories:	Seventeen ships sunk, total 34,130 GRT two auxiliary warship sunk 864 GRT one ship damaged, 8,009 GRT one ship declared a total loss, 1,943 GRT

German submarine U-59 was a Type IIC U-boat of Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine that served in the Second World War. She was built by Deutsche Werke AG, Kiel. Ordered on 17 June 1937, she was laid down on 5 October as yard number 258. She was launched on 12 October 1938 and commissioned on 4 March 1939 under the command of Oberleutnant zur See Harald Jürst.

German Type IIC submarines were enlarged versions of the original Type IIs. U-59 had a displacement of 291 tonnes (286 long tons) when at the surface and 341 tonnes (336 long tons) while submerged. Officially, the standard tonnage was 250 long tons (250 t), however. The U-boat had a total length of 43.90 m (144 ft 0 in), a pressure hull length of 29.60 m (97 ft 1 in), a beam of 4.08 m (13 ft 5 in), a height of 8.40 m (27 ft 7 in), and a draught of 3.82 m (12 ft 6 in). The submarine was powered by two MWM RS 127 S four-stroke, six-cylinder diesel engines of 700 metric horsepower (510 kW; 690 shp) for cruising, two Siemens-Schuckert PG VV 322/36 double-acting electric motors producing a total of 410 metric horsepower (300 kW; 400 shp) for use while submerged. She had two shafts and two 0.85 m (3 ft) propellers. The boat was capable of operating at depths of up to 80–150 metres (260–490 ft).

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