German submarine U-960

German submarine U-960 was a Type VIIC U-boat built for Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine for service during World War II.
She was laid down on 20 March 1942 by Blohm & Voss, Hamburg as yard number 160, launched on 3 December 1942 and commissioned on 28 January 1943 under Oberleutnant zur See Günther Heinrich.
Design
German Type VIIC submarines were preceded by the shorter Type VIIB submarines. U-960 had a displacement of when at the surface and while submerged. She had a total length of , a pressure hull length of , a beam of , a height of , and a draught of . The submarine was powered by two Germaniawerft F46 four-stroke, six-cylinder supercharged diesel engines producing a total of for use while surfaced, two Brown, Boveri & Cie GG UB 720/8 double-acting electric motors producing a total of for use while submerged. She had two shafts and two propellers. The boat was capable of operating at depths of up to .
The submarine had a maximum surface speed of and a maximum submerged speed of . When submerged, the boat could operate for at ; when surfaced, she could travel at . U-960 was fitted with five torpedo tubes (four fitted at the bow and one at the stern), fourteen torpedoes, one SK C/35 naval gun, 220 rounds, and one twin C/30 anti-aircraft gun. The boat had a complement of between forty-four and sixty.
Service history
The boat's career began with training at 5th U-boat Flotilla on 28 January 1943, followed by active service on 1 August 1943 as part of the 3rd Flotilla for the remainder of her service.
In five patrols she sank two merchant ships, for a total of , plus one auxiliary warship of 611 GRT.
First patrol
In August 1943 U-960 carried out a patrol in the Barents Sea over a 15 day period, but had no success.
Second patrol
In September 1943 she was part of the U-boat group Wiking on patrol in the Kara Sea beyond Novaya Zemlya. At the end of the month she fell in with a Soviet convoy, VA-18 and sank two ships, the steamer Archangelsk and the naval trawler/minesweeper T-896.
Third patrol
In December 1943 she was transferred to La Pallice, making a 62 day patrol in the North Atlantic en route. She took part in four patrol lines during this period and had one success, sinking the freighter Sumner I. Kimball, which had fallen out of convoy ON 219. She arrived at La Pallice in March 1944.
Fourth patrol
Later that month U-960 was assigned to weather-reporting, but was recalled after a few days. On returning under escort and in company with U-763 the flotilla was attacked by Tsetse Mosquito aircraft; U-960 suffered 14 casualties.
Fifth and final patrol
In April U-960 was transferred to the Mediterranean, passing the Straits of Gibraltar on 9 May. On 17 May she spotted the destroyer and fired three torpedoes, which missed. This sparked a massive hunt involving a hunter-killer group of five destroyers and aircraft from two RAF squadrons. After a 42 hour hunt U-960 was forced to the surface and sunk.
Wolfpacks
U-960 took part in five wolfpacks, namely:
Wiking (20 September – 3 October 1943)
Coronel 1 (15 – 17 December 1943)
Amrum (18 – 23 December 1943)
Rügen 4 (23 – 28 December 1943)
Rügen 3 (28 – 31 December 1943)
Fate
U-960 was sunk on 19 May 1944 in the Mediterranean NW of Algiers, in position following a 42 hour "hunt to exhaustion".
Following her attack on Ellyson on 17 May U-960 was pursued by a group of five US destroyers (and ), assisted by aircraft of 36 and 500 Squadrons, in a "Swamp" operation. U-960 lay low during the daytime but late on 17 May she surfaced to recharge batteries: she was sighted and forced under but early on 18 May was able to surface and re-charge batteries. During the next day U-960 evaded detection but in the early hours of 19 May she was spotted again on the surface by a Wellington of 36 Squadron which called in destroyers Niblack and Ludlow. These carried out a series of depth-charge attacks over a four hour period, assisted also by a Ventura of 500 Squadron: U-960 was forced to the surface and abandoned. 20 of her 51 crew were saved.
Summary of raiding history
See also
Mediterranean U-boat Campaign (World War II)
References
Notes
Citations
Bibliography
Blair, Clay (1998) Hitler's U-Boat War Vol II:The Hunted 1942-1945 Cassell.
Kemp, Paul (1997) U-Boats Destroyed Arms & Armour.
Niestle, Axel (1998) German U-Boat Losses during World War II Greenhill Books.
External links
German Type VIIC submarines
1942 ships
U-boats commissioned in 1943
U-boats sunk in 1944
U-boats sunk by depth charges
U-boats sunk by US warships
World War II shipwrecks in the Mediterranean Sea
World War II submarines of Germany
Ships built in Hamburg
Maritime incidents in May 1944