German submarine U-610


German submarine U-610 was a Type VIIC U-boat built for the Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine for service during World War II. She was laid down on 5 April 1941, launched on 24 December 1941 and commissioned on 19 February 1942. She sunk on 8 October 1943, having sunk 4 ships and damaging another. Her commander was Kapitänleutnant Walter Freiherr von Freyberg-Eisenberg-Allmendingen.

Design

German Type VIIC submarines were preceded by the shorter Type VIIB submarines. U-610 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 BBC 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-610 was fitted with five torpedo tubes, fourteen torpedoes, one SK C/35 naval gun, 220 rounds, and a C/30 anti-aircraft gun. The boat had a complement of between forty-four and sixty.

Service history

U-610 was built by Blohm & Voss, Hamburg as yard number 586. She was ordered on 22 May 1940 and the keel was laid down on 5 April 1941. U-601 was launched on 24 December 1941.

Wolfpacks

U-610 took part in nine wolfpacks, namely:

Fate

On 8 October 1943, while in the North Atlantic Ocean, the U-601 was sunk by a Canadian Sunderland aircraft by depth charges, killing all 51 men on board.