German submarine U-220

"U-220" redirects here. For the isotope of uranium (U-220 or ²²⁰U), see Uranium-220.

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

History
Nazi Germany
Name	U-220
Ordered	6 August 1940
Builder	Germaniawerft, Kiel
Yard number	626
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	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)
Speed	16.4–17 knots (30.4–31.5 km/h; 18.9–19.6 mph) surfaced 7 knots (13 km/h; 8.1 mph) submerged
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:	4th U-boat Flotilla 27 March - 31 August 1943 12th U-boat Flotilla 1 September - 28 October 1943
Identification codes:	M 50 753
Commanders:	Oblt.z.S. Bruno Barber 27 March - 28 October 1943
Operations:	1 patrol: 8 September - 28 October 1943
Victories:	2 merchant ships sunk (7,199 GRT)

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 on 28 October 1943 by US aircraft in mid-Atlantic.

Service history

Patrol and loss

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.

Summary of raiding history

Date	Name	Nationality	Tonnage (GRT)	Fate
19 October 1943	Delisle	United States	3,478	Sunk (Mine)
19 October 1943	Penolver	United Kingdom	3,721	Sunk (Mine)

Bibliography

• Busch, Rainer; Röll, Hans-Joachim (1999). German U-boat commanders of World War II : a biographical dictionary. Translated by Brooks, Geoffrey. London, Annapolis, Md: Greenhill Books, Naval Institute Press. ISBN 1-55750-186-6.
• Gröner, Erich; Jung, Dieter; Maass, Martin (1991). U-boats and Mine Warfare Vessels. German Warships 1815–1945. Vol. 2. Translated by Thomas, Keith; Magowan, Rachel. London: Conway Maritime Press. ISBN 0-85177-593-4.

External links

• Helgason, Guðmundur. "The Type X boat U-220". German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net. Retrieved 6 December 2014.
• Hofmann, Markus. "U 220". Deutsche U-Boote 1935-1945 - u-boot-archiv.de (in German). Retrieved 6 December 2014.