| History | |
|---|---|
 Nazi Germany | |
| Name | U-60 |
| Ordered | 21 July 1937 |
| Builder | Deutsche Werke,Kiel |
| Yard number | 259 |
| Laid down | 1 October 1938 |
| Launched | 1 June 1939 |
| Commissioned | 22 July 1939 |
| Fate | Scuttled at Wilhelmshaven, 5 May 1945 |
| General characteristics | |
| Class & type | Type IIC coastal submarine |
| Displacement | |
| Length |
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| Beam |
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| Height | 8.40 m (27 ft 7 in) |
| Draught | 3.82 m (12 ft 6 in) |
| Installed power |
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| Propulsion |
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| Speed |
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| Range |
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| Test depth | 80 m (260 ft) |
| Complement | 3 officers, 22 men |
| Armament |
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| Service record | |
| Part of: |
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| Identification codes: | M 11 306 |
| Commanders: |
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| Operations: |
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| Victories: | |
German submarineU-60 was aType IICU-boat ofNazi Germany'sKriegsmarine that served in theSecond World War. She was built byDeutsche Werke AG,Kiel. Ordered on 21 July 1937, she waslaid down on 1 October that year as yard number 259. She waslaunched on 1 June 1939 andcommissioned on 22 July under the command ofOberleutnant zur See Georg Schewe.
U-60 was initially sent to the5th U-boat Flotilla for training, until 1 October 1939, when she was reassigned to the1st flotilla for a front-line combat role.U-60 carried out nine war patrols, sinking three ships for a total of 7,561 gross register tons (GRT) and damaging one other of 15,434 GRT. She then became a 'school' or training boat with the21st flotilla for the rest of her career.
She was scuttled on 5 May 1945 atWilhelmshaven.
German Type IIC submarines were enlarged versions of the originalType IIs.U-60 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 (254 t), however.[3] The U-boat had a total length of 43.90 m (144 ft 0 in), apressure hull length of 29.60 m (97 ft 1 in), abeam of 4.08 m (13 ft 5 in), a height of 8.40 m (27 ft 7 in), and adraught of 3.82 m (12 ft 6 in). The submarine was powered by twoMWM RS 127 S four-stroke, six-cylinderdiesel engines of 700 metric horsepower (510 kW; 690 shp) for cruising, twoSiemens-Schuckert PG VV 322/36double-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).[3]
The submarine had a maximum surface speed of 12 knots (22 km/h; 14 mph) and a maximum submerged speed of 7 knots (13 km/h; 8.1 mph).[3] When submerged, the boat could operate for 35–42 nautical miles (65–78 km; 40–48 mi) at 4 knots (7.4 km/h; 4.6 mph); when surfaced, she could travel 3,800 nautical miles (7,000 km; 4,400 mi) at 8 knots (15 km/h; 9.2 mph).U-60 was fitted with three 53.3 cm (21 in)torpedo tubes at the bow, fivetorpedoes or up to twelve Type A torpedo mines, and a2 cm (0.79 in) anti-aircraft gun. The boat had acomplement of 25.[3]
U-60's first patrol meant that she left and returned toKiel in November 1939, it involved the boat keeping close to the Norwegian coast.
She moved from Kiel to Wilhelmshaven on 4 December 1939.
The boat began her second patrol on 12 December 1939 and laid mines offGreat Yarmouth on the 15th. One of them was struck by theCity of Kobe on the 19th. The ship sank, one crew member was lost.
The submarine's third sortie involved patrolling the southernNorth Sea. It was uneventful.
U-60's next three outings took her as far north as the eastern Scottish coast, as far east as the Norwegian coast and as far south as Belgium in theNorth Sea, all to no avail.
Nor did her run of bad luck end there. On 1 August 1940 she was attacked by the Dutch submarineO 21. That same dayJunkers Ju 88s ofKG 30 also attacked the boat. No damage from either assault was sustained. Things changed when she sank theNils Gorthan 25 nautical miles (46 km; 29 mi) north northeast ofMalin Head (the northernmost tip of the island of Ireland), on the 13th. After the patrol, she docked atLorient in occupied France, on 18 August.
The boat's eighth patrol included an attack on theVolendam about 200 nautical miles (370 km; 230 mi) west of theBloody Foreland (northwest Ireland) on 31 August 1940. The ship survived a hit from a torpedo, but while she was being docked prior to repairs being carried out, a second, unexploded torpedo was discovered lodged in the vessel's hull.U-60 was more successful with theUlva, sinking her on 3 September 180 nautical miles (330 km; 210 mi) north northwest ofInishtrahull (the most northerly island of Ireland).
U-60 departed her French Atlantic base (Lorient) on 16 September 1940, heading forBergen in Norway. Her route took her west of Ireland and through thegap between theFaroe and theShetland Islands. The boat arrived in the Nordic port on 2 October.
She then moved from Bergen back to Kiel over October.
| Date | Ship | Nationality | Tonnage (GRT) | Fate[2] |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 19 December 1939 | City of Kobe |  United Kingdom | 4,373 | Sunk (Mine) |
| 13 August 1940 | Nils Gorthon |  Sweden | 1,787 | Sunk |
| 31 August 1940 | Volendam |  Netherlands | 15,434 | Damaged |
| 3 September 1940 | Ulva | United Kingdom | 1,401 | Sunk |
