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German submarineU-666

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German World War II submarine

History




Nazi Germany
Name	U-666
Ordered	15 August 1940
Builder	Deutsche Werft,Hamburg
Yard number	815
Laid down	16 September 1941
Launched	18 July 1942
Commissioned	26 August 1942
Fate	Sunk on 10 February 1944


General characteristics
Class & type	Type VIIC submarine
Displacement	769tonnes (757long tons) surfaced 871 t (857 long tons) submerged
Length	67.10 m (220 ft 2 in)o/a 50.50 m (165 ft 8 in)pressure hull
Beam	6.20 m (20 ft 4 in) o/a 4.70 m (15 ft 5 in) pressure hull
Draught	4.74 m (15 ft 7 in)
Installed power	2,800–3,200 PS (2,100–2,400 kW; 2,800–3,200 bhp) (diesels) 750 PS (550 kW; 740 shp) (electric)
Propulsion	2 shafts 2 ×diesel engines 2 ×electric motors
Speed	17.7knots (32.8 km/h; 20.4 mph) surfaced 7.6 knots (14.1 km/h; 8.7 mph) submerged
Range	8,500 nmi (15,700 km; 9,800 mi) at 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph) surfaced 80 nmi (150 km; 92 mi) at 4 knots (7.4 km/h; 4.6 mph) submerged
Test depth	230 m (750 ft) Crush depth: 250–295 m (820–968 ft)
Complement	4 officers, 40–56 enlisted
Armament	5 × 53.3 cm (21 in)torpedo tubes (4 bow, 1 stern) 14 ×torpedoes 1 ×8.8 cm (3.46 in) deck gun (220 rounds) 2 × twin2 cm (0.79 in) C/30 anti-aircraft guns


Service record^[1]
Part of	5th U-boat Flotilla 26 August 1942 – 28 February 1943 6th U-boat Flotilla 1 March 1943 – 10 February 1944
Identification codes	M 51 377
Commanders	Kptlt. Herbert Engel 26 August 1942 – 9 December 1943 Oblt.z.S. Ernst Wilberg 10 December 1943 – 10 February 1944
Operations	4 patrols: 1st patrol: 25 February – 10 April 1943 2nd patrol: 6 May – 9 July 1943 3rd patrol: a. 31 August – 16 October 1943 b. 16 – 18 December 1943 4th patrol: 25 December 1943 – 10 February 1944
Victories	1 warship sunk (1,370 tons) 1 merchant ship damaged (5,234 GRT)

German submarineU-666 was aType VIIC U-boat built forNazi Germany'sKriegsmarine for service duringWorld War II.She waslaid down on 16 September 1941 byDeutsche Werft,Hamburg as yard number 815,launched on 18 July 1942 andcommissioned on 26 August 1942 underKapitänleutnant Herbert Engel.Oberleutnant zur See Ernst Wilberg took over command on 10 December 1943.

Design

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German Type VIIC submarines were preceded by the shorterType VIIB submarines.U-666 had a displacement of 769 tonnes (757 long tons) when at the surface and 871 tonnes (857 long tons) while submerged.^[2] She had a total length of 67.10 m (220 ft 2 in), apressure hull length of 50.50 m (165 ft 8 in), abeam of 6.20 m (20 ft 4 in), a height of 9.60 m (31 ft 6 in), and adraught of 4.74 m (15 ft 7 in). The submarine was powered by twoGermaniawerft F46 four-stroke, six-cylindersupercharged diesel engines producing a total of 2,800 to 3,200 metric horsepower (2,060 to 2,350 kW; 2,760 to 3,160 shp) for use while surfaced, twoSiemens-Schuckert GU 343/38–8double-acting electric motors producing a total of 750 metric horsepower (550 kW; 740 shp) for use while submerged. She had two shafts and two 1.23 m (4 ft)propellers. The boat was capable of operating at depths of up to 230 metres (750 ft).^[2]

The submarine had a maximum surface speed of 17.7 knots (32.8 km/h; 20.4 mph) and a maximum submerged speed of 7.6 knots (14.1 km/h; 8.7 mph).^[2] When submerged, the boat could operate for 80 nautical miles (150 km; 92 mi) at 4 knots (7.4 km/h; 4.6 mph); when surfaced, she could travel 8,500 nautical miles (15,700 km; 9,800 mi) at 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph).U-666 was fitted with five 53.3 cm (21 in)torpedo tubes (four fitted at the bow and one at the stern), fourteentorpedoes, one8.8 cm (3.46 in) SK C/35 naval gun, 220 rounds, and two twin2 cm (0.79 in) C/30 anti-aircraft guns. The boat had acomplement of between forty-four and sixty.^[2]

Service history

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The boat's career began with training at5th U-boat Flotilla on 26 August 1942, followed by active service on 1 March 1943 as part of the6th Flotilla for the remainder of her service.

In four patrols she damaged 1 merchant ship, for a total of 5,234 gross register tons (GRT) and sank one warship (1,370 tons).

Convoy SC 122

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On 19 March 1943, after damaging the Greek freighterCarras, aB-17 Flying Fortress bomber fromNo. 220 Squadron RAF hit the boat with fourdepth charges, causing sufficient damage as to force her to return to France.

Wolfpacks

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U-666 took part in 14 wolfpacks, namely:

Ostmark (6 – 11 March 1943)
Stürmer (11 – 20 March 1943)
Seewolf (21 – 30 March 1943)
Oder (17 – 19 May 1943)
Mosel (19 – 24 May 1943)
Trutz (1 – 16 June 1943)
Trutz 2 (16 – 29 June 1943)
Leuthen (15 – 24 September 1943)
Rossbach (24 September – 6 October 1943)
Hela (28 December 1943 – 1 January 1944)
Rügen 6 (5 – 7 January 1944)
Rügen (7 – 26 January 1944)
Stürmer (26 January – 3 February 1944)
Igel 1 (3 – 10 February 1944)

Fate

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U-666 was sunk on 10 February 1944 in the North Atlantic west of Ireland, in position 53.56N, 17.16W, by depth charges from aSwordfish aircraft (842 Sqn FAA/A) of the British escort carrierHMSFencer. 51 dead (all hands lost).^[1]

Summary of raiding history

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Date	Ship Name	Nationality	Tonnage^{[Note 1]}	Fate^[3]
19 March 1943	Carras	Greece	5,234	Damaged
23 September 1943	HMS Itchen	Royal Navy	1,370	Sunk

References

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Notes

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^Merchant ship tonnages are ingross register tons. Military vessels are listed by tonsdisplacement.

Citations

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^^a ^bHelgason, Guðmundur."The Type VIIC boat U-666".German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net. Retrieved14 September 2014.
^^a ^b ^c ^dGröner 1991, pp. 43–46.
^Helgason, Guðmundur."Ships hit by U-666".German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net. Retrieved14 September 2014.

Bibliography

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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.
Busch, Rainer; Röll, Hans-Joachim (1999).Der U-Boot-Krieg, 1939-1945: Deutsche U-Boot-Verluste von September 1939 bis Mai 1945 [German U-boat losses from September 1939 to May 1945] (in German). Vol. IV. Hamburg, Berlin, Bonn: Mittler.ISBN 3-8132-0514-2.
Gröner, Eric; Jung, Dieter; Maass, Martin (1991).German Warships 1815-1945: U-boats and Mine Warfare Vessels. Vol. 2. Translated by Thomas, Keith; Magowan, Rachel. London: Conway Maritime Press.ISBN 0-85177-593-4.
Sharpe, Peter (1998).U-Boat Fact File. Great Britain: Midland Publishing.ISBN 1-85780-072-9.

External links

[edit]

Helgason, Guðmundur."The Type VIIC boat U-666".German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net. Retrieved29 December 2014.

v t e Type VII submarines
Type VIIA	U-27 U-28 U-29 U-30 U-31 U-32 U-33 U-34 U-35 U-36
Type VIIB	U-45 U-46 U-47 U-48 U-49 U-50 U-51 U-52 U-53 U-54 U-55 U-73 U-74 U-75 U-76 U-83 U-84 U-85 U-86 U-87 U-99 U-100 U-101 U-102
Type VIIC	U-69 U-70 U-71 U-72 U-77 U-78 U-79 U-80 U-81 U-82 U-88 U-89 U-90 U-91 U-92 U-93 U-94 U-95 U-96 U-97 U-98 U-132 U-133 U-134 U-135 U-136 U-201 U-202 U-203 U-204 U-205 U-206 U-207 U-208 U-209 U-210 U-211 U-212 U-221 U-222 U-223 U-224 U-225 U-226 U-227 U-228 U-229 U-230 U-231 U-232 U-235 U-236 U-237 U-238 U-239 U-240 U-241 U-242 U-243 U-244 U-245 U-246 U-247 U-248 U-249 U-250 U-251 U-252 U-253 U-254 U-255 U-256 U-257 U-258 U-259 U-260 U-261 U-262 U-263 U-264 U-265 U-266 U-267 U-268 U-269 U-270 U-271 U-272 U-273 U-274 U-275 U-276 U-277 U-278 U-279 U-280 U-281 U-282 U-283 U-284 U-285 U-286 U-287 U-288 U-289 U-290 U-291 U-301 U-302 U-303 U-304 U-305 U-306 U-307 U-308 U-309 U-310 U-311 U-312 U-313 U-314 U-315 U-316 U-331 U-332 U-333 U-334 U-335 U-336 U-337 U-338 U-339 U-340 U-341 U-342 U-343 U-344 U-345 U-346 U-347 U-348 U-349 U-350 U-351 U-352 U-353 U-354 U-355 U-356 U-357 U-358 U-359 U-360 U-361 U-362 U-363 U-364 U-365 U-366 U-367 U-368 U-369 U-370 U-371 U-372 U-373 U-374 U-375 U-376 U-377 U-378 U-379 U-380 U-381 U-382 U-383 U-384 U-385 U-386 U-387 U-388 U-389 U-390 U-391 U-392 U-393 U-394 U-396 U-397 U-398 U-399 U-400 U-401 U-402 U-403 U-404 U-405 U-406 U-407 U-408 U-409 U-410 U-411 U-412 U-413 U-414 U-415 U-416 U-417 U-418 U-419 U-420 U-421 U-422 U-423 U-424 U-425 U-426 U-427 U-428 U-429 U-430 U-431 U-432 U-433 U-434 U-435 U-436 U-437 U-438 U-439 U-440 U-441 U-442 U-443 U-444 U-445 U-446 U-447 U-448 U-449 U-450 U-451 U-452 U-453 U-454 U-455 U-456 U-457 U-458 U-465 U-466 U-467 U-468 U-469 U-470 U-471 U-472 U-473 U-475 U-476 U-477 U-478 U-479 U-480 U-481 U-482 U-483 U-484 U-485 U-486 U-551 U-552 U-553 U-554 U-555 U-556 U-557 U-558 U-559 U-560 U-561 U-562 U-563 U-564 U-565 U-566 U-567 U-568 U-569 U-570 U-571 U-572 U-573 U-574 U-575 U-576 U-577 U-578 U-579 U-580 U-581 U-582 U-583 U-584 U-585 U-586 U-587 U-588 U-589 U-590 U-591 U-592 U-593 U-594 U-595 U-596 U-597 U-598 U-599 U-600 U-601 U-602 U-603 U-604 U-605 U-606 U-607 U-608 U-609 U-610 U-611 U-612 U-613 U-614 U-615 U-616 U-617 U-618 U-619 U-620 U-621 U-622 U-623 U-624 U-625 U-626 U-627 U-628 U-629 U-630 U-631 U-632 U-633 U-634 U-635 U-636 U-637 U-638 U-639 U-640 U-641 U-642 U-643 U-644 U-645 U-646 U-647 U-648 U-649 U-650 U-651 U-652 U-653 U-654 U-655 U-656 U-657 U-658 U-659 U-660 U-661 U-662 U-663 U-664 U-665 U-666 U-667 U-668 U-669 U-670 U-671 U-672 U-673 U-674 U-675 U-676 U-677 U-678 U-679 U-680 U-681 U-682 U-683 U-701 U-702 U-703 U-704 U-705 U-706 U-707 U-708 U-709 U-710 U-711 U-712 U-713 U-714 U-715 U-716 U-717 U-718 U-719 U-720 U-721 U-722 U-731 U-732 U-733 U-734 U-735 U-736 U-737 U-738 U-739 U-740 U-741 U-742 U-743 U-744 U-745 U-746 U-747 U-748 U-749 U-750 U-751 U-752 U-753 U-754 U-755 U-756 U-757 U-758 U-759 U-760 U-761 U-762 U-763 U-764 U-765 U-766 U-767 U-768 U-771 U-772 U-773 U-774 U-775 U-776 U-777 U-778 U-779 U-821 U-822 U-825 U-826 U-901 U-903 U-904 U-905 U-907 U-921 U-922 U-923 U-924 U-925 U-926 U-927 U-928 U-951 U-952 U-953 U-954 U-955 U-956 U-957 U-958 U-959 U-960 U-961 U-962 U-963 U-964 U-965 U-966 U-967 U-968 U-969 U-970 U-971 U-972 U-973 U-974 U-975 U-976 U-977 U-978 U-979 U-980 U-981 U-982 U-983 U-984 U-985 U-986 U-987 U-988 U-989 U-990 U-991 U-992 U-993 U-994 U-1051 U-1052 U-1053 U-1054 U-1055 U-1056 U-1057 U-1058 U-1101 U-1102 U-1131 U-1132 U-1161 U-1162 U-1191 U-1192 U-1193 U-1194 U-1195 U-1196 U-1197 U-1198 U-1199 U-1200 U-1201 U-1202 U-1203 U-1204 U-1205 U-1206 U-1207 U-1208 U-1209 U-1210
Type VIIC/41	U-292 U-293 U-294 U-295 U-296 U-297 U-298 U-299 U-300 U-317 U-318 U-319 U-320 U-321 U-322 U-323 U-324 U-325 U-326 U-327 U-328 U-691 U-827 U-828 U-929 U-930 U-995 U-997 U-998 U-999 U-1000 U-1001 U-1002 U-1003 U-1004 U-1005 U-1006 U-1007 U-1008 U-1009 U-1010 U-1011 U-1013 U-1014 U-1015 U-1016 U-1017 U-1018 U-1019 U-1020 U-1021 U-1022 U-1023 U-1024 U-1025 U-1063 U-1064 U-1065 U-1103 U-1104 U-1105 U-1106 U-1107 U-1108 U-1109 U-1110 U-1163 U-1164 U-1165 U-1166 U-1167 U-1168 U-1169 U-1170 U-1171 U-1172 U-1271 U-1272 U-1273 U-1274 U-1275 U-1276 U-1277 U-1278 U-1279 U-1301 U-1302 U-1303 U-1304 U-1305 U-1306 U-1307 U-1308
Type VIID	U-213 U-214 U-215 U-216 U-217 U-218
Type VIIF	U-1059 U-1060 U-1061 U-1062
Preceded by:Type II Followed by:Type IX List of U-boats of Germany

v t e Shipwrecks and maritime incidents in February 1944
Shipwrecks	1 Feb:I-171,Ro-39,Umikaze 3 Feb:Monte Pascoal,Nichiai Maru 4 Feb:U-854,Vautour 6 Feb:U-177 8 Feb:Petrella,U-762,Lima Maru 9 Feb:U-238,U-734 10 Feb:El Grillo,Minekaze,U-545,U-666 11 Feb:Ro-110,U-283,U-424 12 Feb:I-27,Khedive Ismail,Oria 13 Feb:Henry,Irma,USS Macaw 14 Feb:U-738,UIT-23 15 Feb:I-43 16 Feb:Ro-40 17 Feb:Agano,Aikoku Maru,CH-24,Fumizuki,I-11,Katori,Maikaze,Naka,Tachikaze,Tonan Maru No. 3,W-26 18 Feb:Heian Maru,Oite,HMS Penelope,U-7,U-406 19 Feb:CH-22,U-264,U-386 20 Feb:Hydro,HMS Warwick 21 Feb:Kokai Maru 22 Feb:British Chivalry 24 Feb:U-257,U-761 25 Feb:HMS Inglefield,HMS Mahratta,Ryūsei Maru,Tango Maru,U-601 26 Feb:USS Ailanthus,U-91 27 Feb:USS Grayback,HMS Woodpecker 29 Feb:USS Trout Unknown date:Cymric,USS Thompson
Other incidents	15 Feb:Agano 16 Feb:LST-418 20 Feb:HMS Woodpecker 25 Feb:HMCSColumbia Unknown date:USS Onyx
194319441945 January 1944March 1944