German submarine U-510
Encyclopedia
German submarine U-510 was a Type IXC U-boat
of the German
Kriegsmarine
during World War II
, which later served in the French Navy
. The submarine was laid down on 1 November 1940 at the Deutsche Werft
yard at Hamburg
, launched on 4 September 1941, and commissioned on 25 November 1941 under the command of Korvettenkapitän Karl Neitzel
.
After training with 4th U-boat Flotilla at Stettin
, U-510 was transferred to 10th U-boat Flotilla based at Lorient
, France, for front-line service on 1 August 1942. Kapitänleutnant Alfred Eick
took command of the U-boat on 22 May 1943, and she was transferred to 33rd U-boat Flotilla on 1 October 1944 while operating in Southeast Asia
n waters. During her seven war patrols the U-boat sank fifteen ships totalling and damaged eight totalling .
The U-boat was captured by American forces at Saint-Nazaire
on 10 May 1945. Renamed Bouan she served in the French Navy from 1947 until struck on 1 May 1959. The submarine was broken up in 1960.
on 7 July 1942 and sailed across the Atlantic to the coast of South America. There she attacked three ships; sinking the 5,285 ton Uruguayan merchant ship Maldonado on 2 August, damaging the 8,016 ton British tanker
on 10 August, and sinking the 4,971 ton British merchant ship Cressington Court on 19 August. The U-boat arrived at Lorient, France, on 13 September after 69 days on patrol.
. On 31 October she torpedoed and damaged the 5,681 ton Norwegian merchant ship Alaska of Convoy SL 125 while the ship was rescuing men from the troopship Président Doumer, which had been sunk by . After "Operation Torch
" began on 8 November, the U-510 was ordered to patrol the coast of Morocco
, but was bombed by an unidentified aircraft causing a serious oil leak. She returned to Lorient on 12 December.
, Dutch Guiana
, sinking the 3,872 ton British merchant ship Kelvinbank, and damaging the 7,176 ton American
Liberty ship
s George G. Meade, Tabitha Brown and Joseph Rodman Drake. She attacked the same convoy again three hours later and this time damaged the Liberty ships Mark Hanna, James Smith, Thomas Ruffin and James K. Polk, the latter two so badly that they were later declared total losses. The U-boat returned to Lorient on 16 April.
U-510 sailed from Lorient on 3 June 1943 and once again headed for the South American coast. On 8 July she made a series of attacks on Convoy TJ-1, sinking the 10,324 ton Norwegian tanker B.P. Newton and the 6,900 ton American merchant ship Eldena, and damaging the 3,702 ton Latvian merchant ship Everagra. Two days later, on 10 May, she sank the 1,641 ton Swedish merchant ship Scandinavia. The U-boat returned to Lorient on 29 August.
and into the Indian Ocean
to operate off the Arabian Peninsula
.
On 22 February 1944, U-510 made two attacks on Convoy PA-69 about 200 miles off Aden
sinking the 9,181 ton American tanker E.G. Seubert and the 7,385 ton British tanker San Alvaro, and damaged the 9,970 ton Norwegian tanker Erling Brøvig.
The U-boat then shaped a course for Penang
, making three more attacks en route. On 7 March she torpedoed and sank the unescorted 7,229 ton Norwegian merchant ship Tarifa about 250 miles east of Socotra
. On 19 March she sank the American 7,176 ton Liberty ship John A. Poor in the Arabian Sea
, and on 27 March the 249 ton British naval trawler
HMS Maaløy (J136) off Ceylon
, killing Prince Hassan Farid Didi, the son of HRH Abdul Majeed Didi, Sultan Elect of the Maldives, who was a passenger aboard. Prince Hassan was Minister of the Interior and de facto head of the Government of the Sultanate of the Maldives
. U-510 arrived at Penang on 5 April after a voyage of 155 days.
the U-boat sailed to Singapore
, then to Kobe
, Japan
, before returning to Batavia
. From there, on 26 November 1944, she sailed on her only combat patrol, returning to Batavia on 3 December having had no successes.
. The U-boat arrived at Saint-Nazaire
, France, on 23 April after 103 days at sea.
U-boat
U-boat is the anglicized version of the German word U-Boot , itself an abbreviation of Unterseeboot , and refers to military submarines operated by Germany, particularly in World War I and World War II...
of the German
Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany , also known as the Third Reich , but officially called German Reich from 1933 to 1943 and Greater German Reich from 26 June 1943 onward, is the name commonly used to refer to the state of Germany from 1933 to 1945, when it was a totalitarian dictatorship ruled by...
Kriegsmarine
Kriegsmarine
The Kriegsmarine was the name of the German Navy during the Nazi regime . It superseded the Kaiserliche Marine of World War I and the post-war Reichsmarine. The Kriegsmarine was one of three official branches of the Wehrmacht, the unified armed forces of Nazi Germany.The Kriegsmarine grew rapidly...
during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, which later served in the French Navy
French Navy
The French Navy, officially the Marine nationale and often called La Royale is the maritime arm of the French military. It includes a full range of fighting vessels, from patrol boats to a nuclear powered aircraft carrier and 10 nuclear-powered submarines, four of which are capable of launching...
. The submarine was laid down on 1 November 1940 at the Deutsche Werft
Deutsche Werft
Deutsche Werft was a German shipbuilding company, located in Hamburg, Germany. It was founded in 1918 on initiative by Albert Ballin and with Gutehoffnungshütte , Allgemeine Elektricitäts-Gesellschaft and Hamburg Amerikanische Packetfahrt Actien Gesellschaft as investors.During World War II...
yard at Hamburg
Hamburg
-History:The first historic name for the city was, according to Claudius Ptolemy's reports, Treva.But the city takes its modern name, Hamburg, from the first permanent building on the site, a castle whose construction was ordered by the Emperor Charlemagne in AD 808...
, launched on 4 September 1941, and commissioned on 25 November 1941 under the command of Korvettenkapitän Karl Neitzel
Karl Neitzel
Karl Neitzel was a German U-boat commander in World War II and recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross.-Awards:*Dienstauszeichnung 4th to 2nd Class...
.
After training with 4th U-boat Flotilla at Stettin
Szczecin
Szczecin , is the capital city of the West Pomeranian Voivodeship in Poland. It is the country's seventh-largest city and the largest seaport in Poland on the Baltic Sea. As of June 2009 the population was 406,427....
, U-510 was transferred to 10th U-boat Flotilla based at Lorient
Lorient
Lorient, or L'Orient, is a commune and a seaport in the Morbihan department in Brittany in north-western France.-History:At the beginning of the 17th century, merchants who were trading with India had established warehouses in Port-Louis...
, France, for front-line service on 1 August 1942. Kapitänleutnant Alfred Eick
Alfred Eick
Alfred Eick was a German U-boat commander in World War II and recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross. The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross was awarded to recognise extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership...
took command of the U-boat on 22 May 1943, and she was transferred to 33rd U-boat Flotilla on 1 October 1944 while operating in Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia, South-East Asia, South East Asia or Southeastern Asia is a subregion of Asia, consisting of the countries that are geographically south of China, east of India, west of New Guinea and north of Australia. The region lies on the intersection of geological plates, with heavy seismic...
n waters. During her seven war patrols the U-boat sank fifteen ships totalling and damaged eight totalling .
The U-boat was captured by American forces at Saint-Nazaire
Saint-Nazaire
Saint-Nazaire , is a commune in the Loire-Atlantique department in western France.The town has a major harbour, on the right bank of the Loire River estuary, near the Atlantic Ocean. The town is at the south of the second-largest swamp in France, called "la Brière"...
on 10 May 1945. Renamed Bouan she served in the French Navy from 1947 until struck on 1 May 1959. The submarine was broken up in 1960.
1st patrol
U-510 departed from KielKiel
Kiel is the capital and most populous city in the northern German state of Schleswig-Holstein, with a population of 238,049 .Kiel is approximately north of Hamburg. Due to its geographic location in the north of Germany, the southeast of the Jutland peninsula, and the southwestern shore of the...
on 7 July 1942 and sailed across the Atlantic to the coast of South America. There she attacked three ships; sinking the 5,285 ton Uruguayan merchant ship Maldonado on 2 August, damaging the 8,016 ton British tanker
Tank ship
A tanker is a ship designed to transport liquids in bulk. Major types of tankship include the oil tanker, the chemical tanker, and the liquefied natural gas carrier.-Background:...
on 10 August, and sinking the 4,971 ton British merchant ship Cressington Court on 19 August. The U-boat arrived at Lorient, France, on 13 September after 69 days on patrol.
2nd patrol
U-510 departed from Lorient on 14 October 1942 and patrolled the waters west of the Canary IslandsCanary Islands
The Canary Islands , also known as the Canaries , is a Spanish archipelago located just off the northwest coast of mainland Africa, 100 km west of the border between Morocco and the Western Sahara. The Canaries are a Spanish autonomous community and an outermost region of the European Union...
. On 31 October she torpedoed and damaged the 5,681 ton Norwegian merchant ship Alaska of Convoy SL 125 while the ship was rescuing men from the troopship Président Doumer, which had been sunk by . After "Operation Torch
Operation Torch
Operation Torch was the British-American invasion of French North Africa in World War II during the North African Campaign, started on 8 November 1942....
" began on 8 November, the U-510 was ordered to patrol the coast of Morocco
Morocco
Morocco , officially the Kingdom of Morocco , is a country located in North Africa. It has a population of more than 32 million and an area of 710,850 km², and also primarily administers the disputed region of the Western Sahara...
, but was bombed by an unidentified aircraft causing a serious oil leak. She returned to Lorient on 12 December.
3rd patrol
The U-boat sailed from Lorient once more on 16 January 1943, headed across the Atlantic to the coast of South America. On 9 March at 03:00, U-510 attacked Convoy BT-6 about 200 miles north-east of ParamariboParamaribo
Paramaribo is the capital and largest city of Suriname, located on banks of the Suriname River in the Paramaribo District. Paramaribo has a population of roughly 250,000 people, more than half of Suriname's population...
, Dutch Guiana
Suriname
Suriname , officially the Republic of Suriname , is a country in northern South America. It borders French Guiana to the east, Guyana to the west, Brazil to the south, and on the north by the Atlantic Ocean. Suriname was a former colony of the British and of the Dutch, and was previously known as...
, sinking the 3,872 ton British merchant ship Kelvinbank, and damaging the 7,176 ton American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
Liberty ship
Liberty ship
Liberty ships were cargo ships built in the United States during World War II. Though British in conception, they were adapted by the U.S. as they were cheap and quick to build, and came to symbolize U.S. wartime industrial output. Based on vessels ordered by Britain to replace ships torpedoed by...
s George G. Meade, Tabitha Brown and Joseph Rodman Drake. She attacked the same convoy again three hours later and this time damaged the Liberty ships Mark Hanna, James Smith, Thomas Ruffin and James K. Polk, the latter two so badly that they were later declared total losses. The U-boat returned to Lorient on 16 April.
4th patrol
Now under the command of Oberleutnant zur See Alfred EickAlfred Eick
Alfred Eick was a German U-boat commander in World War II and recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross. The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross was awarded to recognise extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership...
U-510 sailed from Lorient on 3 June 1943 and once again headed for the South American coast. On 8 July she made a series of attacks on Convoy TJ-1, sinking the 10,324 ton Norwegian tanker B.P. Newton and the 6,900 ton American merchant ship Eldena, and damaging the 3,702 ton Latvian merchant ship Everagra. Two days later, on 10 May, she sank the 1,641 ton Swedish merchant ship Scandinavia. The U-boat returned to Lorient on 29 August.
5th patrol
U-510 left Lorient on 3 November 1943 and sailed around the Cape of Good HopeCape of Good Hope
The Cape of Good Hope is a rocky headland on the Atlantic coast of the Cape Peninsula, South Africa.There is a misconception that the Cape of Good Hope is the southern tip of Africa, because it was once believed to be the dividing point between the Atlantic and Indian Oceans. In fact, the...
and into the Indian Ocean
Indian Ocean
The Indian Ocean is the third largest of the world's oceanic divisions, covering approximately 20% of the water on the Earth's surface. It is bounded on the north by the Indian Subcontinent and Arabian Peninsula ; on the west by eastern Africa; on the east by Indochina, the Sunda Islands, and...
to operate off the Arabian Peninsula
Arabian Peninsula
The Arabian Peninsula is a land mass situated north-east of Africa. Also known as Arabia or the Arabian subcontinent, it is the world's largest peninsula and covers 3,237,500 km2...
.
On 22 February 1944, U-510 made two attacks on Convoy PA-69 about 200 miles off Aden
Aden
Aden is a seaport city in Yemen, located by the eastern approach to the Red Sea , some 170 kilometres east of Bab-el-Mandeb. Its population is approximately 800,000. Aden's ancient, natural harbour lies in the crater of an extinct volcano which now forms a peninsula, joined to the mainland by a...
sinking the 9,181 ton American tanker E.G. Seubert and the 7,385 ton British tanker San Alvaro, and damaged the 9,970 ton Norwegian tanker Erling Brøvig.
The U-boat then shaped a course for Penang
Penang
Penang is a state in Malaysia and the name of its constituent island, located on the northwest coast of Peninsular Malaysia by the Strait of Malacca. It is bordered by Kedah in the north and east, and Perak in the south. Penang is the second smallest Malaysian state in area after Perlis, and the...
, making three more attacks en route. On 7 March she torpedoed and sank the unescorted 7,229 ton Norwegian merchant ship Tarifa about 250 miles east of Socotra
Socotra
Socotra , also spelt Soqotra, is a small archipelago of four islands in the Indian Ocean. The largest island, also called Socotra, is about 95% of the landmass of the archipelago. It lies some east of the Horn of Africa and south of the Arabian Peninsula. The island is very isolated and through...
. On 19 March she sank the American 7,176 ton Liberty ship John A. Poor in the Arabian Sea
Arabian Sea
The Arabian Sea is a region of the Indian Ocean bounded on the east by India, on the north by Pakistan and Iran, on the west by the Arabian Peninsula, on the south, approximately, by a line between Cape Guardafui in northeastern Somalia and Kanyakumari in India...
, and on 27 March the 249 ton British naval trawler
Naval trawler
A naval trawler is a vessel built along the lines of a fishing trawler but fitted out for naval purposes. Naval trawlers were widely used during the First and Second world wars. Fishing trawlers were particularly suited for many naval requirements because they were robust boats designed to work...
HMS Maaløy (J136) off Ceylon
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is a country off the southern coast of the Indian subcontinent. Known until 1972 as Ceylon , Sri Lanka is an island surrounded by the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait, and lies in the vicinity of India and the...
, killing Prince Hassan Farid Didi, the son of HRH Abdul Majeed Didi, Sultan Elect of the Maldives, who was a passenger aboard. Prince Hassan was Minister of the Interior and de facto head of the Government of the Sultanate of the Maldives
Maldives
The Maldives , , officially Republic of Maldives , also referred to as the Maldive Islands, is an island nation in the Indian Ocean formed by a double chain of twenty-six atolls oriented north-south off India's Lakshadweep islands, between Minicoy Island and...
. U-510 arrived at Penang on 5 April after a voyage of 155 days.
6th patrol
Operating as part of the Monsun GruppeMonsun Gruppe
The Monsun Gruppe or Monsoon Group was a force of German U-boats that operated in the Pacific and Indian Oceans during World War II...
the U-boat sailed to Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
, then to Kobe
Kobe
, pronounced , is the fifth-largest city in Japan and is the capital city of Hyōgo Prefecture on the southern side of the main island of Honshū, approximately west of Osaka...
, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, before returning to Batavia
Jakarta
Jakarta is the capital and largest city of Indonesia. Officially known as the Special Capital Territory of Jakarta, it is located on the northwest coast of Java, has an area of , and a population of 9,580,000. Jakarta is the country's economic, cultural and political centre...
. From there, on 26 November 1944, she sailed on her only combat patrol, returning to Batavia on 3 December having had no successes.
7th patrol
U-510 left Batavia on 11 January 1945 for the voyage back to Europe. On 23 February she sank the unescorted Canadian merchant ship Point Pleasant Park about 500 miles north-west of Cape TownCape Town
Cape Town is the second-most populous city in South Africa, and the provincial capital and primate city of the Western Cape. As the seat of the National Parliament, it is also the legislative capital of the country. It forms part of the City of Cape Town metropolitan municipality...
. The U-boat arrived at Saint-Nazaire
Saint-Nazaire
Saint-Nazaire , is a commune in the Loire-Atlantique department in western France.The town has a major harbour, on the right bank of the Loire River estuary, near the Atlantic Ocean. The town is at the south of the second-largest swamp in France, called "la Brière"...
, France, on 23 April after 103 days at sea.
Post war
U-510 was captured by American forces at Saint-Nazaire on 10 May 1945. Awarded to the French in 1946, she was commissioned into the French Navy, and renamed Bouan (S.612) on 24 June 1947. She served until struck on 1 May 1959, renamed hull Q.176 on 23 November 1959, and was broken up in 1960.See also
- List of German U-boats