German submarine U-259
{{Short description|German World War II submarine}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2020}}
| {{Infobox ship begin}}
{{Infobox ship image |Ship image= |Ship caption= }} {{Infobox ship career |Hide header= |Ship country=Nazi Germany |Ship flag={{shipboxflag|Nazi Germany|naval}} |Ship name=U-259 |Ship ordered=23 December 1939 |Ship builder=Bremer Vulkan, Bremen-Vegesack |Ship yard number=24 |Ship laid down=25 March 1941 |Ship launched=30 December 1941 |Ship commissioned=18 February 1942 |Ship homeport= |Ship motto= |Ship nickname= |Ship fate=Sunk, 15 November 1942{{sfn|Kemp|1999|p=96}} |Ship notes= }} {{Infobox ship characteristics |Hide header= |Header caption= |Ship class=Type VIIC submarine |Ship displacement=
|Ship length=
|Ship beam=
|Ship height={{convert|9.60|m|ftin|abbr=on}} |Ship draught={{convert|4.74|m|ftin|abbr=on}} |Ship power=
|Ship propulsion=
|Ship speed=
|Ship range=
|Ship test depth=
|Ship complement=4 officers, 40–56 enlisted |Ship sensors= |Ship EW= |Ship armament=
|Ship notes= }} {{Infobox service record |is_ship=yes |label=Service record{{Cite web |url=http://uboat.net/boats/u259.htm |title=The Type VIIC boat U-259 |last=Helgason |first=Guðmundur |website=German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net |access-date=2 April 2010 |url=http://uboat.net/boats/patrols/u259.html |title=War Patrols by German U-boat U-259 |last=Helgason |first=Guðmundur |website=German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net |access-date=2 April 2010 }} |partof=
|codes=M 40 438 |commanders=
|operations=*2 patrols:
|victories=None }} |
German submarine U-259 was a Type VIIC U-boat of Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine during World War II. The submarine was laid down on 25 March 1941 at the Bremer Vulkan yard at Bremen-Vegesack, launched on 30 December 1941, and commissioned on 18 February 1942 under the command of Kapitänleutnant Klaus Köpke. After training with the 5th U-boat Flotilla at Kiel, U-259 was transferred to the 3rd U-boat Flotilla, based at La Pallice, France, for front-line service from 1 September 1942.
U-259 sank no ships in her short career, and was sunk off North Africa on 15 November 1942, during her second combat patrol, by a British Hudson bomber.
Design
German Type VIIC submarines were preceded by the shorter Type VIIB submarines. U-259 had a displacement of {{convert|769|t|LT}} when at the surface and {{convert|871|t|LT}} while submerged.{{sfn|Gröner|1991|pp=43–46}} She had a total length of {{convert|67.10|m|ftin|abbr=on}}, a pressure hull length of {{convert|50.50|m|ftin|abbr=on}}, a beam of {{convert|6.20|m|ftin|abbr=on}}, a height of {{convert|9.60|m|ftin|abbr=on}}, and a draught of {{convert|4.74|m|ftin|abbr=on}}. The submarine was powered by two Germaniawerft F46 four-stroke, six-cylinder supercharged diesel engines producing a total of {{convert|2800 to 3200|PS|kW shp|-1}} for use while surfaced, two AEG GU 460/8–27 double-acting electric motors producing a total of {{convert|750|PS|kW shp}} for use while submerged. She had two shafts and two {{convert|1.23|m|ft|abbr=on|0}} propellers. The boat was capable of operating at depths of up to {{convert|230|m}}.{{sfn|Gröner|1991|pp=43–46}}
The submarine had a maximum surface speed of {{convert|17.7|kn}} and a maximum submerged speed of {{convert|7.6|kn}}.{{sfn|Gröner|1991|pp=43–46}} When submerged, the boat could operate for {{convert|80|nmi}} at {{convert|4|kn}}; when surfaced, she could travel {{convert|8500|nmi}} at {{convert|10|kn}}. U-259 was fitted with five {{convert|53.3|cm|in|0|abbr=on}} torpedo tubes (four fitted at the bow and one at the stern), fourteen torpedoes, one 8.8 cm SK C/35 naval gun, 220 rounds, and two twin 2 cm FlaK 30 anti-aircraft guns. The boat had a complement of between forty-four and sixty.{{sfn|Gröner|1991|pp=43–46}}
Service history
=First patrol=
U-259 sailed from Kiel on 29 August 1942, and headed out into the mid-Atlantic, joining Wolfpack Lohs from 3 to 22 September, and Wolfpack Blitz from 22 to 25 September, but had no success. The U-boat arrived at La Pallice on 5 October after 38 days at sea.{{Cite web
|url=http://uboat.net/boats/patrols/patrol_4449.html
|title=Patrol of U-boat U-259 from 29 August 1942 to 5 October 1942
|last=Helgason
|first=Guðmundur
|website=U-boat patrols - uboat.net
|access-date=2 April 2010
}}
=Second patrol=
U-259 departed La Pallice on 5 November 1942 as part of Wolfpack Delphin, entered the Mediterranean Sea through the Strait of Gibraltar, and joined Wolfpack Wal on 12 November.
=Sinking=
On 15 November the U-boat was attacked by a British Hudson light bomber of No. 500 Squadron RAF, north of Algiers, in position {{coord|37|20|N|3|5|E|dim:400000|display=inline,title}}. U-259 was sunk with all 48 hands when one of the depth charges exploded on contact.{{Cite web
|url=http://uboat.net/boats/patrols/patrol_4450.html
|title=Patrol of U-boat U-259 from 5 Nov 1942 to 15 Nov 1942
|last=Helgason
|first=Guðmundur
|website=U-boat patrols - uboat.net
|access-date=2 April 2010
}}
=Wolfpacks=
See also
References
{{reflist}}
Bibliography
{{Refbegin}}
- {{cite book | last1 = Busch | first1 = Rainer | last2 = Röll | first2 = Hans-Joachim | translator-last = Brooks | translator-first = Geoffrey | title = German U-boat commanders of World War II : a biographical dictionary | publisher = Greenhill Books, Naval Institute Press | location = London, Annapolis, Md | year = 1999 | isbn = 1-55750-186-6 }}
- {{cite book |last1=Busch |first1=Rainer |last2=Röll |first2=Hans-Joachim |title=Der U-Boot-Krieg, 1939-1945: Deutsche U-Boot-Verluste von September 1939 bis Mai 1945|trans-title=German U-boat losses from September 1939 to May 1945 |date=1999|volume=IV |publisher=Mittler|location=Hamburg, Berlin, Bonn |isbn=3-8132-0514-2 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=vXKwAAAAIAAJ |language=de}}
- {{cite book
|last1=Gröner
|first1=Erich
|last2=Jung
|first2=Dieter
|last3=Maass
|first3=Martin
|translator-last1=Thomas
|translator-first1=Keith
|translator-last2=Magowan
|translator-first2=Rachel
|year=1991
|title=U-boats and Mine Warfare Vessels
|volume=2
|series=German Warships 1815–1945
|location=London
|publisher=Conway Maritime Press
|isbn=0-85177-593-4
|ref=CITEREFGröner1991
}}
- {{cite book
|last=Kemp
|first=Paul
|title=U-Boats Destroyed - German Submarine Losses in the World Wars
|location=London
|year=1999
|publisher=Arms & Armour
|isbn=1-85409-515-3
}}
- {{cite book
|last=Bishop
|first=Chris
|title=Kriegsmarine U-Boats, 1939-45
|publisher=Amber Books
|location=London
|year=2006
|isbn=978-1-904687-96-2
}}
{{Refend}}
External links
- {{Cite web
|url=http://uboat.net/boats/u259.html
|title=The Type VIIC boat U-259
|last=Helgason
|first=Guðmundur
|website=German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net
|access-date=26 December 2014
}}
- {{cite web
|url=http://www.u-boot-archiv.de/dieboote/u0259.html
|title=U 259
|last=Hofmann
|first=Markus
|website=Deutsche U-Boote 1935-1945 - u-boot-archiv.de
|language=de
|access-date=26 December 2014
}}
{{German Type VII submarines}}
{{November 1942 shipwrecks}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:U0259}}
Category:German Type VIIC submarines
Category:U-boats commissioned in 1942
Category:World War II submarines of Germany
Category:World War II shipwrecks in the Mediterranean Sea
Category:Ships built in Bremen (state)
Category:U-boats sunk by British aircraft
Category:U-boats sunk by depth charges