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German submarine U 1063

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Name
  
U-1063

Yard number
  
700

Commissioned
  
8 July 1944

Construction started
  
17 August 1943

Length
  
67 m

Beam
  
6.2 m

Ordered
  
14 October 1941

Laid down
  
17 August 1943

Fate
  
Sunk, 15 April 1945

Launched
  
8 June 1944

Draft
  
4.74 m

Builder
  
Friedrich Krupp Germaniawerft

Part of
  
5th U-boat Flotilla, 11th U-boat Flotilla

German submarine U-1063 was a Type VIIC/41 submarine of Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine during World War II. Her keel was laid down on 17 August 1943 by Germaniawerft in Kiel. She was commissioned on 8 July 1944 with Kapitänleutnant Karl-Heinz Stephan in command.

Contents

Design

German Type VIIC/41 submarines were preceded by the heavier Type VIIC submarines. U-1063 had a displacement of 759 tonnes (747 long tons) when at the surface and 860 tonnes (850 long tons) while submerged. She had a total length of 67.10 m (220 ft 2 in), a pressure hull length of 50.50 m (165 ft 8 in), a beam of 6.20 m (20 ft 4 in), a height of 9.60 m (31 ft 6 in), and a draught of 4.74 m (15 ft 7 in). The submarine was powered by two Germaniawerft F46 four-stroke, six-cylinder supercharged 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, two AEG GU 460/8–27 double-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).

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). 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-1063 was fitted with five 53.3 cm (21 in) torpedo tubes (four fitted at the bow and one at the stern), fourteen torpedoes, one 8.8 cm (3.46 in) SK C/35 naval gun, 220 rounds, and an anti-aircraft gun. The boat had a complement of between forty-four and sixty.

Service history

On her first patrol U-1063 was sunk on 15 April 1945 in the English Channel east of Land's End, south of Bigbury, Devon, in position 50°08′54″N 03°53′24″W, by squid depth charges from the British frigate HMS Loch Killin. 29 of the crew were killed, there were 17 survivors. She lies at a depth of 58 metres (190 ft).

References

German submarine U-1063 Wikipedia