| German submarine U-681 | |
|---|---|
| Career (Nazi Germany) |  |
| Name: | U-681 |
| Ordered: | 5 June 1941 |
| Builder: | Howaldtswerke, Hamburg |
| Yard number: | 830 |
| Laid down: | 21 October 1942 |
| Launched: | 20 November 1943 |
| Commissioned: | 3 February 1944 |
| General characteristics [1] | |
| Class & type: | Type VIIC submarine |
| Displacement: |
769 t (757 long 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) |
| Height: | 9.60 m (31 ft 6 in) |
| Draft: | 4.74 m (15 ft 7 in) |
| Propulsion: |
2 × supercharged Germaniawerft 6-cylinder 4-stroke F46 diesel engines, totalling 2,800–3,200 PS (2,800–3,200 bhp; 2,100–2,400 kW). Max rpm: 470-490 2 × SSW double-acting electric motors, totaling 750 PS (740 shp; 550 kW) and max rpm: 296. |
| Speed: |
17.7 knots (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: | 44–52 officers & ratings |
| Armament: |
|
| Service record | |
|---|---|
| Identification codes: | M 49 036 |
| Commanders: | Oblt.z.S.d.R. Helmut Bach |
| Operations: | 1 war patrol |
| Victories: | no ships sunk |
German submarine U-681 was a Type VIIC U-boat of Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine during World War II. The submarine was laid down on 12 October 1942 at the Howaldtswerke yard at Hamburg, launched on 20 November 1943, and commissioned on 3 February 1944 under the command of Oberleutnant zur See d.R. Helmut Bach.
Attached to 5th U-boat Flotilla based at Kiel, U-681 completed her training period on 31 October 1944 and was assigned to front-line service.
Service history[]
On 10 March 1945, U-681 grounded off Scilly, damaging the pressure hull and propellers. Unable to dive, Werner Gebauer, the commander of the U-boat, headed for the Irish coast, hoping for internment by Irish authorities. However, the next morning Liberator N of VPB-103 spotted U-681 on the surface and went in for the attack. Eight depth charges further damaged the U-boat, and Gebauer ordered the crew to abandon ship. With sea cocks opened and demolition charges set, U-681 submerged followed by a massive explosion. Of the crew of 47, a British escort picked up 38 survivors.[2]
References[]
- ↑ Gröner 1985, pp. 72-74.
- ↑ Busch, Röll 1999, p. 323.
Bibliography[]
- Busch, Rainer; Röll, Hans-Joachim (1999) (in German). Deutsche U-Boot-Verluste von September 1939 bis Mai 1945. IV. Hamburg, Berlin, Bonn: Mittler. ISBN 3-8132-0514-2.
- Gröner, Erich (1985) (in German). U-Boote, Hilfskreuzer, Minenschiffe, Netzleger, Sperrbrecher. III. Koblenz: Bernard & Graefe. ISBN 3-7637-4802-4.
External links[]
- Helgason, Guðmundur. "The Type VIIC boat U-681". http://www.uboat.net/boats/u681.html. Retrieved 23 July 2015.
Coordinates: 49°53′N 6°31′W / 49.883°N 6.517°W
The original article can be found at German submarine U-681 and the edit history here.