German submarine U-69 (1940)

Type VIIC U-boat
History
Nazi Germany
Name	U-69
Ordered	30 May 1938
Builder	Germaniawerft, Kiel
Cost	4.439.000 Reichsmark
Yard number	603
Laid down	11 November 1939
Launched	19 September 1940
Commissioned	2 November 1940
Fate	Sunk, 17 February 1943 by HMS Fame
General characteristics
Class and type	Type VIIC submarine
Displacement	769 tonnes (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)
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	17.7 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	4 officers, 40–56 enlisted
Armament	5 × 53.3 cm (21 in) torpedo tubes (four bow, one stern) 14 × torpedoes or 26 TMA mines 1 × 8.8 cm (3.46 in) deck gun (220 rounds) 1 × 2 cm (0.79 in) C/30 anti-aircraft guns
Service record
Part of:	7th U-boat Flotilla 2 November 1940 – 17 February 1943
Identification codes:	M 25 172
Commanders:	Kptlt. Jost Metzler 2 November 1940 – 28 August 1941 Oblt.z.S. Hans-Jürgen Auffermann 24 – 28 August 1941 Kptlt. Wilhelm Zahn 28 August 1941 – 31 March 1942 Oblt.z.S. / Kptlt. Ulrich Gräf 31 March 1942 – 17 February 1943
Operations:	10 patrols: 1st patrol: 10 February – 1 March 1941 2nd patrol: 18 March – 11 April 1941 3rd patrol: 5 May – 8 July 1941 4th patrol: 21 – 27 August 1941 5th patrol: 1 September – 1 October 1941 6th patrol: 30 October – 8 December 1941 7th patrol: a. 18 – 26 January 1942 b. 31 January – 17 March 1942 8th patrol: 12 April – 25 June 1942 9th patrol: 15 August – 5 November 1942 10th patrol: 2 January – 17 February 1943
Victories:	17 merchant ships sunk (67,515 GRT) 1 merchant ship total loss (5,445 GRT) 1 merchant ship damaged (4,887 GRT)

German submarine U-69 was the first Type VIIC U-boat of the German Navy (Kriegsmarine) during World War II. This meant that compared to previous U-boats, she could travel further afield for longer, with a payload of fourteen torpedoes, an 8.8 cm (3.5 in) deck gun for smaller vessels and a flak gun for use against aircraft. U-69 was very successful, sinking over 72,000 gross register tons (GRT) of Allied shipping in a career lasting two years, making her one of the longest surviving, continuously serving, U-boats. Her most notable attack was on the civilian ferry SS Caribou, which sank off the coast of Newfoundland five minutes after being torpedoed in October 1942, killing 137 men, women and children. She was rammed and sunk by HMS Fame on 17 February 1943.