German submarine U-556

History
Nazi Germany
NameU-556
Ordered25 September 1939
BuilderBlohm & Voss, Hamburg
Yard number532
Laid down2 January 1940
Launched7 December 1940
Commissioned6 February 1941
FateSunk on 27 June 1941[1]
General characteristics
Class and typeType VIIC submarine
Displacement
Length
Beam
  • 6.20 m (20 ft 4 in) o/a
  • 4.70 m (15 ft 5 in) pressure hull
Height9.60 m (31 ft 6 in)
Draught4.74 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
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)
Complement4 officers, 40–56 enlisted
Armament
Service record[2][3]
Part of:
Identification codes: M 36 839
Commanders:
Operations:
  • 2 patrols:
  • 1st patrol:
  • 1 – 30 May 1941
  • 2nd patrol:
  • 19 – 27 June 1941
Victories:
  • 6 merchant ships sunk
    (29,552 GRT)
  • 1 merchant ship damaged
    (4,986 GRT)

German submarine U-556 was a Type VIIC U-boat of Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine during World War II. She was laid down on 2 January 1940 at the Blohm & Voss yard in Hamburg as yard number 532, launched on 7 December 1940, and commissioned on 6 February 1941 under the command of Kapitänleutnant Herbert Wohlfarth, who commanded her for her entire career that lasted less than five months. U-556 conducted only two patrols, sinking six ships totalling 29,552 gross register tons (GRT) and damaging one other of 4,986 GRT, before she was sunk on 27 June 1941.

  1. ^ Kemp 1997, p. 71.
  2. ^ Helgason, Guðmundur. "The Type VIIC boat U-556". German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net. Retrieved 15 February 2010.
  3. ^ Helgason, Guðmundur. "War Patrols by German U-boat U-556". German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net. Retrieved 15 February 2010.