German submarine U-608

History
Nazi Germany
Name	U-608
Ordered	22 May 1940
Builder	Blohm & Voss, Hamburg
Yard number	584
Laid down	27 March 1941
Launched	11 December 1941
Commissioned	5 February 1942
Fate	Scuttled on 10 August 1944
General characteristics
Class & 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	As U-441 : 4 officers, 40–56 enlisted; As U-flak 1 : 67 officers & ratings;
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 x 2 cm (0.79 in) C/30 AA gun;
Service record
Part of:	5th U-boat Flotilla; 5 February – 31 August 1942; 6th U-boat Flotilla; 1 September 1942 – 10 August 1944;
Identification codes:	M 30 340
Commanders:	Kptlt. Rolf Struckmeier; 5 February 1942 – 12 January 1944; Oblt.z.S. Wolfgang Reisener; 21 January – 10 August 1944;
Operations:	9 patrols:; 1st patrol:; 20 August – 24 September 1942; 2nd patrol:; 20 October – 9 December 1942; 3rd patrol:; 20 January – 29 March 1943; 4th patrol:; 8 May – 18 July 1943; 5th patrol:; a. 23 – 25 September 1943; b. 2 October – 28 November 1943; 6th patrol:; 29 January – 3 April 1944; 7th patrol:; 6 – 14 June 1944; 8th patrol:; 22 – 23 July 1944; 9th patrol:; 7 – 10 August 1944;
Victories:	4 merchant ships sunk ; (35,539 GRT); 1 warship sunk ; (291 tons);

German submarine U-608 was a Type VIIC U-boat of Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine during World War II. During the Battle of the Atlantic, she was commanded by Kapitänleutnant Rolf Struckmeier as a unit of Wolfpack Vorwärts.

She was scuttled in the Bay of Biscay on 10 August 1944 after being attacked by a RAF Liberator aircraft with depth charges.

History

Nazi Germany
Name	U-608
Ordered	22 May 1940
Builder	Blohm & Voss, Hamburg
Yard number	584
Laid down	27 March 1941
Launched	11 December 1941
Commissioned	5 February 1942
Fate	Scuttled on 10 August 1944
General characteristics
Class & 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	As U-441 : 4 officers, 40–56 enlisted As U-flak 1 : 67 officers & ratings
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 x 2 cm (0.79 in) C/30 AA gun
Service record
Part of:	5th U-boat Flotilla 5 February – 31 August 1942 6th U-boat Flotilla 1 September 1942 – 10 August 1944
Identification codes:	M 30 340
Commanders:	Kptlt. Rolf Struckmeier 5 February 1942 – 12 January 1944 Oblt.z.S. Wolfgang Reisener 21 January – 10 August 1944
Operations:	9 patrols: 1st patrol: 20 August – 24 September 1942 2nd patrol: 20 October – 9 December 1942 3rd patrol: 20 January – 29 March 1943 4th patrol: 8 May – 18 July 1943 5th patrol: a. 23 – 25 September 1943 b. 2 October – 28 November 1943 6th patrol: 29 January – 3 April 1944 7th patrol: 6 – 14 June 1944 8th patrol: 22 – 23 July 1944 9th patrol: 7 – 10 August 1944
Victories:	4 merchant ships sunk (35,539 GRT) 1 warship sunk (291 tons)