German submarine U-255

	U-255 at Narvik flying four victory pennants and the flag of the merchant ship SS Paulus Potter after the attack on the ships of Convoy PQ 17
History
Nazi Germany
Name	U-255
Ordered	23 September 1939
Builder	Bremer Vulkan, Bremen-Vegesack
Yard number	20
Laid down	21 December 1940
Launched	8 October 1941
Commissioned	29 November 1941
Decommissioned	1 September 1944
Recommissioned	2 March 1945
Fate	Surrendered on 17 May 1945; Scuttled on 13 December 1945 during Operation Deadlight;
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;
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; 2 cm FlaK 30;
Service record
Part of:	8th U-boat Flotilla; 29 November 1941 – 30 June 1942; 11th U-boat Flotilla; 1 July 1942 – 31 May 1943; 13th U-boat Flotilla; 1 June – 30 November 1943; 7th U-boat Flotilla; 1 December 1943 – 1 September 1944; 13th U-boat Flotilla; 1 March – 8 May 1945;
Identification codes:	M 47 763
Commanders:	Kptlt. Reinhart Reche; 29 November 1941 – 6 June 1943; Oblt.z.S. Erich Harms; 7 June 1943 – August 1944; Oblt.z.S. Helmuth Heinrich; 2 March – 17 May 1945;
Operations:	15 patrols:; 1st patrol:; a. 23 June – 15 July 1942; b. 18 – 20 July 1942; 2nd patrol:; 4 August – 9 September 1942; 3rd patrol:; a. 13 – 25 September 1942; b. 29 September – 3 October 1942; c. 7 – 18 January 1943; 4th patrol:; 23 January – 9 February 1943; 5th patrol:; 22 February – 15 March 1943; 6th patrol:; a. 29 March – 29 April 1943; b. 9 – 16 July 1943; 7th patrol:; a. 19 July – 19 September 1943; b. 5 – 13 October 1943 ; 8th patrol:; 26 February – 11 April 1944; 9th patrol:; 6 – 8 May 1944; 10th patrol:; 6 – 15 June 1944; 11th patrol:; 22 – 24 April 1945; 12th patrol:; 28 – 30 April 1945; 13th patrol:; 2 – 3 May 1945; 14th patrol:; 5 – 7 May 1945; 15th patrol:; 8 – 19 May 1945;
Victories:	10 merchant ships sunk ; (47,640 GRT); 1 warship sunk ; (1,200 tons); 1 merchant ship total loss ; (7,191 GRT);

German submarine U-255 was a Type VIIC U-boat that served in Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine during World War II. The submarine was laid down on 21 December 1940 at the Bremer Vulkan yard at Bremen-Vegesack, launched on 8 October 1941 and commissioned on 29 November 1941 under the command of Kapitänleutnant Reinhart Reche.

One of the most successful U-boats to operate in Arctic waters, she operated from Norway during 1942–1943, and then from France in 1944–1945, sailing on 15 combat patrols, sinking ten merchant ships totalling 47,640 GRT and damaging another of 7,191 GRT enough for it to be written off as a total loss. She also sank the 1,200-tons Edsall-class destroyer escort USS Leopold. At the end of the war U-255 surrendered to the British, and was sunk during Operation Deadlight on 13 December 1945.

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