German Type VIIC submarines were preceded by the shorter Type VIIB submarines. U-70 had a displacement of 769 tonnes (757 long tons) when at the surface and 871 tonnes (857 long tons) while submerged.[4] She had a total length of 67.10 m (220 ft 2 in), a pressure hull length of 50.50 m (165 ft 8 in), a beam of 6.20 m (20 ft 4 in), a height of 9.60 m (31 ft 6 in), and a draught of 4.74 m (15 ft 7 in). The submarine was powered by two Germaniawerft F46 four-stroke, six-cylinder superchargeddiesel engines producing a total of 2,800 to 3,200 metric horsepower (2,060 to 2,350 kW; 2,760 to 3,160 shp) for use while surfaced, two Garbe, Lahmeyer & Co. RP 137/c double-acting electric motors producing a total of 750 metric horsepower (550 kW; 740 shp) for use while submerged. She had two shafts and two 1.23 m (4 ft) propellers. The boat was capable of operating at depths of up to 230 metres (750 ft).[4]
The submarine had a maximum surface speed of 17.7 knots (32.8 km/h; 20.4 mph) and a maximum submerged speed of 7.6 knots (14.1 km/h; 8.7 mph).[4] When submerged, the boat could operate for 80 nautical miles (150 km; 92 mi) at 4 knots (7.4 km/h; 4.6 mph); when surfaced, she could travel 8,500 nautical miles (15,700 km; 9,800 mi) at 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph). U-70 was fitted with five 53.3 cm (21 in) torpedo tubes (four fitted at the bow and one at the stern), fourteen torpedoes, one 8.8 cm (3.46 in) SK C/35 naval gun, 220 rounds, and one 2 cm (0.79 in) C/30anti-aircraft gun. The boat had a complement of between forty-four and sixty.[4]
Service history
U-70's first and only patrol began on 20 February 1941. On 26 February she sank the 820 GRT Swedish merchant ship Göteborg, south of Iceland.[5]
U-70 joined U-47, U-99, and UA[6] in a wolfpack that attacked Convoy OB 293 south-east of Iceland on 7 March 1941. In her first attack at 04:45 U-70 damaged the 6,568 GRT British tankerAthelbeach (later sunk by U-99),[7] and the 6,423 GRT British merchant vesselDelilian.[8]
At 07:25 U-70 struck again and hit the 7,493 GRT Dutch tanker Mijdrecht. However the master spotted the periscope of U-70, rammed the submerged U-boat at 7 knots (13 km/h; 8.1 mph), damaging the conning tower and reported its position to the convoy escorts.[9]
Fate
At 08:15, the British corvetteHMS Camellia sighted U-70, which promptly dived. Until 10:30 Camellia and her sister shipHMS Arbutus attacked five times with depth charges, then Arbutus made another four attacks. In total the two corvettes dropped 48 depth charges. Finally, at 12:44, U-70 was forced to the surface and was abandoned by her crew at 60°15′N14°00′W / 60.250°N 14.000°W / 60.250; -14.000. Twenty-five survivors of her crew of forty-five,[2] were picked up and taken prisoner.[9][1]
^ abHelgason, Guðmundur. "The Type VIIC boat U-70". German U-boats of WWII – uboat.net. Archived from the original on 3 May 2009. Retrieved 22 December 2009.
^Helgason, Guðmundur. "Göteborg (Steam merchant)". German U-boats of WWII – uboat.net. Archived from the original on 12 June 2010. Retrieved 22 December 2009.
^Helgason, Guðmundur. "Convoy OB-293". German U-boats of WWII – uboat.net. Archived from the original on 11 April 2021. Retrieved 22 December 2009.
^Helgason, Guðmundur. "Athelbeach (Motor tanker)". German U-boats of WWII – uboat.net. Archived from the original on 2 February 2016. Retrieved 22 December 2009.
^Helgason, Guðmundur. "Delilian (Steam merchant)". German U-boats of WWII – uboat.net. Archived from the original on 2 February 2016. Retrieved 22 December 2009.
^ abHelgason, Guðmundur. "Mijdrecht (Motor tanker)". German U-boats of WWII – uboat.net. Archived from the original on 12 June 2010. Retrieved 22 December 2009.
^Helgason, Guðmundur. "Ships hit by U-70". German U-boats of WWII – uboat.net. Archived from the original on 5 September 2008. Retrieved 25 November 2012.
Bibliography
Busch, Rainer; Röll, Hans-Joachim (1999). German U-boat commanders of World War II : a biographical dictionary. Translated by Brooks, Geoffrey. London, Annapolis, Md: Greenhill Books, Naval Institute Press. ISBN1-55750-186-6.
