| U-255 | Type VIIC |
| Feldpost Number | M 47 763 |
| Construction Yard | Bremer Vulkan, Bremen-Vegesack |
| Yard Number | 20
|
| Ordered | 23rd Sep 1939 |
| Keel laid | 21st Dec 1940 |
| Launched | 8th Oct 1941 |
| Commissioned | 29th Nov 1941
|
| Baubelehrung | Baubelehrung U-Boote Nordsee, Bremen /
Kriegsschiffbaulehrabteilung für Unterseeboote Nordsee, Bremen /
6.KLA, Bremen
|
| Training, Flotillas and Duties |
| 11.41 - 06.42 | 8.U-Flottille, Königsberg & Danzig
Ausbildungsboot (under training)
|
| 06.42 - 05.43 | 11.U-Flottille, Bergen
Frontboot (operational)
|
| 06.43 - 11.43 | 13.U-Flottille, Trondheim
Frontboot (operational)
|
| 12.43 - 09.44 | 7.U-Flottille, St.Nazaire
Frontboot (operational)
|
| 10.44 - 03.45 | Decommissioned
|
| 03.45 - 05.45 | 13.U-Flottille, Trondheim
Frontboot (operational)
|
| Commanders |
| 09.41 - 06.43 | OL Reinhard Reche |
| 06.43 - 08.44 | OL Erich Harms
see also: U-3028 |
| 03.45 - 05.45 | OL Helmut Heinrich
see also: U-299 |
| Operations information for U-255 |
15.6.42 - 20.6.42
First Sailing
U-255 left Kiel under the command of Reinhart Reche on 15th Jun 1942 and arrived at Narvik on 20th Jun 1942 after five days. |
23.6.42 - 15.7.42
Second Sailing - active patrol
On the 23rd Jun 1942, U-255 left Narvik under the command of Reinhart Reche and returned to Narvik on 15th Jul 1942 after just over three weeks on patrol.
Reinhart Reche hit four ships on this patrol and all of them were in convoy, all of them from convoy PQ-17.
On 6th Jul 1942 he sank the American 7,191 ton John Witherspoon, sailing with convoy PQ-17.
On 7th Jul 1942 he sank the American 5,116 ton Alcoa Ranger, a member of convoy PQ-17.
On 8th Jul 1942 he sank the American 6,069 ton Olopana, part of convoy PQ-17.
On 13th Jul 1942 he sank the Dutch 7,168 ton Paulus Potter, from convoy PQ-17.
|
18.7.42 - 20.7.42
Third Sailing
U-255 departed under Reinhart Reche from Narvik on 18th Jul 1942 and arrived at Bergen on 20th Jul 1942 after two days. |
4.8.42 - 9.9.42
Fourth Sailing - active patrol
U-255 left Bergen under the command of Reinhart Reche on 4th Aug 1942 and after just over five weeks arrived at Neidenfjord on 9th Sep 1942. |
13.9.42 - 25.9.42
Fifth Sailing - active patrol
On the 13th Sep 1942, U-255 left Neidenfjord under the command of Reinhart Reche and arrived at Bergen on 25th Sep 1942 after more than one week.
Reinhart Reche hit one ship on this patrol from convoy QP-14.
On 20th Sep 1942 he sank the American 4,937 ton Silver Sword, sailing with convoy QP-14.
|
29.9.42 - 3.10.42
Sixth Sailing
U-255 departed under Reinhart Reche from Bergen on 29th Sep 1942 and after four days arrived at Kiel on 3rd Oct 1942. |
7.1.43 - 18.1.43
Seventh Sailing
U-255 left Kiel under the command of Reinhart Reche on 7th Jan 1943 and arrived at Hammerfest on 18th Jan 1943 after one and a half weeks. |
23.1.43 - 9.2.43
Eighth Sailing - active patrol
On the 23rd Jan 1943, U-255 left Hammerfest under the command of Reinhart Reche and after two and a half weeks arrived at Narvik on 9th Feb 1943.
Reinhart Reche hit three ships on this patrol, one was from convoy RA-52.
On 26th Jan 1943 he sank the Soviet 1,892 ton Ufa.
On 29th Jan 1943 he sank the Soviet 2,418 ton Krasnyj Partizan.
On 3rd Feb 1943 he sank the American 7,460 ton Greylock, a member of convoy RA-52.
|
22.2.43 - 15.3.43
Ninth Sailing - active patrol
U-255 departed under Reinhart Reche from Narvik on 22nd Feb 1943 and arrived back at Narvik three weeks later on 15th Mar 1943.
Reinhart Reche hit two ships on this patrol and both of them were in convoy, both of them were from convoy RA-53.
On 5th Mar 1943 he sank the American 4,978 ton Executive, part of convoy RA-53.
On 10th Mar 1943 he sank the American 7,191 ton Richard Bland, from convoy RA-53.
|
29.3.43 - 29.4.43
Tenth Sailing - active patrol
U-255 left Narvik under the command of Reinhart Reche on 29th Mar 1943 and after four and a half weeks arrived at Bergen on 29th Apr 1943.
At 0935HRS on 11th Apr 1943 U-255 came under attack from an aircraft of RAF 248+618 Squadron. U-255 was not damaged by the attack. |
9.7.43 - 16.7.43
Eleventh Sailing
On the 9th Jul 1943, U-255 left Bergen under the command of Erich Harms and arrived at Narvik on 16th Jul 1943 after one week. |
19.7.43 - 19.9.43
Twelfth Sailing - active patrol
U-255 departed under Erich Harms from Narvik on 19th Jul 1943 and returned nearly nine weeks later to Narvik on 19th Sep 1943.
Erich Harms hit one ship on this patrol.
On 27th Jul 1943 he sank the Soviet 300 ton Akademik Shokalskij.
|
5.10.43 - 13.10.43
Thirteenth Sailing
U-255 left Narvik under the command of Erich Harms on 5th Oct 1943 and arrived at Bergen on 13th Oct 1943 after just over one week. |
26.2.44 - 11.4.44
Fourteenth Sailing - active patrol
On the 26th Feb 1944, U-255 left Bergen under the command of Erich Harms and after six and a half weeks arrived at St. Nazaire on 11th Apr 1944.
Erich Harms hit one ship on this patrol from convoy CU-16.
On 9th Mar 1944 he sank the American 1,200 ton USS Leopold, sailing with convoy CU-16.
|
6.5.44 - 8.5.44
Fifteenth Sailing - active patrol
U-255 departed under Erich Harms from St. Nazaire on 6th May 1944 and arrived back at St. Nazaire on 8th May 1944 after two days on patrol. |
6.6.44 - 15.6.44
Sixteenth Sailing - active patrol
U-255 left St. Nazaire under the command of Erich Harms on 6th Jun 1944 and returned just over one week later to St. Nazaire on 15th Jun 1944. |
22.4.45 - 24.4.45
Seventeenth Sailing - active patrol
On the 22nd Apr 1945, U-255 left St. Nazaire under the command of Helmuth Heinrich and arrived at La Pallice on 24th Apr 1945 after two days. |
28.4.45 - 30.4.45
Eighteenth Sailing - active patrol
U-255 departed under Helmuth Heinrich from La Pallice on 28th Apr 1945 and after two days arrived at St. Nazaire on 30th Apr 1945. |
2.5.45 - 3.5.45
Nineteenth Sailing - active patrol
U-255 left St. Nazaire under the command of Helmuth Heinrich on 2nd May 1945 and arrived at La Pallice on 3rd May 1945 after one day. |
5.5.45 - 7.5.45
Twentieth Sailing - active patrol
On the 5th May 1945, U-255 left La Pallice under the command of Helmuth Heinrich and after two days arrived at St. Nazaire on 7th May 1945. |
8.5.45 - 19.5.45
Twentyfirst Sailing - active patrol
U-255 departed under Helmuth Heinrich from St. Nazaire on 8th May 1945 and arrived at Loch Alsh, UK on 19th May 1945 after one and a half weeks. |
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