![]() U-55 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) anti-aircraft gun The boat had a complement of between forty-four and sixty. When submerged, the boat could operate for 90 nautical miles (170 km 100 mi) at 4 knots (7.4 km/h 4.6 mph) when surfaced, she could travel 8,700 nautical miles (16,100 km 10,000 mi) at 10 knots (19 km/h 12 mph). The submarine had a maximum surface speed of 17.9 knots (33.2 km/h 20.6 mph) and a maximum submerged speed of 8 knots (15 km/h 9.2 mph). The boat was capable of operating at depths of up to 230 metres (750 ft). She had two shafts and two 1.23 m (4 ft) propellers. The submarine was powered by two MAN M 6 V 40/46 four-stroke, six-cylinder supercharged diesel 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 AEG GU 460/8-276 double-acting electric motors producing a total of 750 metric horsepower (550 kW 740 shp) for use while submerged. U-55 had a displacement of 753 tonnes (741 long tons) when at the surface and 857 tonnes (843 long tons) while submerged. German Type VIIB submarines were preceded by the shorter Type VIIA submarines. Launched on 19 October 1939, she went into service on 21 November 1939 under the command of Kapitänleutnant ( Kptlt.) Werner Heidel. She was ordered on 16 July 1937 and laid down on 2 November 1938 at Friedrich Krupp Germaniawerft in Kiel as yard number 590. German submarine U-55 was a Type VIIB U-boat of Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine during World War II. 5 × 53.3 cm (21 in) torpedo tubes (four bow, one stern).
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