Original Item. One-of-a-Kind. German submarine U-510 was a Type IXC U-boat of Germany's Kriegsmarine during World War II, which later served in the French Navy. The submarine was laid down on 1 November 1940 at the Deutsche Werft yard at Hamburg as yard number 306, launched on 4 September 1941, and commissioned on 25 November 1941 under the command of Korvettenkapitän Karl Neitzel. The U-boat was captured by American forces at Saint-Nazaire on 10 May 1945. Renamed Bouan she served in the French Navy from 1947 until struck on 1 May 1959. The submarine was broken up in 1960.

This is a fantastic period brass model of U-510, which was likely made by a German sailor after it was captured. The model is very heavy, and sits atop a 15 x 4 ½” wooden base with four corner feet. One of the corner feet is very loose and may break off before arrival, but it can be glued back on easily.

There is a plaque on the base engraved:

U 510 - I - 750 T.
LA - PALLICE

La Pallice (also known as grand port maritime de La Rochelle) is the commercial deep-water port of La Rochelle, France. Under the German Occupation of France, La Pallice was used as a U-boat base (Base sous-marine de La Rochelle (fr)) from October 1941 when the 3rd U-boat Flotilla was moved there from its base in Kiel. La Pallice was subject to the allied siege of La Rochelle in 1944–45, which ended with the capitulation of Germany. This is where U-510 was stationed at the end of the war after it was captured in the nearby Saint-Nazaire on 10 May 1945. Awarded to the French in 1946, she was commissioned into the French Navy, and renamed Bouan (S.612) on 24 June 1947. She served until struck on 1 May 1959, renamed hull Q.176 on 23 November 1959, and was broken up in 1960.

The model is very in-depth and hand-made, with guns on top and a conning tower. Some of the pieces are loose but the model has held up very well over the years. 

This is an outstanding model of a very well-seasoned submarine that served on seven patrols. It scored 11 merchant ships sunk, 1 auxiliary warship sunk, 3 merchant ships total loss, and 8 merchant ships damaged. Ready for display!

After training with the 4th U-boat Flotilla at Stettin, U-510 was transferred to the 10th U-boat Flotilla based at Lorient in occupied France, for front-line service on 1 August 1942. Kapitänleutnant Alfred Eick took command of the U-boat on 22 May 1943, and she was transferred to the 33rd flotilla on 1 October 1944 while operating in Southeast Asian waters. During her seven war patrols the U-boat sank twelve ships totalling 71,349 gross register tons (GRT), damaged eight, totalling 53,289 GRT and cause three total loss, totalling 24,338 GRT.