German submarine U-268
History | |
---|---|
Nazi Germany | |
Name: | U-268 |
Ordered: | 20 January 1941 |
Builder: | Bremer Vulkan, Bremen-Vegesack |
Yard number: | 33 |
Laid down: | 4 September 1941 |
Launched: | 9 June 1942 |
Commissioned: | 29 July 1942 |
Fate: | Sunk by a British aircraft, February 1943 |
General characteristics | |
Class & type: | Type VIIC submarine |
Displacement: |
|
Length: |
|
Beam: |
|
Height: | 9.60 m (31 ft 6 in) |
Draught: | 4.74 m (15 ft 7 in) |
Installed power: |
|
Propulsion: |
|
Speed: |
|
Range: | |
Test depth: |
|
Complement: | 4 officers, 40–56 enlisted |
Armament: |
|
Service record[1][2] | |
Part of: |
|
Commanders: |
|
Operations: | one patrol: 10 January – 19 February 1943 |
Victories: |
German submarine U-268 was a Type VIIC U-boat built for Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine for service during World War II.
Commissioned on 29 July 1942, she served with the 8th U-boat Flotilla for training and later served with the 1st U-boat Flotilla from 1 to 19 February 1943.
Contents
Design
German Type VIIC submarines were preceded by the shorter Type VIIB submarines. U-268 had a displacement of 769 tonnes (757 long tons) when at the surface and 871 tonnes (857 long tons) while submerged.[3] 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 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 460/8–27 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).[3]
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).[3] 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-268 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 an anti-aircraft gun. The boat had a complement of between forty-four and sixty.[3]
Service history
U-268 departed Bergen on 10 January 1943 on her first and only patrol. She sank the 14,547 GRT ship Vestfold, which was laden with 17,386 tons of fuel oil, and three British landing craft - HMS LCT-2239, LCT-2267 and LCT-2344 (each 291 tons) - as deck cargo. Before sinking, Vestfold, which had been abandoned with her engines still running, steamed in circles, almost colliding with another ship.[4]
U-268 was sunk with all 44 hands on 19 February 1943 in the Bay of Biscay, west of Nantes, at position Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found. by depth charges dropped from a Vickers Wellington bomber of No.172 Squadron RAF.[1]
Wolfpacks
U-268 took part in five wolfpacks, namely.
- Habicht (10–15 January 1943)
- Falke (15–19 January 1943)
- Haudegen (19 January - 2 February 1943)
- Nordsturm (2–9 February 1943)
- Haudegen (9–10 February 1943)
Summary of raiding history
Date | Ship Name | Nationality | Displacement | Fate[5] |
---|---|---|---|---|
17 January 1943 | HMS LCT-2239 | Royal Navy | 291 | Sunk* |
17 January 1943 | HMS LCT-2267 | Royal Navy | 291 | Sunk* |
17 January 1943 | HMS LCT-2244 | Royal Navy | 291 | Sunk* |
17 January 1943 | Vestfold | Panama | 14,547 | Sunk |
* Being carried aboard the Vestfold
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 Gröner 1991, pp. 43-46.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
Bibliography
- Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
External links
- Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- Use dmy dates from February 2011
- German Type VIIC submarines
- U-boats commissioned in 1942
- U-boats sunk in 1943
- World War II submarines of Germany
- Shipwrecks of the Biscay coast
- World War II shipwrecks in the Atlantic Ocean
- 1942 ships
- Ships built in Bremen (state)
- U-boats sunk by British aircraft
- U-boats sunk by depth charges
- Ships lost with all hands
- Maritime incidents in February 1943