German submarine U-256
History | |
---|---|
Nazi Germany | |
Name | U-256 |
Ordered | 23 December 1939 |
Builder | Bremer Vulkan, Bremen-Vegesack |
Yard number | 21 |
Laid down | 15 February 1941 |
Launched | 28 October 1941 |
Commissioned | 18 December 1941 |
Stricken | November 1942 |
Notes | Converted to a Flak boat, May 1943 |
Recommissioned | 16 August 1943 |
Stricken | 23 October 1944 |
Fate | Captured in May 1945 at Bergen, Norway, and broken up |
General characteristics | |
Class and 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: |
|
Identification codes: | M 47 855 |
Commanders: |
|
Operations: |
|
Victories: |
1 warship sunk (1,300 tons) |
German submarine U-256 was a Type VIIC U-boat of Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine during World War II, she also served for a short time as an anti-aircraft submarine under the designation U-flak 2. During her career, U-256 completed five wartime patrols and sank one warship of 1,300 tons.
The submarine was laid down on 15 February 1941 at the Bremer Vulkan yard at Bremen-Vegesack as yard number 21. She was launched on 28 October and commissioned on 18 December under the command of Oberleutnant zur See Odo Loewe.
U-256 was assigned to the
Design
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).
Service history
First patrol
U-256's first patrol began on 28 July 1942 during her transfer from Kiel, Germany to the 9. Unterseebootsflottille at Brest in occupied France.
During the patrol, U-256 unsuccessfully pursued
On the return journey, on the morning of 2 September, the U-boat was attacked by a British Whitley bomber of No. 77 Squadron RAF in the Bay of Biscay. The aircraft strafed and dropped several bombs, but the U-boat's flak hit the aircraft and it crashed into the sea. U-256 limped into Lorient the next day, due to the extensive damage from the two attacks, she was withdrawn from service in November 1942.[4]
Second patrol
During an overhaul which included extensive repairs, U-256 was converted to a Flakboot (Flak boat) in May 1943. One of just four U-boats so modified, she was given an increased complement of anti-aircraft guns, to give her and other German submarines a better chance of fighting off enemy aircraft. U-256 was re-commissioned as U-flak 2 on 16 August 1943.
The boat's second wartime patrol started on 4 October under the command of Oblt.z.S. Wilhelm Brauel; her mission was to rendezvous with and protect
On 8 October, the outbound boat was attacked by a
U-flak 2 was caught on the surface by the American destroyer USS Borie on 31 October. The U-boat escaped, but with minor depth charge damage.
On 16 November the inbound boat encountered a Halifax Mk.II aircraft of No. 502 Squadron RAF in the Bay of Biscay. The aircraft was damaged by flak and turned away. When the Halifax returned to the area, the U-boat had already escaped by crash-diving.[5]
U-flak 2 returned to her base at Brest on 17 November. The Flak conversion was not considered a success, U-flak 2 was converted back to her original configuration in the winter of 1943–44 and renamed U-256.
Third patrol
U-256's third patrol started on 25 January 1944. She steamed west and southwest of Ireland and on 20 February damaged the anti-submarine sloop,
Fourth patrol
U-256 sailed from Brest on 6 June 1944 "
Fifth patrol
On 4 September 1944, under the command of Korvettenkapitän Heinrich Lehmann-Willenbrock, U-256 became the last U-boat to leave Brest before the port was captured by the Allies. The transit from Brest to Bergen in Norway, would be U-256's last patrol. She reached her destination on 17 October, and was decommissioned there on 23 October.[9]
Wolfpacks
U-256 took part in five wolfpacks, namely:
- Steinbrinck (7 – 11 August 1942)
- Lohs (11 – 25 August 1942)
- Igel 2 (3 – 17 February 1944)
- Hai 1 (17 – 22 February 1944)
- Preussen (22 February - 13 March 1944)
Summary of raiding history
Date | Ship Name | Nationality | Tonnage[Note 1] | Fate[10] |
---|---|---|---|---|
20 February 1944 | HMS Woodpecker | Royal Navy | 1,300 | Sunk |
References
Notes
- gross register tons. Military vessels are listed by tons displacement.
Citations
- ^ Helgason, Guðmundur. "The Type VIIC boat U-256". German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net. Retrieved 15 January 2010.
- ^ Helgason, Guðmundur. "War Patrols by German U-boat U-256". German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net. Retrieved 15 January 2010.
- ^ a b c d Gröner, Jung & Maass 1991, pp. 43–46.
- ^ Helgason, Guðmundur. "Patrol of U-boat U-256 from 28 Jul 1942 to 3 Sep 1942". German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net. Retrieved 16 January 2010.
- ^ a b Helgason, Guðmundur. "Patrol of U-boat U-256 from 4 Oct 1943 to 17 Nov 1943". German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net. Retrieved 16 January 2010.
- ^ Helgason, Guðmundur. "HMS Woodpecker (U 08) (Sloop)". German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net. Retrieved 16 January 2010.
- ^ Helgason, Guðmundur. "Patrol of U-boat U-256 from 25 Jan 1944 to 22 Mar 1944". German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net. Retrieved 16 January 2010.
- ^ Helgason, Guðmundur. "Patrol of U-boat U-256 from 6 Jun 1944 to 8 Jun 1944". German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net. Retrieved 16 January 2010.
- ^ Helgason, Guðmundur. "Patrol of U-boat U-256 from 4 September 1944 to 17 October 1944 -". German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net. Retrieved 16 January 2010.
- ^ Helgason, Guðmundur. "Ships hit by U-256". German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net. Retrieved 22 October 2014.
Bibliography
- Bishop, Chris (2006). Kriegsmarine U-Boats, 1939-45. London: Amber Books. ISBN 978-1-904687-96-2.
- 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. ISBN 1-55750-186-6.
- Busch, Rainer; Röll, Hans-Joachim (1999). Der U-Boot-Krieg, 1939-1945: Deutsche U-Boot-Verluste von September 1939 bis Mai 1945 [German U-boat losses from September 1939 to May 1945] (in German). Vol. IV. Hamburg, Berlin, Bonn: Mittler. ISBN 3-8132-0514-2.
- Gröner, Erich; Jung, Dieter; Maass, Martin (1991). U-boats and Mine Warfare Vessels. German Warships 1815–1945. Vol. 2. Translated by Thomas, Keith; Magowan, Rachel. London: Conway Maritime Press. ISBN 0-85177-593-4.
- ISBN 1841768723.
External links
- Helgason, Guðmundur. "The U-flak boats". German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net. Retrieved 26 December 2014.
- Helgason, Guðmundur. "The Type VIIC boat U-256". German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net. Retrieved 26 December 2014.
- Hofmann, Markus. "U 256". Deutsche U-Boote 1935-1945 - u-boot-archiv.de (in German). Retrieved 26 December 2014.