German submarine U-271
History | |
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Nazi Germany | |
Name | U-271 |
Ordered | 20 January 1941 |
Builder | Bremer Vulkan, Bremen-Vegesack |
Yard number | 36 |
Laid down | 21 October 1941 |
Launched | 29 July 1942 |
Commissioned | 23 September 1942 |
Fate | Sunk on 28 January 1944, by a US B-24 Liberator[1] |
General characteristics | |
Class and type | Type VIIC submarine |
Displacement | |
Length |
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Beam |
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Height | 9.60 m (31 ft 6 in) |
Draught | 4.74 m (15 ft 7 in) |
Installed power |
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Propulsion |
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Speed |
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Range | |
Test depth |
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Complement | 4 officers, 40–56 enlisted |
Armament |
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Service record[1][2] | |
Part of: |
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Identification codes: | M 49 368 |
Commanders: |
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Operations: |
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Victories: | None |
German submarine U-271 was a
U-271 sank no ships in her short career. She was a member of two wolfpacks.
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
The boat's initial foray started and finished in Lorient in occupied France. It was relatively uneventful.
Second patrol
It was a different story on her second patrol. While serving as a 'Flak' boat, U-271 was attacked by two
She was also attacked by a
Third patrol and loss
U-271 set off from Brest for the last time on 12 January 1944. On the 28th she was attacked and sunk west of Limerick in Ireland by a US Navy PB4Y-1 Liberator of VB-103.
Fifty-one men died; there were no survivors.
Wolfpacks
U-271 took part in two wolfpacks, namely:
- Rügen (21 – 26 January 1944)
- Hinein (26 – 28 January 1944)
References
- ^ a b Helgason, Guðmundur. "The Type VIIC boat U-271". German U-boats of WWII – uboat.net. Retrieved 4 August 2012.
- ^ Helgason, Guðmundur. "War Patrols by German U-boat U-271". German U-boats of WWII – uboat.net. Retrieved 4 August 2012.
- ^ a b c d Gröner 1991, pp. 43–46.
Bibliography
- 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.
- Kemp, Paul (1999). U-Boats Destroyed – German Submarine Losses in the World Wars. London: Arms & Armour. ISBN 1-85409-515-3.
External links
- Helgason, Guðmundur. "The Type VIIC boat U-271". German U-boats of WWII – uboat.net. Retrieved 26 December 2014.
- Hofmann, Markus. "U 271". Deutsche U-Boote 1935–1945 – u-boot-archiv.de (in German). Retrieved 26 December 2014.