German submarine U-278
History | |
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Nazi Germany | |
Name | U-278 |
Ordered | 10 April 1941 |
Builder | Bremer Vulkan, Bremen-Vegesack |
Yard number | 43 |
Laid down | 26 March 1942 |
Launched | 2 December 1942 |
Commissioned | 16 January 1943 |
Fate |
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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 49 691 |
Commanders: |
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Operations: |
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Victories: |
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German submarine U-278 was a
.The submarine was laid down on 26 March 1942 at the Bremer Vulkan yard at Bremen-Vegesack as yard number 43. She was launched on 2 December and commissioned on 16 January 1943 under the command of Oberleutnant zur See Joachim Franze.[1]
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).
Armament
FLAK weaponry
U-278 was mounted with two
-
2 cm Flak C38 in a M43U Zwilling mount with short folding shield.
Service history
U-278 served with the 8th U-boat Flotilla for training from January to September 1943 and operationally with the 7th U-boat Flotilla from 1 October 1943. She was reassigned to the 11th flotilla until 31 August 1944 and then the 13th flotilla until the war's end.[1] She carried out seven patrols, sinking two ships; a commercial vessel of 7,177 GRT and a warship of 1,810 tons. She was a member of eight wolfpacks.
She carried out a short voyage between Kiel in Germany and Bergen in Norway over December 1943 and January 1944.
First patrol
The boat departed Bergen on 8 January 1944 and sank the Penelope Barker on the 25th, about 115 nautical miles (213 km; 132 mi) north of the North Cape. She docked at Hammerfest on the 28th.
Second and third patrols
She sank the British
On her third sortie, she steamed through the Norwegian and Barents Seas.
Fourth patrol
U-278 left Hammerfest on 24 April 1944. On 3 May she was attacked by a
The boat then embarked on a series of short 'hops' between Bergen, Ramsund and Narvik in July 1944.
Fifth patrol
Patrol number five was her longest at 63 days. It took the submarine north and east to the Kara Sea.
She then moved from Narvik to Trondheim in October 1944.
Sixth patrol
This sortie was divided into two parts, during which the boat travelled as far as the northern coast of Scotland.
Seventh patrol and surrender
Her last patrol was from Narvik, between 10 April 1945 and 9 May.
Following the German capitulation, the boat was moved from Norway to Loch Eriboll in Scotland, for Operation Deadlight. She was sunk on 31 December 1945 by gunfire from HMS Onslaught and ORP Blyskawica.[5]
Summary of raiding history
Date | Ship Name | Nationality | Tonnage[Note 1] | Fate[6] |
---|---|---|---|---|
25 January 1944 | Penelope Barker | United States | 7,177 | Sunk |
30 January 1944 | HMS Hardy | Royal Navy | 1,810 | Sunk |
References
Notes
- gross register tons. Military vessels are listed by tons displacement.
Citations
- ^ a b c Helgason, Guðmundur. "The Type VIIC boat U-278". German U-boats of WWII – uboat.net. Retrieved 5 August 2012.
- ^ Helgason, Guðmundur. "War Patrols by German U-boat U-278". German U-boats of WWII – uboat.net. Retrieved 5 August 2012.
- ^ a b c d Gröner 1991, pp. 43–46.
- ^ Base on war-time photographs.
- ^ Hofmann, Markus. "U 278". Deutsche U-Boote 1935–1945 – u-boot-archiv.de (in German). Retrieved 26 December 2014.
- ^ Helgason, Guðmundur. "Ships hit by U-278". German U-boats of WWII – uboat.net. Retrieved 26 December 2014.
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.
External links
- Helgason, Guðmundur. "The Type VIIC boat U-278". German U-boats of WWII – uboat.net. Retrieved 26 December 2014.
- Hofmann, Markus. "U 278". Deutsche U-Boote 1935–1945 – u-boot-archiv.de (in German). Retrieved 26 December 2014.