German submarine U-279
History | |
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Nazi Germany | |
Name | U-279 |
Ordered | 10 April 1941 |
Builder | Bremer Vulkan, Bremen-Vegesack |
Yard number | 44 |
Laid down | 31 March 1942 |
Launched | 16 December 1942 |
Commissioned | 3 February 1943 |
Fate | Sunk on 4 October 1943 by an American aircraft[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 49 699 |
Commanders: |
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Operations: |
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Victories: | None |
German submarine U-279 was a
.The submarine was laid down on 31 March 1942 at the Bremer Vulkan yard at Bremen-Vegesack as yard number 44. She was launched on 16 December 1942 and commissioned on 3 February 1943 under the command of Kapitänleutnant Otto Franke.[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).
Service history
U-279 served with the 8th U-boat Flotilla for training from February to July 1943 and operationally with the 9th flotilla from 1 August 1943.[1] She carried out one patrol, but sank no ships. She was a member of one wolfpack.
Patrol and loss
The boat departed Kiel on 4 September 1943. She entered the Atlantic Ocean after negotiating the gap between Iceland and the Faroe Islands. She was sunk exactly a month after her departure (4 October), by depth charges dropped from a US Ventura aircraft southwest of Iceland.[4] There were men in boats and in the water, but the Ventura could not call for assistance. Its radio had been put out of commission during the attack.[5][6]
Forty-eight men died; there were no survivors.
Wolfpacks
U-279 took part in one wolfpack, namely:
- Rossbach (24 September – 4 October 1943)
Previously recorded fate
The submarine was initially categorized as having been sunk by a British
References
- ^ a b c d Helgason, Guðmundur. "The Type VIIC boat U-279". German U-boats of WWII – uboat.net. Retrieved 5 August 2012.
- ^ Helgason, Guðmundur. "War Patrols by German U-boat U-279". German U-boats of WWII – uboat.net. Retrieved 5 August 2012.
- ^ a b c d Gröner 1991, pp. 43–46.
- ^ Kemp 1999, pp. 147–8.
- ^ Helgason, Guðmundur. "The Type VIIC boat U-279 – German U-boats of WWII – uboat.net". German U-boats of WWII – uboat.net. Retrieved 26 December 2014.
- ^ Hofmann, Markus. "U 279". Deutsche U-Boote 1935–1945 – u-boot-archiv.de (in German). 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.
- 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-279". German U-boats of WWII – uboat.net. Retrieved 26 December 2014.
- Hofmann, Markus. "U 279". Deutsche U-Boote 1935–1945 – u-boot-archiv.de (in German). Retrieved 26 December 2014.