German submarine U-271
History | |
---|---|
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 | 22 September 1942 |
Fate | Sunk, January 1944, by a US B-24 Liberator[1] |
General characteristics | |
Type | Type VIIC submarine |
Displacement | list error: <br /> list (help) 769 tonnes (757 long tons) surfaced 871 t (857 long tons) submerged |
Length | list error: <br /> list (help) 67.1 m (220 ft 2 in) o/a 50.5 m (165 ft 8 in) pressure hull |
Beam | list error: <br /> list (help) 6.2 m (20 ft 4 in) o/a 4.7 m (15 ft 5 in) pressure hull |
Draft | 4.74 m (15 ft 7 in) |
Propulsion | list error: <br /> list (help) 2 × supercharged Germaniawerft 6-cylinder 4-stroke M6V 40/46 diesel engines, totalling 2,800–3,200 bhp (2,100–2,400 kW). Max rpm: 470-490 2 × electric motors, totalling 750 shp (560 kW) and max rpm: 296. |
Speed | list error: <br /> list (help) 17.7 knots (20.4 mph; 32.8 km/h) surfaced 7.6 knots (8.7 mph; 14.1 km/h) submerged |
Range | list error: <br /> list (help) 15,170 km (8,190 nmi) at 10 kn (19 km/h) surfaced 150 km (81 nmi) at 4 kn (7.4 km/h) submerged |
Test depth | list error: <br /> list (help) 230 m (750 ft) Crush depth: 250–295 m (820–968 ft) |
Complement | 44–52 officers and ratings |
Armament | list error: <br /> list (help) • 5 × 53.3 cm (21 in) torpedo tubes (four bow, one stern) • 14 × G7e torpedoes or 26 TMA mines • 1 × 8.8 cm (3.46 in) deck gun(220 rounds) • Various AA guns |
Service record[2][3] | |
Part of: |
list error: <br /> list (help) 8th U-boat Flotilla (23 September 1942–31 May 1943) 1st U-boat Flotilla (1 June 1943–28 January 1944) |
Commanders: |
list error: <br /> list (help) Kplt. Curt Barleben (23 September 1942–28 January 1944) |
Operations: |
list error: <br /> list (help) Three patrols: 29 May–16 July 1943 2 October–3 November 1943 12 January–28 January 1944 |
Victories: | None |
German submarine U-271 was a Type VIIC U-boat of the Nazi German Kriegsmarine during World War II. The submarine was laid down on 21 October 1941 at the Bremer Vulkan yard at Bremen-Vegesack as 'werk' 36, launched on 29 July 1942 and commissioned on 22 September under the command of Kapitänleutnant Curt Barleben. After training with the 8th U-boat Flotilla, U-271 was transferred to the 1st U-boat Flotilla, for front-line service from 1 June 1943.
U-271 sank no ships in her short career. She was a member of two wolfpacks.
Service career
1st patrol
The boat's initial foray started and finished in Lorient in occupied France. It was relatively uneventful.
2nd patrol
It was a different story on her second patrol. While serving as a 'Flak' boat, U-271 was attacked by two TBM Avengers from the USS Core on 21 October 1943. One man died.
She was also attacked by a B-24 Liberator on 24 June south southeast of Cape Finisterre. The aircraft was shot down. The submarine sustained some damage.
3rd 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 an American Liberator.
Fifty-one men died; there were no survivors.
References
- Notes
- ^ Kemp, Paul: U-Boats Destroyed - German Submarine Losses in the World Wars, 1999, Arms & Armour, ISBN 1-85409-515-3, p. 165.
- ^ Helgason, Guðmundur. "The Type VIIC boat U-271 - German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net". uboat.net. Retrieved 4 August 2012.
- ^ Helgason, Guðmundur. "War Patrols by German U-boat U-271 - Boats - uboat.net". uboat.net. Retrieved 4 August 2012.
- Bibliography
External links
See also