German submarine U-261
| Career |  |
|---|---|
| Name: | U-261 |
| Ordered: | 23 December 1939 |
| Builder: | Bremer Vulkan, Bremen-Vegesack |
| Yard number: | 26 |
| Laid down: | 17 May 1941 |
| Launched: | 16 February 1942 |
| Commissioned: | 28 March 1942 |
| Fate: | Sunk, September 1942[1] |
| General characteristics | |
| Type: | Type VIIC submarine |
| Displacement: |
769 tonnes (757 long tons) surfaced 871 t (857 long tons) submerged |
| Length: |
67.1 m (220 ft 2 in) o/a 50.5 m (165 ft 8 in) pressure hull |
| Beam: |
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: |
2 × supercharged Germaniawerft 6-cylinder 4-stroke F46 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: |
17.7 knots (32.8 km/h; 20.4 mph) surfaced 7.6 knots (14.1 km/h; 8.7 mph) submerged |
| Range: |
15,170 km (8,190 nmi) at 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph) surfaced 150 km (81 nmi) at 4 knots (7.4 km/h; 4.6 mph) submerged |
| Test depth: |
230 m (750 ft) Crush depth: 250–295 m (820–968 ft) |
| Complement: | 44–52 officers and ratings |
| Armament: |
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: |
8th U-boat Flotilla (28 March–1 September 1942) 6th U-boat Flotilla (1 September–15 September 1942) |
| Commanders: |
Kptlt. Hans Lange (28 February 1942–15 September 1942) |
| Operations: |
One patrol: 8 September–15 September 1942 |
| Victories: | None |
German submarine U-261 was a Type VIIC U-boat of Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine during World War II. The submarine was laid down on 17 May 1941 at the Bremer Vulkan yard at Bremen-Vegesack as 'werk' 26, launched on 16 February 1942 and commissioned on 28 March under the command of Kapitänleutnant Hans Lange. After training with the 8th U-boat Flotilla, U-261 was transferred to the 6th U-boat Flotilla, for front-line service from 1 September 1942.
U-261 sank no ships in her short career. Her only patrol began when she departed Kiel on 8 September 1942. Her route took her through the 'gap' between the Faroe and Shetland Islands toward the Atlantic Ocean. She never got that far. On the 15th, she was sunk by an Armstrong Whitworth Whitley of No. 58 Squadron RAF west of the Scottish island group.
References
- Notes
- ↑ Kemp, Paul: U-Boats Destroyed - German Submarine Losses in the World Wars, 1999, Arms & Armour, ISBN 1-85409-515-3, p. 90.
- ↑ Helgason, Guðmundur. "The Type VIIC boat U-261 - German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net". uboat.net. Retrieved 31 July 2012.
- ↑ Helgason, Guðmundur. "War Patrols by German U-boat U-261 - Boats - uboat.net". uboat.net. Retrieved 31 July 2012.
- Bibliography
- U-261 at uboat.net
- Bishop, C. Kriegsmarine U-Boats, 1939-45. Amber Books, 2006.
External links
See also
- List of German U-boats
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