German submarine U-291
| Career |  |
|---|---|
| Name: | U-291 |
| Ordered: | 5 June 1941 |
| Builder: | Bremer Vulkan, Bremen-Vegesack |
| Yard number: | 56 |
| Laid down: | 17 October 1942 |
| Launched: | 30 June 1943 |
| Commissioned: | 4 August 1943 |
| Fate: | Surrendered, May 1945, sunk as part of Operation Deadlight, December 1945 |
| 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[1][2] | |
|---|---|
| Part of: |
21st U-boat Flotilla (4 August–31 August 1943) 23rd U-boat Flotilla (1 September–1 July 1944) 21st U-boat Flotilla (1 July 1944–28 February 1945) 1 March–8 May 1945 |
| Commanders: |
Hans Keerle (4 August–30 September 1943) Oblt.z.S. Friedrich Stege (1 October 1943–16 July 1944 Oblt.z.S. Hermann Neumeister 17 July 1944–8 May 1945 |
| Operations: | None |
| Victories: | None |
German submarine U-291 was a Type VIIC U-boat of Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine during World War II.
The submarine was laid down on 17 October 1942 at the Bremer Vulkan yard at Bremen-Vegesack as 'werk' 56. She was launched on 30 June 1943 and commissioned on 4 August under the command of Oberleutnant zur See Hans Keerle.[1]
She carried out no patrols and did not sink or damage any ships.
The boat surrendered in May 1945 at Cuxhaven. She was sunk as part of Operation Deadlight in December.
Service history
U-291 served with the 21st U-boat Flotilla for training from 4 to 31 August 1943 and was a Trials boat with the 23rd flotilla from 1 September 1943 until 1 July 1944. She then worked as a 'school' boat from 1 July 1944 to 28 February 1945 with the 21st flotilla once more. Her last assignment was with the 31st flotilla from 1 March to 8 May 1945.
The submarine capitulated at Cuxhaven on 5 May 1945. She was transferred from Wilhelmshaven to Loch Ryan in Scotland for Operation Deadlight on 24 June and was sunk by the guns of HMS Onslaught[3] off Northern Ireland on 20 December.
References
- Notes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 "The Type VIIC boat U-291 - German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net". www.uboat.net. Retrieved 9 August 2012.
- ↑ "War Patrols by German U-boat U-291 - Boats - uboat.net". www.uboat.net. Retrieved 9 August 2012.
- ↑ http://www.u-boot-archiv.de/dieboote/u0291html U-291 at u-boot-archiv.de
- Bibliography
External links
- U-291 at u-boot-archiv.de (German)
See also
- List of German U-boats
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Coordinates: 55°50′N 9°08′W / 55.833°N 9.133°W