German submarine U-297

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Career
Name: U-297
Ordered: 14 October 1941
Builder: Bremer Vulkan Werft, Bremen-Vegesack
Yard number: 62
Laid down: 27 January 1943
Launched: 9 October 1943
Commissioned: 17 November 1943
Fate: Sunk, December 1944, by a British aircraft[1]
General characteristics
Type: Type VIIC/41 submarine
Displacement: 769 long tons (781 t) surfaced
871 long tons (885 t) submerged
Length: 67.23 m (220 ft 7 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: 15,725 km (8,491 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: 250 m (820 ft)
Crush depth: 275–325 m (902–1,066 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]
Part of: 8th U-boat Flotilla
(17 November 194331 October 1944)
11th U-boat Flotilla
(1 November6 December 1944)
Commanders: Oblt.z.S. Wolfgang Aldermann
(17 November 19436 December 1944)
Operations: One patrol:
25 November6 December 1944
Victories: None

German submarine U-297 was a Type VIIC/41 U-boat of Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine during World War II.

She was laid down on 27 January 1943 by the Bremer Vulkan Werft (yard) at Bremen-Vegesack as 'werk' 62, launched on 9 October 1943 and commissioned on 17 November with Oberleutnant zur See Wolfgang Aldermann in command.

In one patrol, she did not sink or damage any ships.

She was sunk by a British aircraft in December 1944.
Fifty men died; there were no survivors.

Service history

The boat's service life began with training with the 8th U-boat Flotilla in November 1943. She was then transferred to the 11th flotilla for operations on 1 November 1944.

She made the short journey from Kiel in Germany to Horten in Norway, arriving on 18 November 1944.

Patrol and loss

U-297's only patrol began from Horten; it took her through the 'gap' between the Faroe and the Shetland Islands.

She was sunk by a Sunderland flying boat of No. 201 Squadron RAF on 6 December 1944, 16 nautical miles (30 km; 18 mi) west of Yesnaby in the Orkney Islands.

Previously recorded fate and wreck discovery

U-297 was originally thought to have been sunk on 6 December 1944 by depth charges dropped by the British frigates HMS Loch Inch and Goodall. She had also been listed as missing since 3 January 1945 probably in the Pentland Firth.

The wreck of U-297 was found and identified in May 2000. It lies at a depth of 285 ft (87 m).

References

Notes
  1. Kemp, Paul: U-Boats Destroyed - German Submarine Losses in the World Wars, 1997, Arms & Armour, ISBN 1-85409-515-3, p. 225
  2. "The Type VIIC/41 boat U-297 - German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net". www.uboat.net. Retrieved 12 August 2012. 
Bibliography

External links

See also

  • List of German U-boats
  • Battle of the Atlantic (1939-1945)
  • Kriegsmarine


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