German submarine U-266
| Career (Nazi Germany) |  |
|---|---|
| Ordered: | 15 August 1940 |
| Builder: | Bremer-Vulkan-Vegesacker Werft, Bremen |
| Yard number: | 31 |
| Laid down: | 1 August 1941 |
| Launched: | 11 May 1942 |
| Commissioned: | 24 June 1942 |
| Fate: | Sunk, May 1943 |
| General characteristics [1] | |
| Class and 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 |
| Height: | 9.6 m (31 ft 6 in) |
| 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: | 8,500 nmi (15,700 km; 9,800 mi) at 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph) surfaced 80 nmi (150 km; 92 mi) 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: |
|
| Service record[2][3] | |
|---|---|
| Part of: |
8th U-boat Flotilla (24 June – 31 December 1942) 7th U-boat Flotilla (1 January 1942 – 15 May 1943) |
| Commanders: |
Oberleutnant zur See Hannes Leinemann (24 June 1942 – 11 September 1942) (1943 – 20 January 1944) Kapitänleutnant Ralf von Jessen 12 September 1942 – 15 May 1943 |
| Operations: |
Two patrols: 22 December 1942 – 17 February 1943 14 March – 15 May 1943 |
| Victories: | Four ships sunk, 16,089 GRT |
German submarine U-266 was a Type VIIC U-boat of Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine during World War II. The submarine was laid down on 1 August 1941 at Bremer-Vulkan-Vegesacker Werft in Bremen as yard number 31. She was launched on 11 May 1942 and commissioned on 24 June under the command of Oberleutnant zur See Hannes Leinemann.[2]
In two patrols, she sank four ships of 16,089 gross register tons (GRT). She was a member of five wolfpacks.
She was sunk in May 1943 in mid-Atlantic by a British aircraft.[4]
Service history
After training with the 8th U-boat Flotilla, the boat became operational on 1 January 1943 when she was transferred to the 7th flotilla.
1st patrol
U-266 's first patrol began when she departed Kiel on 22 December 1942. She entered the Atlantic Ocean after negotiating the gap between Iceland and the Faroe Islands. She sank Polyktor on 6 February 1943. She then docked at the French Atlantic port of St. Nazaire on the 17th.
2nd patrol and loss
The boat departed St. Nazaire on 14 March 1943 for the mid-Atlantic once more. On 5 May, she sank Bonde, Gharinda and Selvistan.
The boat was sunk on 15 May by a British Handley Page Halifax of No. 58 Squadron RAF. Forty-seven men died; there were no survivors.
Previously recorded fate
U-266 had been thought to have been sunk on 14 May 1943 by a British B-24 Liberator of 86 squadron.[2]
Wolfpacks
U-266 took part in five wolfpacks, namely.
- Jaguar (10–27 January 1943)
- Pfeil (4–9 February 1943)
- Amsel (22 April - 3 May 1943)
- Amsel 2 (3–6 May 1943)
- Elbe (7 May 1943)
Summary of raiding career
| Date | Ship Name | Nationality | Displacement | Fate[5] |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 February 1943 | Polyktor |  Greece |
4,077 | Sunk |
| 5 May 1943 | Bonde |  Norway |
1,570 | Sunk |
| 5 May 1943 | Gharinda |  United Kingdom |
5,036 | Sunk |
| 5 May 1943 | Selvistan | United Kingdom |
5,136 | Sunk |
References
- ↑ Gröner 1985, pp. 72-74.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Helgason, Guðmundur. "The Type VIIC boat U-266". German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net. Retrieved 2012-08-02.
- ↑ Helgason, Guðmundur. "Patrols by U-266". German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net. Retrieved 2012-08-02.
- ↑ Kemp, Paul (1997). U-Boats Destroyed - German Submarine Losses in the World Wars. Arms & Armour. p. 117. ISBN 1-85409-515-3.
- ↑ Helgason, Guðmundur. "Ships hit by U-266". German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net. Retrieved 2012-12-11.
Bibliography
- Busch, Rainer; Röll, Hans-Joachim (1999). Deutsche U-Boot-Verluste von September 1939 bis Mai 1945. Der U-Boot-Krieg (in German) IV (Hamburg, Berlin, Bonn: Mittler). ISBN 3-8132-0514-2.
- Edwards, Bernard (1996). Dönitz and the Wolf Packs - The U-boats at War. Cassell Military Classics. pp. 146, 199. ISBN 0-304-35203-9.
- Gröner, Erich (1985). U-Boote, Hilfskreuzer, Minenschiffe, Netzleger, Sperrbrecher. Die deutschen Kriegsschiffe 1815-1945 (in German) III (Koblenz: Bernard & Graefe). ISBN 3-7637-4802-4.
External links
- Helgason, Guðmundur. "The Type VIIC boat U-266". German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net. Retrieved 26 December 2014.
- Hofmann, Markus. "U 266". Deutsche U-Boote 1935-1945 - u-boot-archiv.de (in German). Retrieved 26 December 2014.
- "U-266". ubootwaffe.net.