German submarine U-269

History
Name	U-269
Ordered	20 January 1941
Builder	Bremer Vulkan, Bremen-Vegesack
Yard number	34
Laid down	18 September 1941
Launched	24 June 1942
Commissioned	19 August 1942
Fate	Sunk by a British warship, 25 June 1944
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
Part of:	list error: <br /> list (help); 8th U-boat Flotilla; (August 1942–March 1943); 11th U-boat Flotilla; (April–October 1943); 6th U-boat Flotilla; (November 1943–June 1944)
Commanders:	list error: <br /> list (help); Oblt. Karl-Heinrich Harlfinger; (19 August 1942–29 April 1943); Oblt. Otto Hansen; (June–4 September 1943); Kptlt. Karl-Heinrich Harlfinger; (5 September 1943–21 March 1944 ); Oblt. Georg Uhl; (6 April–25 June 1944)
Operations:	list error: <br /> list (help); Five:; 1st patrol: 23 March–23 April 1943; 2nd patrol: 22 July–4 September 1943; 3rd patrol: 4 November–15 December 1943; 4th patrol: 22–28 May 1944; 5th patrol: 6–25 June 1944
Victories:	None

German submarine U-269 was a Type VIIC U-boat of the Nazi German Kriegsmarine during World War II. The U-boat was laid down on 18 September 1941 by Bremer Vulkan at Bremen-Vegesack, launched on 24 June 1942 and commissioned on 19 August under the command of Oberleutnant zur See Karl-Heinrich Harlfinger.^[2]

During its career the submarine failed to sink or damage any vessels, but neither did it lose any crew members prior to its sinking on 25 June 1944.^[2]

Service history

After training with the 8th U-boat Flotilla in the Baltic Sea, U-269 was assigned to the 11th U-boat Flotilla based in Bergen, Norway.^[2]

U-269 first left Kiel on 16 March 1943 to operate from bases in Norway, carrying out two patrols in the Barents Sea in the summer of 1943, one under the command of Oberleutnant zur See Karl-Heinrich Harlfinger in March and April, and another under Oberleutnant zur See Otto Hansen in July, August and September.^[3]

Reassigned to the 6th U-boat Flotilla, on 4 November 1943 the U-boat left Bergen for her third patrol in the Atlantic under the command of the newly-promoted Kapitänleutnant Karl-Heinrich Harlfinger. On 1 December Allied forces attacked the U-boat, causing serious damage and forcing U-269 to abort her patrol. She reached St. Nazaire on the French Atlantic coast on the 15th.^[3]

In France, command was assumed by Oberleutnant zur See Georg Uhl, who made one short patrol in the Bay of Biscay in May 1944, then sailed from Brest on 6 June ("D-Day") to St. Peter Port, Guernsey, three days later sailing into the English Channel on her final patrol.^[3]

Sinking

U-269 was sunk on 25 June 1944 south-east of Torquay, in position 50°01′N 2°59′W / 50.017°N 2.983°W / 50.017; -2.983.^[2] The U-boat was detected by the Royal Navy frigate HMS Bickerton, of the 5th Support Group, which immediately attacked with depth charges. The first attack knocked out all the lights aboard the U-boat, while the second ruptured the seals on the drive shafts, allowing water to rush in. The frigate's third depth charge run destroyed pipes, valves and electrical connections. Realizing that the situation was hopeless, Uhl ordered U-269 to surface, and prepared to abandon and scuttle the boat. The submarine surfaced within range of the frigate, which had just dropped a fourth set of depth charges. The U-boat began to sink immediately, while the survivors swam away or escaped on rafts. Bickerton picked up the 39 survivors.^[4] There were 13 dead, including Captain Uhl.

The wreck of U-269 was located in 1951, during a search for the missing British submarine Affray (P421), this was confirmed by nautical archaeologist Innes McCartney in 1999.^[2]

References

Notes

^ Kemp, Paul: U-Boats Destroyed - German Submarine Losses in the World Wars, 1999, Arms & Armour, ISBN 1-85409-515-3, p. 199.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f Helgason, Guðmundur. "The Type VIIC boat U-269". uboat.net. Retrieved 8 April 2010.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d Helgason, Guðmundur. "War Patrols by German U-boat U-269". uboat.net. Retrieved 8 April 2010.
^ "Deutsche U-Boote 1935-1945 : U-269". u-boot-archiv.de. Retrieved 8 April 2010. Template:De icon

Bibliography

U-269 at uboat.net
U-269 at u-boot-archiv.de Template:De icon
Innes McCartney (2002). Lost Patrols: Submarine Wrecks of the English Channel.

External links

U-269 at ubootwaffe.net

v t e German Type VII submarines
Type VIIA	U-27 U-28 U-29 U-30 U-31 U-32 U-33 U-34 U-35 U-36
Type VIIB	U-45 U-46 U-47 U-48 U-49 U-50 U-51 U-52 U-53 U-54 U-55 U-73 U-74 U-75 U-76 U-83 U-84 U-85 U-86 U-87 U-99 U-100 U-101 U-102
Type VIIC	U-69 U-70 U-71 U-72 U-77 U-78 U-79 U-80 U-81 U-82 U-88 U-89 U-90 U-91 U-92 U-93 U-94 U-95 U-96 U-97 U-98 U-132 U-133 U-134 U-135 U-136 U-201 U-202 U-203 U-204 U-205 U-206 U-207 U-208 U-209 U-210 U-211 U-212 U-221 U-222 U-223 U-224 U-225 U-226 U-227 U-228 U-229 U-230 U-231 U-232 U-235 U-236 U-237 U-238 U-239 U-240 U-241 U-242 U-243 U-244 U-245 U-246 U-247 U-248 U-249 U-250 U-251 U-252 U-253 U-254 U-255 U-256 U-257 U-258 U-259 U-260 U-261 U-262 U-263 U-264 U-265 U-266 U-267 U-268 U-269 U-270 U-271 U-272 U-273 U-274 U-275 U-276 U-277 U-278 U-279 U-280 U-281 U-282 U-283 U-284 U-285 U-286 U-287 U-288 U-289 U-290 U-291 U-301 U-302 U-303 U-304 U-305 U-306 U-307 U-308 U-309 U-310 U-311 U-312 U-313 U-314 U-315 U-316 U-331 U-332 U-333 U-334 U-335 U-336 U-337 U-338 U-339 U-340 U-341 U-342 U-343 U-344 U-345 U-346 U-347 U-348 U-349 U-350 U-351 U-352 U-353 U-354 U-355 U-356 U-357 U-358 U-359 U-360 U-361 U-362 U-363 U-364 U-365 U-366 U-367 U-368 U-369 U-370 U-371 U-372 U-373 U-374 U-375 U-376 U-377 U-378 U-379 U-380 U-381 U-382 U-383 U-384 U-385 U-386 U-387 U-388 U-389 U-390 U-391 U-392 U-393 U-394 U-396 U-397 U-398 U-399 U-400 U-401 U-402 U-403 U-404 U-405 U-406 U-407 U-408 U-409 U-410 U-411 U-412 U-413 U-414 U-415 U-416 U-417 U-418 U-419 U-420 U-421 U-422 U-423 U-424 U-425 U-426 U-427 U-428 U-429 U-430 U-431 U-432 U-433 U-434 U-435 U-436 U-437 U-438 U-439 U-440 U-441 U-442 U-443 U-444 U-445 U-446 U-447 U-448 U-449 U-450 U-451 U-452 U-453 U-454 U-455 U-456 U-457 U-458 U-465 U-466 U-467 U-468 U-469 U-470 U-471 U-472 U-473 U-475 U-476 U-477 U-478 U-479 U-480 U-481 U-482 U-483 U-484 U-485 U-486 U-551 U-552 U-553 U-554 U-555 U-556 U-557 U-558 U-559 U-560 U-561 U-562 U-563 U-564 U-565 U-566 U-567 U-568 U-569 U-570 U-571 U-572 U-573 U-574 U-575 U-576 U-577 U-578 U-579 U-580 U-581 U-582 U-583 U-584 U-585 U-586 U-587 U-588 U-589 U-590 U-591 U-592 U-593 U-594 U-595 U-596 U-597 U-598 U-599 U-600 U-601 U-602 U-603 U-604 U-605 U-606 U-607 U-608 U-609 U-610 U-611 U-612 U-613 U-614 U-615 U-616 U-617 U-618 U-619 U-620 U-621 U-622 U-623 U-624 U-625 U-626 U-627 U-628 U-629 U-630 U-631 U-632 U-633 U-634 U-635 U-636 U-637 U-638 U-639 U-640 U-641 U-642 U-643 U-644 U-645 U-646 U-647 U-648 U-649 U-650 U-651 U-652 U-653 U-654 U-655 U-656 U-657 U-658 U-659 U-660 U-661 U-662 U-663 U-664 U-665 U-666 U-667 U-668 U-669 U-670 U-671 U-672 U-673 U-674 U-675 U-676 U-677 U-678 U-679 U-680 U-681 U-682 U-683 U-701 U-702 U-703 U-704 U-705 U-706 U-707 U-708 U-709 U-710 U-711 U-712 U-713 U-714 U-715 U-716 U-717 U-718 U-719 U-720 U-721 U-722 U-731 U-732 U-733 U-734 U-735 U-736 U-737 U-738 U-739 U-740 U-741 U-742 U-743 U-744 U-745 U-746 U-747 U-748 U-749 U-750 U-751 U-752 U-753 U-754 U-755 U-756 U-757 U-758 U-759 U-760 U-761 U-762 U-763 U-764 U-765 U-766 U-767 U-768 U-771 U-772 U-773 U-774 U-775 U-776 U-777 U-778 U-779 U-821 U-822 U-825 U-826 U-901 U-903 U-904 U-905 U-907 U-921 U-922 U-923 U-924 U-925 U-926 U-927 U-928 U-951 U-952 U-953 U-954 U-955 U-956 U-957 U-958 U-959 U-960 U-961 U-962 U-963 U-964 U-965 U-966 U-967 U-968 U-969 U-970 U-971 U-972 U-973 U-974 U-975 U-976 U-977 U-978 U-979 U-980 U-981 U-982 U-983 U-984 U-985 U-986 U-987 U-988 U-989 U-990 U-991 U-992 U-993 U-994 U-1051 U-1052 U-1053 U-1054 U-1055 U-1056 U-1057 U-1058 U-1101 U-1102 U-1131 U-1132 U-1161 U-1162 U-1191 U-1192 U-1193 U-1194 U-1195 U-1196 U-1197 U-1198 U-1199 U-1200 U-1201 U-1202 U-1203 U-1204 U-1205 U-1206 U-1207 U-1208 U-1209 U-1210
Type VIIC/41	U-292 U-293 U-294 U-295 U-296 U-297 U-298 U-299 U-300 U-317 U-318 U-319 U-320 U-321 U-322 U-323 U-324 U-325 U-326 U-327 U-328 U-691 U-827 U-828 U-929 U-930 U-995 U-997 U-998 U-999 U-1000 U-1001 U-1002 U-1003 U-1004 U-1005 U-1006 U-1007 U-1008 U-1009 U-1010 U-1011 U-1013 U-1014 U-1015 U-1016 U-1017 U-1018 U-1019 U-1020 U-1021 U-1022 U-1023 U-1024 U-1025 U-1063 U-1064 U-1065 U-1103 U-1104 U-1105 U-1106 U-1107 U-1108 U-1109 U-1110 U-1163 U-1164 U-1165 U-1166 U-1167 U-1168 U-1169 U-1170 U-1171 U-1172 U-1271 U-1272 U-1273 U-1274 U-1275 U-1276 U-1277 U-1278 U-1279 U-1301 U-1302 U-1303 U-1304 U-1305 U-1306 U-1307 U-1308
Type VIID	U-213 U-214 U-215 U-216 U-217 U-218
Type VIIF	U-1059 U-1060 U-1061 U-1062
Preceded by: Type II Followed by: Type IX List of U-boats of Germany

Service history

Sinking

References

External links

See also