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German submarine U-279

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History
NameU-279
Ordered10 April 1941
BuilderBremer Vulkan, Bremen-Vegesack
Yard number44
Laid down31 March 1942
Launched16 December 1942
Commissioned3 February 1943
FateSunk, October 1943 by an American aircraft[1]
General characteristics
TypeType VIIC submarine
Displacementlist error: <br /> list (help)
769 tonnes (757 long tons) surfaced
871 t (857 long tons) submerged {
Lengthlist error: <br /> list (help)
67.1 m (220 ft 2 in) o/a
50.5 m (165 ft 8 in) pressure hull
Beamlist error: <br /> list (help)
6.2 m (20 ft 4 in) o/a
4.7 m (15 ft 5 in) pressure hull
Draft4.74 m (15 ft 7 in)
Propulsionlist 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.
Speedlist 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
Rangelist 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 depthlist error: <br /> list (help)
230 m (750 ft)
Crush depth: 250–295 m (820–968 ft)
Complement44–52 officers and ratings
Armamentlist error: <br /> list (help)
• 5 × 533 mm (21 in) torpedo tubes (four bow, one stern)
• 14 × G7e torpedoes or 26 TMA mines
• 1 × C35 88mm gun/L45 deck gun (220 rounds)
• Various AA guns
Service record[3][4]
Part of: list error: <br /> list (help)
8th U-boat Flotilla
(3 February 1943–31 July 1943)
9th U-boat Flotilla
(1 August–4 October 1943)
Commanders: list error: <br /> list (help)
Kptlt. Otto Finke
(3 February–4 October 1943)
Operations: list error: <br /> list (help)
One patrol:
4 September–4 October 1943
Victories: None

German submarine U-279 was a Type VIIC U-boat of the Nazi German Kriegsmarine during World War II.

The submarine was laid down on 31 March 1942 at the Bremer Vulkan yard at Bremen-Vegesack as 'werk' 44. She was launched on 16 December 1942 and commissioned on 3 February 1943 under the command of Kapitänleutnant Otto Franke.[3]

Service history

U-279 served with the 8th U-boat Flotilla for training from February to July 1943 and operationally with the 9th flotilla from 1 August 1943.[3] She carried out one patrol, but sank no ships. She was a member of one wolfpack.

Patrol and loss

The boat departed Kiel on 4 September 1943. She entered the Atlantic Ocean after negotiating the 'gap' between Iceland and the Faroe Islands. She was sunk exactly a month after her departure (4 October), by depth charges dropped from a US Ventura aircraft southwest of Iceland.[5] There were men in boats and in the water, but the Ventura could not call for assistance. Its radio had been put out of commission during the attack.[6][7]

Forty-eight men died; there were no survivors.

Previously recorded fate

The submarine was initially categorized as having been sunk by a British Liberator southwest of Iceland on 4 October 1943.

References

Notes
  1. ^ Kemp, Paul: U-Boats Destroyed - German Submarine Losses in the World Wars, 1999, Arms & Armour, ISBN 1-85409-515-3, pp. 147-148
  2. ^ Kemp, Paul: U-Boats Destroyed - German Submarine Losses in the World Wars, 1999, Arms & Armour, ISBN 1-85409-515-3, pp. 152-153.
  3. ^ a b c "The Type VIIC boat U-279 - German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net". www.uboat.net. Retrieved 5 August 2012.
  4. ^ "War Patrols by German U-boat U-279 - Boats - uboat.net". www.uboat.net. Retrieved 5 August 2012.
  5. ^ Kemp, pp. 147-148
  6. ^ http://uboat.net/boats/u279/htm
  7. ^ http://www.u-boot-archiv.de/dieboote/u0276.html U-279 at u-boot-archiv.de
Bibliography

See also