German submarine U-268

History
Nazi Germany
Name	U-268
Ordered	20 January 1941
Builder	Bremer Vulkan, Bremen-Vegesack
Yard number	33
Laid down	4 September 1941
Launched	9 June 1942
Commissioned	29 July 1942
Fate	Sunk by a British aircraft, 19 February 1943
General characteristics
Class and type	Type VIIC submarine
Displacement	769 tonnes (757 long tons) surfaced 871 t (857 long tons) submerged
Length	67.10 m (220 ft 2 in) o/a 50.50 m (165 ft 8 in) pressure hull
Beam	6.20 m (20 ft 4 in) o/a 4.70 m (15 ft 5 in) pressure hull
Height	9.60 m (31 ft 6 in)
Draught	4.74 m (15 ft 7 in)
Installed power	2,800–3,200 PS (2,100–2,400 kW; 2,800–3,200 bhp) (diesels) 750 PS (550 kW; 740 shp) (electric)
Propulsion	2 shafts 2 × diesel engines 2 × electric motors
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	4 officers, 40–56 enlisted
Armament	5 × 53.3 cm (21 in) torpedo tubes (four bow, one stern) 14 × torpedoes or 26 × TMA or 39 × TMB tube-launched mines 1 × 8.8 cm (3.46 in) deck gun (220 rounds) 2 × 20 mm AA (4,380 rounds)
Service record[1][2]
Part of:	8th U-boat Flotilla 29 July 1942 – 31 January 1943 1st U-boat Flotilla 1 – 19 February 1943
Identification codes:	M 14 594
Commanders:	Oblt.z.S. Ernst Heydemann 29 July 1942 – 19 February 1943
Operations:	1 patrol: 10 January – 19 February 1943
Victories:	1 merchant ship sunk (14,547 GRT) 3 warships sunk (873 tons)

German submarine U-268 was a Type VIIC U-boat built for Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine for service during World War II.

Commissioned on 29 July 1942, she served with the 8th U-boat Flotilla for training and later served with the 1st U-boat Flotilla from 1 to 19 February 1943.

German Type VIIC submarines were preceded by the shorter Type VIIB submarines. U-268 had a displacement of 769 tonnes (757 long tons) when at the surface and 871 tonnes (857 long tons) while submerged.^[3] She had a total length of 67.10 m (220 ft 2 in), a pressure hull length of 50.50 m (165 ft 8 in), a beam of 6.20 m (20 ft 4 in), a height of 9.60 m (31 ft 6 in), and a draught of 4.74 m (15 ft 7 in). The submarine was powered by two Germaniawerft F46 four-stroke, six-cylinder supercharged diesel engines producing a total of 2,800 to 3,200 metric horsepower (2,060 to 2,350 kW; 2,760 to 3,160 shp) for use while surfaced, two AEG GU 460/8–27 double-acting electric motors producing a total of 750 metric horsepower (550 kW; 740 shp) for use while submerged. She had two shafts and two 1.23 m (4 ft) propellers. The boat was capable of operating at depths of up to 230 metres (750 ft).^[3]

The submarine had a maximum surface speed of 17.7 knots (32.8 km/h; 20.4 mph) and a maximum submerged speed of 7.6 knots (14.1 km/h; 8.7 mph).^[3] When submerged, the boat could operate for 80 nautical miles (150 km; 92 mi) at 4 knots (7.4 km/h; 4.6 mph); when surfaced, she could travel 8,500 nautical miles (15,700 km; 9,800 mi) at 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph). U-268 was fitted with five 53.3 cm (21 in) torpedo tubes (four fitted at the bow and one at the stern), fourteen torpedoes, one 8.8 cm (3.46 in) SK C/35 naval gun, 220 rounds, and two twin 2 cm (0.79 in) C/30 anti-aircraft guns. The boat had a complement of between forty-four and sixty.^[3]

U-268 departed Bergen on 10 January 1943 on her first and only patrol. On 17 January she sank the 14,547 GRT Norwegian whale factory ship Vestfold, which was laden with 17,386 tons of fuel oil, and three British landing craft - HMS LCT-2239, LCT-2267 and LCT-2344 (each 291 tons) - as deck cargo. Before sinking, Vestfold, which had been abandoned with her engines still running, steamed in circles, almost colliding with another ship.^[4]

On 19 February 1943 while returning to her new base in occupied France, U-268 was sunk in the Bay of Biscay, west of Saint Nazaire, at position 47°03′N 05°56′W / 47.050°N 5.933°W / 47.050; -5.933 by depth charges dropped from a Vickers Wellington bomber of No.172 Squadron RAF. All 44 hands were lost.^[1]

U-268 took part in five wolfpacks, namely:

• Habicht [de] (10 – 15 January 1943)
• Falke (15 – 19 January 1943)
• Haudegen (19 January – 2 February 1943)
• Nordsturm (2 – 9 February 1943)
• Haudegen (9 – 10 February 1943)

Date	Ship Name	Nationality	Tonnage[Note 1]	Fate[5]
17 January 1943	Vestfold	Panama	14,547	Sunk
17 January 1943	HMS LCT-2239[Note 2]	Royal Navy	291	Sunk
17 January 1943	HMS LCT-2267[Note 2]	Royal Navy	291	Sunk
17 January 1943	HMS LCT-2344[Note 2]	Royal Navy	291	Sunk

• Helgason, Guðmundur. "The Type VIIC boat U-268". German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net. Retrieved 26 December 2014.
• Hofmann, Markus. "U 268". Deutsche U-Boote 1935-1945 - u-boot-archiv.de (in German). Retrieved 26 December 2014.