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German submarine U-266
Career War Ensign of Germany 1938-1945
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
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
Draft: 4.74 m (15 ft 7 in)
Propulsion: 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: 17.7 knots (32.8 km/h; 20.4 mph) surfaced
7.6 knots (14.1 km/h; 8.7 mph) submerged
Range: 15,170 km (8,190 nmi) at 10 kn (19 km/h; 12 mph) surfaced
150 km (81 nmi) at 4 kn (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: 5 × 533 mm (21 in) torpedo tubes (four bow, one stern)
14 × G7e torpedoes or 26 TMA mines
1 × C35 88mm/L45 deck gun (220 rounds)
Various AA guns
Service record[1][2]
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 the Nazi German 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.[1]

In two patrols, she sank four ships of 16,089 GRT. She was a member of five wolf packs.

She was sunk in May 1943 in mid-Atlantic by a British aircraft.[3]

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.[citation needed]

Summary of raiding history[]

Date Name Nationality Tonnage
(GRT)
Fate[4]
6 February 1943 Polyktor Flag of Greece Greece 4,077 Sunk
5 May 1943 Bonde Flag of Norway Norway 1,570 Sunk
5 May 1943 Gharinda Flag of the United Kingdom United Kingdom 5,036 Sunk
5 May 1943 Selvistan Flag of the United Kingdom United Kingdom 5,136 Sunk

See also[]

References[]

  1. 1.0 1.1 "U-266". uboat.net. http://www.uboat.net/boats/u266.htm. Retrieved 2012-08-02. 
  2. "Patrols by U-266". uboat.net. http://www.uboat.net/boats/patrols/u266.html. Retrieved 2012-08-02. 
  3. Kemp, Paul (1997). U-Boats Destroyed - German Submarine Losses in the World Wars. Arms & Armour. p. 117. ISBN 1-85409-515-3. 
  4. "Ships hit by U-266". http://uboat.net/boats/successes/u266/html. Retrieved 2012-12-11. 

External links[]

All or a portion of this article consists of text from Wikipedia, and is therefore Creative Commons Licensed under GFDL.
The original article can be found at German submarine U-266 and the edit history here.
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