German submarine U-268

<th colspan="2" >Service record

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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.

Design

German Type VIIC submarines were preceded by the shorter Type VIIB submarines. U-268 had a displacement of when at the surface and while submerged.Template:Sfn She had a total length of , a pressure hull length of , a beam of , a height of , and a draught of . The submarine was powered by two Germaniawerft F46 four-stroke, six-cylinder supercharged diesel engines producing a total of for use while surfaced, two AEG GU 460/8–27 double-acting electric motors producing a total of for use while submerged. She had two shafts and two propellers. The boat was capable of operating at depths of up to .Template:Sfn

The submarine had a maximum surface speed of and a maximum submerged speed of .Template:Sfn When submerged, the boat could operate for at ; when surfaced, she could travel at . U-268 was fitted with five torpedo tubes (four fitted at the bow and one at the stern), fourteen torpedoes, one SK C/35 naval gun, 220 rounds, and two twin C/30 anti-aircraft guns. The boat had a complement of between forty-four and sixty.Template:Sfn

Service history

U-268 departed Bergen on 10 January 1943 on her first and only patrol. On 17 January she sank the Template: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.

Fate

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 by depth charges dropped from a Vickers Wellington bomber of No.172 Squadron RAF. All 44 hands were lost.

Wolfpacks

U-268 took part in five wolfpacks, namely:

• Template:Ill (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)

Summary of raiding history

Date	Ship Name	Nationality	Tonnage	Fate
17 January 1943	Vestfold	Panama	14,547	Sunk
17 January 1943	HMS LCT-2239	Template:Navy/core	291	Sunk
17 January 1943	HMS LCT-2267	Template:Navy/core	291	Sunk
17 January 1943	HMS LCT-2344	Template:Navy/core	291	Sunk