| History | |
|---|---|
 Nazi Germany | |
| Name | U-264 |
| Ordered | 15 August 1940 |
| Builder | Bremer Vulkan-Vegesacker Werft,Bremen |
| Yard number | 29 |
| Laid down | 21 June 1941 |
| Launched | 2 April 1942 |
| Commissioned | 22 May 1942 |
| Fate | Sunk, on 19 February 1944 in the Atlantic by British warships[1] |
| General characteristics | |
| Class and type | Type VIICsubmarine |
| Displacement | |
| Length |
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| Beam |
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| Height | 9.60 m (31 ft 6 in) |
| Draught | 4.74 m (15 ft 7 in) |
| Installed power |
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| Propulsion |
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| Speed |
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| Range | |
| Test depth |
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| Complement | 4 officers, 40–56 enlisted |
| Armament |
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| Service record[1][2] | |
| Part of: |
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| Identification codes: | M 02 981 |
| Commanders: |
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| Operations: |
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| Victories: | 3 merchant ships sunk (16,843 GRT) |
German submarineU-264 was aType VIICU-boat ofNazi Germany'sKriegsmarine duringWorld War II. The submarine waslaid down on 21 June 1941 at theBremer-Vulkan-Vegesacker Werft (yard) inBremen as yard number 29. She waslaunched on 2 April 1942 andcommissioned on 22 May under the command ofOberleutnant zur See Hartwig Looks.[1]
In five patrols, she sank three ships of 16,843 gross register tons (GRT).
She was sunk on 19 February 1944 by British warships but the entire crew survived and were taken prisoner.
German Type VIIC submarines were preceded by the shorterType VIIB submarines.U-264 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), apressure hull length of 50.50 m (165 ft 8 in), abeam of 6.20 m (20 ft 4 in), a height of 9.60 m (31 ft 6 in), and adraught of 4.74 m (15 ft 7 in). The submarine was powered by twoGermaniawerft F46 four-stroke, six-cylindersuperchargeddiesel 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, twoAEG GU 460/8–27double-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-264 was fitted with five 53.3 cm (21 in)torpedo tubes (four fitted at the bow and one at the stern), fourteentorpedoes, one8.8 cm (3.46 in) SK C/35 naval gun, 220 rounds, and two twin2 cm (0.79 in) C/30anti-aircraft guns. The boat had acomplement of between forty-four and sixty.[3]
After training with the8th U-boat Flotilla, the boat became operational on 1 November 1942 when she was transferred to the6th flotilla.
U-264's first patrol began when she departedKiel on 3 November 1942. She entered the Atlantic Ocean after negotiating thegap between theFaroe and theShetland Islands. On 17 November, she sank theMount Taurus. She was attacked by a Norwegian corvette, HNoMSPotentilla, on the 20th. No damage was sustained. She enteredSt. Nazaire in occupied France, on 4 December.
The boat's second sortie was relatively uneventful.
On 26 February 1943 just offCape Finisterre she fired a salvo of fourtorpedoes atHMS Sussex but all four missed; Sussex had just attacked and sunk the German TankerHohenfriedburg.[4]On 17 April 1943, she was in the process of attackingConvoy HX 233 when she was attacked by the escorts. The boat was badly damaged, but was repaired by the crew and the patrol continued. She then sank theHarperley and theWest Maximus 500 nautical miles (930 km; 580 mi) south ofCape Farewell (Greenland) on 5 May. She docked atLorient, on the French Atlantic coast, on 1 June.
There then followed a pair of short 'hops' between Lorient and St. Nazaire in August and September 1943.
While on her fourth patrol,U-264 and two other U-boats were re-fuelling from the supply submarineU-460 on 4 October 1943 when they were surprised by aircraft from the American carrierUSS Card. The more nimble Type VIIs escaped, but the 'milch cow' was sunk by theAvengers.U-264 did not remain unscathed for long; later that day she was attacked, the damage inflicted forced a return to base.
For her final sortie, she was again in theNorth Atlantic. She was damaged bydepth charges dropped by the British sloopsHMS Woodpecker andHMS Starling and forced to the surface on 19 February 1944 in position48°31′N22°05′W / 48.517°N 22.083°W /48.517; -22.083.Starling opened fire on the submarine, scoring several hits, as the crew abandoned the boat and it then sank.
The entire crew of 52 officers and men were taken prisoner.
U-264 took part in elevenwolfpacks, namely:
| Date | Ship Name | Nationality | Tonnage (GRT) | Fate[5] |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 17 November 1942 | Mount Taurus |  Greece | 6,696 | Sunk |
| 5 May 1943 | Harperley |  United Kingdom | 4,586 | Sunk |
| 5 May 1943 | West Maximus |  United States | 5,561 | Sunk |
The captain of U-264, Captain Hartwig Looks, appears in the 1977 BBC televisions seriesThe Secret War episode 7; "The Battle of the Atlantic".
Shipwrecks and maritime incidents in February 1944 | |
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| Shipwrecks |
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| Other incidents |
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