| History | |
|---|---|
 Nazi Germany | |
| Name | U-296 |
| Ordered | 14 October 1941 |
| Builder | Bremer VulkanWerft,Bremen-Vegesack |
| Yard number | 61 |
| Laid down | 23 January 1943 |
| Launched | 5 September 1943 |
| Commissioned | 3 November 1943 |
| Fate | Sunk 12 March 1945 in the western entrance of the Northern Channel by a British mine |
| General characteristics | |
| Class & type | Type VIIC/41submarine |
| Displacement | |
| Length |
|
| Beam |
|
| Height | 9.60 m (31 ft 6 in) |
| Draught | 4.74 m (15 ft 7 in) |
| Installed power |
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| Propulsion |
|
| Speed |
|
| Range | |
| Test depth |
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| Complement | 4 officers, 40–56 enlisted |
| Armament |
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| Service record[1] | |
| Part of: |
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| Identification codes: | M 53 423 |
| Commanders: | |
| Operations: |
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| Victories: | None |
German submarineU-296 was aType VIIC/41U-boat ofNazi Germany'sKriegsmarine duringWorld War II.
She waslaid down on 23 January 1943 by theBremer VulkanWerft (yard) atBremen-Vegesack as yard number 61,launched on 5 September 1943 andcommissioned on 3 November withOberleutnant zur See Karl-Heinz Rasch in command.
In three patrols, she did not sink or damage any ships.
She was regarded as missing with all hands (42 men), in the approaches to theNorth Channel, (between Northern Ireland and mainland Great Britain), in March 1945.
German Type VIIC/41 submarines were preceded by the shorterType VIIB submarines.U-296 had a displacement of 759 tonnes (747 long tons) when at the surface and 860 tonnes (850 long tons) while submerged.[2] 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).[2]
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).[2] 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-296 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), one3.7 cm (1.5 in) Flak M42 and two2 cm (0.79 in) C/30 anti-aircraft guns. The boat had acomplement of between forty-four and sixty.[2]
The boat's service life began with training with the8th U-boat Flotilla in November 1943. She was then transferred to the9th flotilla for operations on 1 August 1944. She was reassigned to the11th flotilla on 1 October.
She made the short journey fromKiel in Germany toHorten Naval Base in Norway, arriving on 31 July 1944 and moving on toBergen on 6 August.
U-296's first patrol between Bergen andTrondheim, took her through the 'gap' between theShetland andFaroe Islands, both outbound and inbound.
The boat's second sortie was similar to her first; starting in Trondheim and terminating inStavanger. She reached northern Scotland, but this time she passed betweenIceland and the Faroe Islands.
Having left Bergen in late February 1945, she was listed as missing on 12 March in the North Channel, a possible victim of amine.[3][4][5]
U-296 was originally thought to have been sunk by a torpedo from a BritishB-24 Liberator ofNo. 120 Squadron RAF.[3][4][5] This attack was actually against a non-submarine target.
