German submarine U-256

VII C

47 855

Bremer Vulkan shipyard Vegesacker Vegesack

December 23, 1939

021

February 15, 1941

October 28, 1941

December 18, 1941

3 patrols

1 warship

U 256 was a German U- Boat Type VII C of the Navy, which was used during the Second World War.

History

After U 256 was badly damaged during an air raid in the summer of 1942, it was decommissioned and converted into Brest to Flakfalle. However, the concept of air defense submarines proved to be unsuccessful, and so U 256 was the end of 1943 converted back into an ordinary submarine and used as such.

On February 20, 1944 torpedoed the British sloop HMS commander Brauel Woodpecker (Black- Swan - class ) ( Lage48.816667 - 22.183333 ) and damaged it so badly that she capsized six days later in a rescue attempt and sank. In another patrol U 256 was heavily damaged and returned to Brest.

After makeshift repairs and the installation of a snorkel, it was put back into service as the commander Heinrich Lehmann- Willenbrock and ran from September 4, 1944 by Brest. So it was the last German U- boat that could leave Brest by the Allies before taking it. After 45 days, the boat arrived in Bergen. On the way the commander preserved absolute silence, so that the U-boat command had already counted on the sinking of the boat.

On October 23, 1944 U 256 was placed in Bergen again and permanently withdrawn from service.

Commander

  • Wilhelm Brauel - August 1943 to June 1944.
  • Heinrich Lehmann- Willenbrock - September 1944 to October 1944.
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