German submarine U-256

History
Nazi Germany
Name	U-256
Ordered	23 December 1939
Builder	Bremer Vulkan, Bremen-Vegesack
Yard number	21
Laid down	15 February 1941
Launched	28 October 1941
Commissioned	18 December 1941
Stricken	November 1942
Notes	Converted to a Flak boat, May 1943
Recommissioned	16 August 1943
Stricken	23 October 1944
Fate	Captured in May 1945 at Bergen, Norway, and broken up
General characteristics
Class and type	Type VIIC submarine
Displacement	769 tonnes (757 long tons) surfaced 871 t (857 long tons) submerged
Length	67.10 m (220 ft 2 in) o/a 50.50 m (165 ft 8 in) pressure hull
Beam	6.20 m (20 ft 4 in) o/a 4.70 m (15 ft 5 in) pressure hull
Height	9.60 m (31 ft 6 in)
Draught	4.74 m (15 ft 7 in)
Installed power	2,800–3,200 PS (2,100–2,400 kW; 2,800–3,200 bhp) (diesels) 750 PS (550 kW; 740 shp) (electric)
Propulsion	2 shafts 2 × diesel engines 2 × electric motors
Speed	17.7 knots (32.8 km/h; 20.4 mph) surfaced 7.6 knots (14.1 km/h; 8.7 mph) submerged
Range	8,500 nmi (15,700 km; 9,800 mi) at 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph) surfaced 80 nmi (150 km; 92 mi) at 4 knots (7.4 km/h; 4.6 mph) submerged
Test depth	230 m (750 ft) Crush depth: 250–295 m (820–968 ft)
Complement	4 officers, 40–56 enlisted
Armament	5 × 53.3 cm (21 in) torpedo tubes (four bow, one stern) 14 × torpedoes or 26 TMA mines 1 × 8.8 cm (3.46 in) deck gun (220 rounds) 2 × twin 2 cm (0.79 in) C/30 anti-aircraft guns
Service record[1][2]
Part of:	8th U-boat Flotilla 18 December 1941 – 31 July 1942 9th U-boat Flotilla 1 August – 30 November 1942 16 August 1943 – 25 June 1944 16 August – 23 October 1944
Identification codes:	M 47 855
Commanders:	Kptlt. Odo Loewe, Jr. 18 December 1941 – 30 November 1942 Oblt.z.S. Wilhelm Brauel 16 August 1943 – 25 June 1944 K.Kapt. Heinrich Lehmann-Willenbrock 2 September – 23 October 1944
Operations:	5 patrols: 1st patrol: a. 28 July – 3 September 1942 b. 22 – 23 September 1942 2nd patrol: 4 October – 17 November 1943 3rd patrol: 25 January – 22 March 1944 4th patrol: 6 – 8 June 1944 5th patrol: 4 September – 17 October 1944
Victories:	1 warship sunk (1,300 tons)

German submarine U-256 was a Type VIIC U-boat of Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine during World War II, she also served for a short time as an anti-aircraft submarine under the designation U-flak 2. During her career, U-256 completed five wartime patrols and sank one warship of 1,300 tons.

The submarine was laid down on 15 February 1941 at the Bremer Vulkan yard at Bremen-Vegesack as yard number 21. She was launched on 28 October and commissioned on 18 December under the command of Oberleutnant zur See Odo Loewe.

U-256 was assigned to the 8th U-Boat Flotilla for training, then transferred to the 9th U-boat Flotilla for operational service.