German submarine U-305

History
Nazi Germany
Name	U-305
Ordered	20 January 1941
Builder	Flender Werke, Lübeck
Yard number	305
Laid down	30 August 1941
Launched	25 July 1942
Commissioned	17 September 1942
Fate	Sunk on 16 January 1944, in mid-Atlantic
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 17 September 1942 – 28 February 1943 1st U-boat Flotilla 1 March 1943 – 16 January 1944
Identification codes:	M 49 638
Commanders:	Oblt.z.S. / Kptlt. Rudolf Bahr 17 September 1942 – 16 January 1944
Operations:	4 patrols: 1st patrol: 27 February – 12 April 1943 2nd patrol: 12 May – 1 June 1943 3rd patrol: 23 August – 22 October 1943 4th patrol: 8 December – 16 January 1944
Victories:	2 merchant ships sunk (13,045 GRT) 2 warships sunk (2,560 tons)

German submarine U-305 was a Type VIIC U-boat of Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine during World War II. The submarine was laid down on 30 August 1941 at the Flender Werke yard at Lübeck as yard number 305, launched on 25 July 1942 and commissioned on 17 September under the command of Oberleutnant zur See Rudolf Bahr.

During her career, the U-boat sailed on four combat patrols, sinking four ships, before she was sunk on 16 January 1944 in mid-Atlantic, southwest of Ireland.

She was part of eight wolfpacks.