German submarine U-251

U-251 in Narvik in July 1942
History
Nazi Germany
Name	U-251
Ordered	23 September 1939
Builder	Bremer Vulkan-Vegesacker Werft, Bremen
Yard number	16
Laid down	18 October 1940
Launched	26 July 1941
Commissioned	20 September 1941
Fate	Sunk by rockets from no less than eight British and Norwegian Mosquitos of 143, 235 and 248 squadrons in the Kattegat on 19 April 1945[1][2]
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[3][4]
Part of:	6th U-boat Flotilla 20 September 1941 – 30 June 1942 11th U-boat Flotilla 1 July 1942 – 31 May 1943 13th U-boat Flotilla 1 – 30 June 1943 24th U-boat Flotilla 1 July – 30 November 1943 21st U-boat Flotilla 1 December 1943 – 28 February 1945 31st U-boat Flotilla 1 March – 19 April 1945
Identification codes:	M 15 758
Commanders:	Kptlt. Heinrich Timm 20 September 1941 – 1 September 1943 Oblt.z.S. Franz Sack 23 November 1943 – 19 April 1945
Operations:	10 patrols: 1st patrol: a. 20 – 25 April 1942 b. 29 April – 7 May 1942 c. 9 – 13 May 1942 d. 15 – 17 May 1942 e. 22 – 24 May 1942 2nd patrol: 26 – 29 May 1942 3rd patrol: a. 7 June – 5 July 1942 b. 6 – 15 July 1942 4th patrol: a. 14 August 1942 b. 15 Aug – 13 September 1942 5th patrol: 14 September – 3 October 1942 6th patrol: 14 February – 1 March 1943 7th patrol: a. 18 March – 21 April 1943 b. 8 – 10 May 1943 8th patrol: 12 – 29 May 1943 9th patrol: 13 – 24 June 1943 10th patrol: 16 – 19 April 1945
Victories:	2 merchant ships sunk (11,408 GRT)

German submarine U-251 was a Type VIIC U-boat of Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine during World War II. The submarine was laid down on 18 October 1940 at the Bremer-Vulkan-Vegesacker Werft (yard) in Bremen as yard number 16, launched on 26 July 1941 and commissioned on 20 September under the command of Kapitänleutnant Heinrich Timm.^[3]

In ten patrols, she sank two ships of 11,408 gross register tons (GRT). She was a member of three wolfpacks.

She was sunk by British and Norwegian aircraft in the Kattegat on 19 April 1945.

The U-251 can be seen on YouTube video 'Diving on Nazi submarine U-251'.^[5]