Recognition Guide Warships of the Second World War
Kriegsmarine — Submarine

German submarine U-251

Type VIIC submarine

German submarine U-251
Riksarkivet (National Archives of Norway) from Oslo, Norway — Kurz vor der Landung (Die U-Boote laufen ein) — No restrictions — Wikimedia Commons Plate Image from "Photo Album from Terboven's journey to Nothern Norway and Finland 10–27 July 1942" ( Mit dem Reichskommissar nach Nordnorwegen und Finnland 10. bis 27. Juli 1942 ), 375 images uploaded to www. flickr.com by Riksarkivet (National Archives of Norway) 2012. See scanned album here

Service

  1. Kriegsmarine as U-25120 September 1941 — 19 April 19451,307 days of the war
Type VIIC submarine Particulars
Name
U-251
Builder
Bremer Vulkan-Vegesacker Werft, Bremen
Ordered
23 September 1939
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 (1945)
Status
Wreck

Specifications

Displacement, surfaced
757 long tons (769 t)
Displacement, submerged
857 long tons (871 t)
Length
67.1 m (220.1 ft) OA
Beam
6.2 m (20.3 ft)
Draught
4.74 m (15.6 ft)
Speed
17.7 knots (32.8 km/h, 20.4 mph)
Range
8,500 nmi (15,742 km)
Main gun
88 mm (3.5 in)

U-251 was a Type VIIC submarine in service with the Kriegsmarine. Her keel was laid at Bremer Vulkan-Vegesacker Werft, Bremen on 18 October 1940. Launched on 26 July 1941, she entered service on 20 September 1941.

Her class ran to 612 ships. The class followed the Type UB III, Vetehinen class and was succeeded by the Type XXI (Late-war replacement).

The boat displaced 757 long tons surfaced and 857 long tons submerged. She measured 67.1 m (220 ft) long with a beam of 6.2 m (20 ft). Her designed speed was 17.7 knots.

Her main battery was one 88 mm (3.5 in) guns.

She was in commission for 1,307 days of the Second World War.

She was sunk on 19 April 1945. The wreck survives.

Written from the harvested record. Every figure above is sourced; the wording is this site's own.

Armament and machinery

Armament and machinery
Propulsion
  • 2 shafts
  • 2 × diesel engines
  • 2 × electric motors
Power
  • 2800 - 3200 PS (diesels)
  • 750 PS (electric)
Armament
  • 5 × 53.3 cm torpedo tubes (four bow, one stern)
  • 14 × torpedoes or 26 TMA mines
  • 1 × 8.8 cm deck gun(220 rounds)
  • 2 × twin 2 cm C/30 anti-aircraft guns

Sister ships

587 more in the class

Sources

  • Facts harvested from German submarine U-251 on Wikipedia. Figures only — no wording is taken from it.
  • Photograph: Riksarkivet (National Archives of Norway) from Oslo, Norway — Kurz vor der Landung (Die U-Boote laufen ein) — No restrictions — Wikimedia Commons