German submarine U-250


German submarine U-250 was a Type VIIC U-boat of Nazi Germany's navy during World War II. The submarine was laid down on 9 January 1943 at the Friedrich Krupp Germaniawerft yard at Kiel as yard number 684. She was launched on 11 November 1943 and commissioned on 12 December under the command of Kapitänleutnant Werner-Karl Schmidt.
In one patrol, she sank one ship.
The boat was sunk by the Soviet submarine chaser MO103 in the Gulf of Finland in July 1944.

Design

were preceded by the shorter Type VIIB submarines. U-250 had a displacement of when at the surface and while submerged. She had a total length of, a pressure hull length of, a beam of, a height of, and a draught of. The submarine was powered by two Germaniawerft F46 four-stroke, six-cylinder supercharged diesel engines producing a total of for use while surfaced, two AEG GU 460/8–27 double-acting electric motors producing a total of for use while submerged. She had two shafts and two propellers. The boat was capable of operating at depths of up to.
The submarine had a maximum surface speed of and a maximum submerged speed of. When submerged, the boat could operate for at ; when surfaced, she could travel at. U-250 was fitted with five torpedo tubes, fourteen torpedoes, one SK C/35 naval gun,, one Flak M42 and two twin C/30 anti-aircraft guns. The boat had a complement of between forty-four and sixty.

Service history

After training with the 5th U-boat Flotilla at Kiel, U-249 transferred to the 8th flotilla on 1 July 1944.

Patrol, loss and capture

The boat's first and only patrol was preceded by a pair of short trips between Kiel in Germany, and Reval, and Zoppot. U-250s first sortie proper started with her departure from Zoppot on 26 July 1944. She sank the Soviet submarine chaser or patrol boat M-105 on 26 July.
This sinking resulted in a concerted response on the part of the Soviets. M-103 made the kill; dropping a pattern of depth charges which opened a large hole in the U-boat's pressure hull. Only six men escaped the submarine, forty-six others did not; the U-boat sank in the relatively shallow depth of. It was decided to raise U-250, despite her proximity to the German-held shore. Harassing artillery fire was met with a constant smokescreen while divers worked. The Soviets succeeded in raising the boat and taking her to Kronstadt in September 1944 where she was examined. She then served briefly in the Soviet navy as the TS-14 before being broken up.

Summary of raiding history

DateShip NameNationalityTonnageFate
30 July 1944MO-10556Sunk

Armament

FLAK weaponry

U-250 was mounted with a single 3.7 cm Flakzwilling M43U gun on the LM 42U mount. The LM 42U mount was the most common mount used with the 3.7 cm Flak M42U. The 3.7 cm Flak M42U was the marine version of the 3.7 cm Flak used by the Kriegsmarine on Type VII and Type IX U-boats. U-250 was mounted with two 2cm Flak C38 in a M 43U Zwilling mount with short folding shield on the upper Wintergarten. The M 43U mount was used on a number of U-boats.

Citations