U-271

Type

VIIC

Ordered

20 Jan 1941

Laid down

21 Oct 1941

Bremer Vulkan-Vegesacker Werft, Bremen-Vegesack (werk 36)

Launched

29 Jul 1942

Commissioned

23 Sep 1942

Kptlt. Curt Barleben

Commanders

23 Sep 1942

28 Jan 1944

Curt Barleben

Career
3 patrols

23 Sep 1942	-	31 May 1943	8. Flottille (training)
1 Jun 1943	-	28 Jan 1944	1. Flottille (active service)

Successes

No ships sunk or damaged

Fate

Sunk on 28 January 1944 in the North Atlantic west of Ireland, in position 53.15N, 15.52W, by depth charges from a US Liberator aircraft (VB-103 USN/E). 51 dead (all hands lost).

Loss position

View the 3 war patrols

Wolfpack operations

U-271 operated with the following Wolfpacks during its career:
Rügen (21 Jan 1944 - 26 Jan 1944)
Hinein (26 Jan 1944 - 28 Jan 1944)

Attacks on this boat and other events

24 Jun 1943
Aircraft attack, aircraft shot down: American PB4Y-1 Liberator BuNo 32046 (VB-103 USN/B-9, pilot Lt Hubert Kearsley Reese Jr, USNR) 0850hrs, SSE of Cape Farewell, Greenland: when the Liberator (misidentified as PBM Mariner flying boat) approached from astern, U-271 evaded by turning hard to port and opened AA fire at a distance of 800m (874 yards). The Germans observed hits to the cockpit and the fuselage just before four depth charges were dropped and the aircraft crashed in flames approx. 1500m (1 mile) away. They searched the area, but all ten aircrew had perished. The depth charges damaged some of the batteries, the compressors, the forward latrine, the hydrophones and three torpedoes stored in the bow compartment, but the U-boat was able to continue her patrol after the crew carried out repairs.

(Sources: KTB U-271/vpnavy.com)

21 Oct 1943
One of the crew was killed when U-271 was attacked by two Avengers from USS Core while serving as a flak boat.

2 recorded attacks on this boat.