German submarine U-278 was a Type VIIC U-boat of Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine during World War II.
The submarine was laid down on 26 March 1942 at the Bremer Vulkan yard at Bremen-Vegesack as yard number 43. She was launched on 2 December and commissioned on 16 January 1943 under the command of Oberleutnant zur See Joachim Franze.
German Type VIIC submarines were preceded by the shorter Type VIIB submarines. U-278 had a displacement of 769t when at the surface and 871t while submerged. She had a total length of 67.1m (220.1feet), a pressure hull length of 50.5m (165.7feet), a beam of 6.2m (20.3feet), a height of 9.6m (31.5feet), and a draught of 4.74m (15.55feet). The submarine was powered by two Germaniawerft F46 four-stroke, six-cylinder supercharged diesel engines producing a total of NaNPS for use while surfaced, two AEG GU 460/8–27 double-acting electric motors producing a total of 750PS for use while submerged. She had two shafts and two 1.23abbr=onNaNabbr=on 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-278 was fitted with five 53.30NaN0 torpedo tubes (four fitted at the bow and one at the stern), fourteen torpedoes, one 8.82NaN2 SK C/35 naval gun, 220 rounds, and two twin 2sp=usNaNsp=us C/30 anti-aircraft guns. The boat had a complement of between forty-four and sixty.
U-278 was mounted with two 2cm Flak C38 in a M43U Zwilling mount with short folding shield on the upper Wintergarten.[1] The M43U mount was used on a number of U-boats (and).
U-278 served with the 8th U-boat Flotilla for training from January to September 1943 and operationally with the 7th U-boat Flotilla from 1 October 1943. She was reassigned to the 11th flotilla until 31 August 1944 and then the 13th flotilla until the war's end. She carried out seven patrols, sinking two ships; a commercial vessel of 7,177 GRT and a warship of 1,810 tons. She was a member of eight wolfpacks.
She carried out a short voyage between Kiel in Germany and Bergen in Norway over December 1943 and January 1944.
The boat departed Bergen on 8 January 1944 and sank the Penelope Barker on the 25th, about north of the North Cape. She docked at Hammerfest on the 28th.
She sank the British destroyer southeast of Bear Island on 30 January 1944.
On her third sortie, she steamed through the Norwegian and Barents Seas.
U-278 left Hammerfest on 24 April 1944. On 3 May she was attacked by a Fairey Swordfish of 822 Naval Air Squadron FAA, (Fleet Air Arm), from the aircraft carrier and a Swordfish and a Martlet, both of 833 Squadron from . The U-boat sustained only superficial damage; her crew claimed the Martlet shot down. However, all three aircraft returned safely to their carriers.
The boat then embarked on a series of short 'hops' between Bergen, Ramsund and Narvik in July 1944.
Patrol number five was her longest at 63 days. It took the submarine north and east to the Kara Sea.
She then moved from Narvik to Trondheim in October 1944.
This sortie was divided into two parts, during which the boat travelled as far as the northern coast of Scotland.
Her last patrol was from Narvik, between 10 April 1945 and 9 May.
Following the German capitulation, the boat was moved from Norway to Loch Eriboll in Scotland, for Operation Deadlight. She was sunk on 31 December 1945 by gunfire from and .[2]
| Date | Ship Name | Nationality | Tonnage[3] | Fate[4] | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 25 January 1944 | Penelope Barker |  United States | 7,177 | Sunk | |
| 30 January 1944 | 1,810 | Sunk |