German submarine U-247

German submarine U-245 was a Type VIIC U-boat of the Nazi German Kriegsmarine during World War II. The submarine was laid down on 16 December 1942 at the Friedrich Krupp Germaniawerft yard at Kiel as 'werk' 681, launched on 23 September 1943 and commissioned on 23 October under the command of Oberleutnant Gerhard Matschulat.

In two patrols, she sank one ship of 207 GRT.

She was sunk by Canadian warships in September 1944.

Service history
After training with the 5th U-boat Flotilla at Kiel, U-247 was transferred to the 1st flotilla for front-line service on 23 October 1943.

1st patrol
The boat's first patrol was preceded by a short trip between Kiel in Germany, and Arendal and Bergen in Norway. Her first sortie began with her departure from Bergen on 31 May 1944. She passed into the Atlantic Ocean via the 'gap' between the Faroe and Shetland Islands. She sank the Noreen Mary on 5 July west of Scotland, with gunfire, not torpedoes, which by this stage of the war, with a near constant Allied air presence, was quite remarkable. She then skirted to the west of Ireland, before arriving at Brest in occupied France, on 27 July.

2nd patrol and loss
The boat had left Brest on 26 August 1944. Patrolling near Lands End, at the western end of the English Channel, she was attacked and sunk on 1 September by depth charges from the Canadian frigates HMCS Saint John and Swansea. Fifty-two men died; there were no survivors.