German submarine U-285

German submarine U-285 was a Type VIIC U-boat of the Nazi German Kriegsmarine during World War II.

The submarine was laid down on 7 July 1942 at the Bremer Vulkan yard at Bremen-Vegesack as 'werk' 50. She was launched on 3 April 1943 and commissioned on 15 May under the command of Oberleutnant Otto Walter.

Service history
U-285 served with the 8th U-boat Flotilla for training from May to July 1944 and operationally with the 7th flotilla from 1 August. She was then reassigned to the 11th flotilla on 1 October. She carried out three patrols, sinking no ships.

The boat's first patrol was preceded by a short voyage from Kiel on 15 August 1944 to Kristiansand in Norway, arriving there on 20 August.

1st and 2nd patrols
U-285's first patrol proper took her to northwest Scotland. She docked at Bergen on 18 September 1944.

Her second sortie was west of Ireland and into the St. George's Channel, (between southeast Ireland and southwest Wales). She had passed between Iceland and the Faroe Islands and into the Atlantic Ocean. The submarine returned to Bergen on 31 January 1945.

3rd patrol and loss
The boat was attacked and sunk by depth charges dropped from the British frigates HMS Grindall and Keats'' on 15 April 1945 southwest of Ireland.

Forty-four men died; there were no survivors.