German submarine U-2344

German submarine U-2344 was a Type XXIII U-boat of the German Kriegsmarine during World War II.

Construction
U-2344 was ordered on 20 September 1943, and was laid down on 4 September 1944 at Deutsche Werft, Hamburg, as 'werk 498'. She was launched on 24 October 1944 and commissioned under the command of Oberleutnant Hermann Ellerlage on 10 November of that year.

Due to the small size of this class, U-2344 was equipped with only two bow torpedo tubes and was manned by a crew of 14–18 men. She had a range of 2600 nmi at 8 kn on the surface and 194 nmi at 4 kn while submerged. U-2344 s maximum speed was 9.7 kn while surfaced and 12.5 kn when she was submerged. This class of U-boat did not carry a deck gun.

History
Like many other late war U-boats she arrived too late to turn the tide in favor of the Axis powers, despite her advanced design. U-2344 never undertook an operational patrol, and was lost on 18 February 1945 after a collision with one of her sister ships, U-2336. She sank quickly in position 54.26667°N, 11.80833°W, taking 11 of the 14 crew members aboard to the bottom with her. The wreck was subsequently raised for study in 1956, although she was not restored. Ultimately, the hull was broken up at Rostock in 1958.