German submarine U-257

German submarine U-257 was a Type VIIC U-boat of the Nazi German Kriegsmarine during World War II. She was laid down at the Bremer Vulkan yard at Bremen-Vegesack on 22 February 1941 as 'werk' 22. She was launched on 19 November and commissioned on 14 January 1942 under the command of Kapitänleutnant Heinz Rahe.

U-257 was assigned to the 5th U-Boat Flotilla for training, then transferred to the 3rd U-boat Flotilla for operational service.

She was sunk by Allied warships in mid-Atlantic in February 1944.

Service history
The boat carried out six patrols, but did not sink or damage any ships. She was a member of seven wolfpacks.

1st patrol
U-256's first patrol began on 21 September 1942 from Bergen in Norway. Her route took her across the North Sea, through the 'gap' between the Faroe and Shetland Islands and into the Atlantic Ocean. She docked at La Pallice in occupied France, on 18 October.

2nd, 3rd and 4th patrols
These sorties passed without major incident.

5th patrol
The boat was attacked from the air twice in one day. U-257, in the company of U-600 and U-615 was transitting the Bay of Biscay, outbound on 14 June 1943, when a Sunderland flying boat of 228 Squadron RAF unsuccessfully depth charged the three boats. In the afternoon, it was much the same story, but this time a Whitley from No. 10 OTU was involved. One man from the U-boat's crew was wounded. A second Whitley from the same unit arrived, but could only exchange fire with the submarine as it had expended all its depth charges in a previous engagement, the boat escaped.

6th patrol and loss
The submarine had moved to St. Nazaire; she departed from this French Atlantic port on 2 January 1944. On 24 February, she was attacked and sunk in mid-Atlantic by the Canadian frigate HMCS Wakesiu, assisted by HMS Neane. (A former crew member from the Wakesiu has stated that Neane merely picked survivors up). Thirty men died in the sinking, there were nineteen survivors.