German submarine U-311

German submarine U-311 was a Type VIIC U-boat of the Nazi German Kriegsmarine during World War II. The submarine was laid down on 21 March 1942 at the Flender Werke yard at Lübeck as 'werk' 311, launched on 20 January 1943 and commissioned on 23 March under the command of Kapitänleutnant Joachim Zander.

During her short career, the U-boat sailed on two combat patrols, sinking a single ship, before she was sunk on 24 April 1944.

1st patrol
After training with the 8th U-boat Flotilla at Kiel, U-311 was transferred to the 1st U-boat Flotilla based at Brest in France, for front-line service on 25 November 1943. On that day she departed Kiel and sailed out into the middle of the Atlantic, via the North Sea and the 'gap' between Iceland and the Faroe Islands. She operated as part of wolfpacks 'Panther', 'Puma' and 'Südwärts', before arriving at Brest on 26 January 1944.

2nd patrol and loss
U-311 sailed from Brest on 7 March 1944. On the 19th, she sank the Seakay 375 mi west of Fastnet. On 22 April, she was sunk by depth charges dropped by the Canadian frigates HMCS Matane and Swansea.

Previously recorded fate
The boat was previously thought to have been sunk southwest of Ireland on 24 April 1944 by a Canadian Sunderland flying boat of 423 Squadron, RCAF.