German submarine U-278

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 * Ship type=Type VIIC submarine
 * Ship displacement={{convert|769|t|LT|0}} surfaced {{convert|871|t|LT|0|abbr=on}} submerged

German submarine U-278 was a Type VIIC U-boat of the Nazi German Kriegsmarine during World War II.

The submarine was laid down on 26 March 1942 at the Bremer Vulkan yard at Bremen-Vegesack as 'werk' 43. She was launched on 2 December and commissioned on 16 January 1943 under the command of Oberleutnant zur See Joachim Franze.

Service history
U-278 served with the 8th U-boat Flotilla for training from January to September 1943 and operationally with the 7th U-boat Flotilla from 1 October 1943. She was reassigned to the 11th flotilla until 31 August 1944 and then the 13th flotilla until the war's end. She carried out seven patrols, sinking two ships; a commercial vessel of 7,177 tons and a warship of 1,810 tons. She was a member of eight wolfpacks.

She carried out a short voyage between Kiel in Germany and Bergen in Norway over December 1943 and January 1944.

1st patrol
The boat departed Bergen on 8 January 1944 and sank the Penelope Barker on the 25th, about 115 mi north of the North Cape. She docked at Hammerfest on the 28th.

2nd and 3rd patrols
She sank the British destroyer HMS Hardy southeast of Bear Island on 30 January 1944.

On her third sortie, she steamed through the Norwegian and Barents Seas.

4th patrol
U-278 left Hammerfest on 24 April 1944. On 3 May she was attacked by a Fairey Swordfish of 822 Naval Air Squadron FAA, (Fleet Air Arm), from the aircraft carrier HMS Fencer and a Swordfish and a Martlet, both of 833 Squadron from HMS Activity. The U-boat sustained only superficial damage; her crew claimed the Martlet shot down. However, all three aircraft returned safely to their carriers.

The boat then embarked on a series of short 'hops' between Bergen, Ramsund and Narvik in July 1944.

5th patrol
Patrol number five was her longest at 63 days. It took the submarine north and east to the Kara Sea.

She then moved from Narvik to Trondheim in October 1944.

6th patrol
This sortie was divided into two parts, during which the boat travelled as far as the northern coast of Scotland.

7th patrol and surrender
Her last patrol was from Narvik, between 10 April 1945 and 9 May.

Following the German capitulation, the boat was moved from Norway to Loch Eriboll in Scotland, for Operation Deadlight. She was sunk on 31 December 1945 by gunfire from HMS Onslaught and ORP Blyskawica.