German submarine U-264

German submarine U-264 was a Type VIIC U-boat of the Nazi German Kriegsmarine during World War II. The submarine was laid down on 21 June 1941 at the Bremer-Vulkan-Vegesacker Werft (yard) in Bremen as 'werk' 29. She was launched on 2 April 1942 and commissioned on 22 May under the command of Oberleutnant Hartwig Looks.

In five patrols, she sank three ships of 16,843 GRT. She was a member of eleven wolf pack.

She was sunk on 19 February 1944 by British warships.

Service history
After training with the 8th U-boat Flotilla, the boat became operational on 1 November 1942 when she was transferred to the 6th flotilla.

1st and 2nd patrols
U-264's first patrol began when she departed Kiel on 3 November 1942. She entered the Atlantic Ocean after negotiating the 'gap' between the Faroe and the Shetland Islands. On 17 November, she sank the Mount Taurus. She was attacked by a Norwegian corvette, HNoMS Potentilla, on the 20th. No damage was sustained. She entered St. Nazaire in occupied France, on 4 December.

The boat's second sortie was relatively uneventful.

3rd patrol
On 26th February 1943 just off Cape Finisterre she fired a salvo of four torpedoes at HMS Sussex (96) but all four missed; Sussex had just attacked and sunk the German Tanker Hohenfriedburg. On 17 April 1943, she was in the process of attacking Convoy HX 233 when she was attacked by the escorts. The boat was badly damaged, but was repaired by the crew and the patrol continued. She then sank the Harperley and the West Maximus 500 mi south of Cape Farewell (Greenland) on 5 May. She docked at Lorient, on the French Atlantic coast, on 1 June.

There then followed a pair of short 'hops' between Lorient and St. Nazaire in August and September 1943.

4th patrol
While on her fourth patrol, U-264 and two other U-boats were re-fuelling from the supply submarine U-460 on 4 October 1943 when they were surprised by aircraft from the American carrier USS Card. The more nimble Type VIIs escaped, but the 'milch cow' was sunk by the Avengers. U-264 did not remain unscathed for long; later that day she was attacked, the damage inflicted forced a return to base.

5th patrol and loss
For her final sortie, she was again in the Atlantic. She was sunk by depth charges dropped by the British sloops HMS Woodpecker and ''Starling on 19 February 1944.

There were no deaths, fifty-two men survived.