As with the majority of the German mini-submarines of late World War II, U-5269 was part of the "wonder weapon" effort of Nazi Germany in an attempt to stem the defeats of 1944 and 1945. Karl Dönitz had originally hoped for over one thousand miniature submarines to be constructed, but in the end the total number commissioned were just under three hundred. The vessel is thought to have operated during the winter of 1944 and either scrapped or sunk in early 1945[1]