German Type XXI submarine
Type XXI U-boats, also known as "Elektroboote", were the first
submarines designed to operate entirely submerged, rather than as
surface ships that could submerge as a temporary means to escape detection or launch an attack.
The Type XXIs had much better facilities than previous classes, with a freezer for foodstuffs and minor conveniences for the crew such as a shower and wash basin. It was much quieter, and enjoyed a hydraulic
torpedo reload system that allowed all of its six torpedo tubes, which were in the bow, to be reloaded faster than a
Type VIIC could reload a single tube.
Encyclopedia
Type XXI U-boats, also known as "Elektroboote", were the first
submarines designed to operate entirely submerged, rather than as
surface ships that could submerge as a temporary means to escape detection or launch an attack.
The Type XXIs had much better facilities than previous classes, with a freezer for foodstuffs and minor conveniences for the crew such as a shower and wash basin. It was much quieter, and enjoyed a hydraulic
torpedo reload system that allowed all of its six torpedo tubes, which were in the bow, to be reloaded faster than a
Type VIIC could reload a single tube. The Type XXI could fire 18 torpedoes in under 20 minutes. The total warload was 23 torpedoes, or 17 torpedoes and 12 sea mines. Greatly increased battery capacity, roughly three times that of a
Type VIIC, gave these boats enormous underwater range. They could travel submerged at about five
knots for two or three days before recharging the batteries, which took less than five hours on the
snorkel.
Because of its streamlined hull design, the Type XXI could travel faster underwater than on the surface, albeit only for a limited amount of time. This, combined with longer dive times at reduced speeds, made them much harder to chase and destroy. It also gave the boat a 'sprint ability' when positioning the boat for an attack. Older boats had to surface in order to sprint into position. This often gave the boat away, especially after aircraft became available for convoy escort.
Between 1943 and 1945, 118 boats of this type were built by Blohm & Voss of
Hamburg, AG Weser of Bremen, and F. Schichau of
Danzig. The boats were built faster than earlier types as the hull was constructed from 8 pre-prepared sections which were assembled after being transported from the various factories they were made in. However, only one,
U 2511, had begun a combat patrol by the end of
World War II. This was in part a result of the lengthened training process, as the crews had to be trained to operate the new, sophisticated technology. Most boats were scrapped or scuttled after the war, but eight were taken by the Allies for evaluation and trials. The
United States received
U 2513 and
U 3008, which were commissioned into the
United States Navy.
U 3017 was commissioned into the
Royal Navy as HMS
N41, and
U 2518 became
French submarine
Roland Morillot.
U 3515,
U 2529,
U 3035, and
U 3041 were commissioned into the
Soviet Navy as
B 27,
B 28,
B 29, and
B 30 respectively. Those boats influenced new
Soviet submarine classes known by the NATO reporting names
Zulu and
Whiskey, although the Whiskey class was smaller and less sophisticated.
A ninth XXI also saw service after the war:
U 2540, which had been scuttled at the end of the war, was raised in 1957 to become the
research vessel Wilhelm Bauer of the
Bundesmarine. It is the only XXI remaining.
Specifications
- Displacement: 1621 t/1819 t, 2100 t full load
- Length: 76.7 m oa, pressure hull 60.5 m
- Beam: 5.3 m pressure hull, 8 m oa
- Draft: 6.3 m
- Height: 11.3 m
- Propulsion: 4000 hp surfaced = 15.6 kt , 4400 hp submerged = 17.2 kt
- Range: 25,000 km at 10 kt surfaced, 550 km at 5 kt submerged
- Crew: 57
See also
- List of Type XXI Submarines
- Romeo class submarine: The Soviet Project 633 submarine class derives from the Type XXI boats.
