U-BOATS
Type U-Flak, 7A, 7B, 7C, 7C/41, 7C/42, 7D, 7F

The Type VIIA boats were designed in 1933 and 1934 as the first of a new generation of attack U-boats. They were popular with their crews and much more powerful than the smaller Type II U-boats they replaced, with four bow and one stern torpedo tubes. They typically carried 11 torpedoes onboard. They were very agile on the surface, and mounted the 88mm fast-firing deck gun with about 160 shells.

Ten Type VIIA boats were built between 1935 and 1937. All but two (U-29 and U-30, both scuttled in Kupferm�hlen Bay on May 4, 1945) Type VIIA U-boats were sunk during World War Two.

General Characteristics

• Displacement: surfaced 626 tons, submerged 745 tons, total 915 tons
• Length: overall 64.5m, pressure hull 45.5m
• Beam: overall 5.85m, pressure hull 4.7m
• Draft: 4.4m
• Height: 9.5m
• Power: surfaced 2310 horsepower, submerged 750 horsepower
• Speed: surfaced 17 knots, submerged 8 knots
• Range: surfaced 10,000km (6200 miles) at 10 knots, submerged 150km (94 miles) at 4 knots
• Torpedoes: 11 (4 bow, 1 stern)
• Deck gun: 88mm/45 with 220 rounds
• Crew: 42-46 men
• Max depth: 220m (722 feet)

Type VIIB

The only significant drawback of the VIIA was the limited fuel capacity, so 24 Type VIIB boats were built between 1936 and 1940 with an additional 33 tons of fuel in external saddle tanks which added another 2500 miles of range at 10 knots on the surface. They were slightly faster than the VIIA, and had two rudders for even greater agility. They had the same armament as the VIIA (except U-83, which lacked a stern tube), but could carry three additional torpedoes.

Type VIIB included many of the most famous U-boats of World War II, including U-48 (the most successful), Prien's U-47, Kretschmer's U-99, and Schepke's U-100.

General Characteristics

• Displacement: surfaced 753 tons, submerged 857 tons, total 1040 tons
• Length: overall 66.5m, pressure hull 48.8m
• Beam: overall 6.2m, pressure hull 4.7m
• Draft: 4.74m
• Height: 9.5m
• Power: surfaced 3200 horsepower, submerged 750 horsepower
• Speed: surfaced 17.9 knots, submerged 8 knots
• Range: surfaced 14,000km (8700 miles) at 10 knots, submerged 150km (94 miles) at 4 knots
• Torpedoes: 14 (4 bow, 1 stern)
• Deck gun: 88mm/45 with 220 rounds
• Crew: 44-48 men
• Max depth: 220m (722 feet)

Type VIIC

The Type VIIC was the workhorse of the German U-boat force, with 568 commissioned from 1940 to 1945. and boats of this type were built throughout the war. The first VIIC boat commissioned was the U-69 in 1940. The Type VIIC was an effective fighting machine and was seen almost everywhere U-boats force operated, although their range was not as great as the one of the larger IX types. The VIIC came into service as the "Happy Days" at the beginning of World War II were almost over, and it was this boat that saw the final defeat by the Allied anti-submarine campaign in late 1943 and 1944.

Type VIIC was a slightly modified version of the successful VIIB. They had very similar engines and power, but were larger and heavier which made them slightly slower that the VIIB. Many of these boats were fitted with the Schnorchel in 1944 and 1945.

They had the same torpedo tube arrangement as their predecessors, except for U-72, U-78, U-80, U-554, and U-555, which had only two bow tubes, and for U-203, U-331, U-351, U-401, U-431, and U-651, which had no stern tube.

Perhaps the most famous VIIC boat was U-96, which was featured in the movie Das Boot.

U-Flak

The "U-flak" boats were four VIIC boats (U-441, U-256, U-621, and U-953) modified to be surface escorts for the attack U-boats operating from the French Atlantic bases. They had greatly increased anti-aircraft fire-power.

Conversion began on three others (U-211, U-263, and U-271) but none were completed, and they were eventually returned to duty as traditional VIIC attack boats.

The modified boats became operational in June of 43 and at first appeared to be successful against the surprised RAF. Seeing their potential, D�nitz ordered the boats to cross the Bay of Biscay in groups at maximum speed. The effort earned the Germans about two more months of still-limited freedom, until the RAF developed counter-measures. When the RAF began calling in surface hunters to assist the aircraft, the U-flak boats were withdrawn and converted back into fighting vessels.

The concept of the U-flak began the year before, on August 31, 1942, when U-256 was seriously damaged by aircraft. Rather than scrap the boat, it was decided to refit her as a heavily-armed anti-aircraft boat intended to stop the losses in the Bay of Biscay inflicted by Allied aircraft.

Two 20mm quadruple Flakvierling mounts and the experimental 37mm automatic gun were installed on the U-flaks' decks. A battery of 86mm line-carrying antiaircraft rockets was tested, but this idea proved unworkable. At times, two additional single 20mm guns were also mounted. The submarines' fuel capacities were limited to Bay of Biscay operations only. Only five torpedoes were carried, preloaded in the tubes, to free the space was needed for the additional gunners.

In November 1943 -- less than six months after the experiment began -- all U-flaks were converted back to normal attack boats, fitted with Turm 4. The standard anti-aircraft armament for U-boats was no longer much inferior to U-flaks, and the U-flaks had not been particularly successful. According to German sources only two aircraft had been shot down by U-flaks in six missions (three by U-441, one each by U-256, U-621, and U-953).

General Characteristics

• Displacement: surfaced 769 tons, submerged 871 tons, total 1070 tons
• Length: overall 67.1m, pressure hull 50.5m
• Beam: overall 6.2m, pressure hull 4.7m
• Draft: 4.74m
• Height: 9.6m
• Power: surfaced 3200 horsepower, submerged 750 horsepower
• Speed: surfaced 17.7 knots, submerged 7.6 knots
• Range: surfaced 13,700km (8200 miles) at 10 knots, submerged 125km (80 miles) at 4 knots
• Torpedoes: 14 (4 bow, 1 stern)
• Deck gun: 88mm/45 with 220 rounds
• Crew: 44-52 men
• Max depth: 220m (722 feet)

Type VIIC/41

Type VIIC/41 was a slightly modified version of the successful VIIC and had the armament and engines. The difference was a stronger pressure hull and lighter machinery to compensate for the added steel in the hull, making them actually slightly lighter than the VIIC. A total of 91 were built; all of them from U-1271 onwards lacked the fittings to handle mines.

Today one Type VIIC/41 still exists: U-995 is on display at Laboe (north of Kiel), the only surviving Type VII in the world.

General Characteristics

• Displacement: surfaced 769 tons, submerged 871 tons, total 1070 tons
• Length: overall 67.1m, pressure hull 50.5m
• Beam: overall 6.2m, pressure hull 4.7m
• Draft: 4.74m
• Height: 9.6m
• Power: surfaced 3200 horsepower, submerged 750 horsepower
• Speed: surfaced 17.7 knots, submerged 7.6 knots
• Range: surfaced 14,500km (8500 miles) at 10 knots, submerged 125km (80 miles) at 4 knots
• Torpedoes: 14 (4 bow, 1 stern)
• Deck gun: 88mm/45 with 220 rounds
• Crew: 44-52 men
• Max depth: 250m (820 feet)

Type VIIC/42

The Type VIIC/42 was designed in 1942 and 1943 to replace the aging Type VIIC. It would have had a much stronger pressure hull, with plating thickness up to 28mm, and would have dived twice a deep as the previous VIICs. These boats would have been very similar in external appearance to the VIIC/41 but with two periscopes in the tower and would have carried two more torpedoes.

Contracts were signed for 164 boats and a few boats were laid down, but all were cancelled on September 30, 1943 in favor of the new Elektro Boat XXI, and none were advanced enough in construction to be launched.

General Characteristics

• Displacement: surfaced 999 tons, submerged 1099 tons, total 1363 tons
• Length: overall 68.7m, pressure hull 50.9m
• Beam: overall 6.85m, pressure hull 5m
• Draft: 5m
• Height: 10m
• Power: surfaced 4400 horsepower, submerged 750 horsepower
• Speed: surfaced 18.6 knots, submerged 7.6 knots
• Range: surfaced 20,150km (12,600 miles) at 10 knots, submerged 130km (80 miles) at 4 knots
• Torpedoes: 16 (4 bow, 1 stern)
• Deck gun: none
• Crew: 44-52 men
• Max depth: 270m (890 feet)

Type VIID

The type VIID boats, designed in 1939 and 1940, were a longer version of the VIIC with three banks of five vertical tubes just aft of the conning tower, rather like a modern ballistic missile submarine, except that these tubes ejected mines rather than missiles.

These boats did not fare well: only one survived the war; the other five all went down with all hands.

U-213 -- U-214 -- U-215 -- U-216 -- U-217 -- U-218

General Characteristics

• Displacement: surfaced 965 tons, submerged 1080 tons, total 1285 tons
• Length: overall 76.9m, pressure hull 59.8m
• Beam: overall 6.4m, pressure hull 4.7m
• Draft: 5m
• Height: 9.7m
• Power: surfaced 3200 horsepower, submerged 750 horsepower
• Speed: surfaced 16.7 knots, submerged 7.3 knots
• Range: surfaced 17,900km (11,200 miles) at 10 knots, submerged 110km (70 miles) at 4 knots
• Torpedoes: 14 (4 bow, 1 stern)
• Mines: 15 SMA
• Deck gun: none
• Crew: 46-52 men
• Max depth: 200m (660 feet)

Type VIIF

The Type VIIF boats, designed in 1941, were primarily built as torpedo transports. They were the largest and heaviest type VII boats built. They were armed identically with the other Type VIIs except that they could have up to 39 torpedoes onboard and had no deck guns.

Only four Type VIIFs were built. Two of them, U-1062 and U-1059, were sent to support the Monsun U-boats in the Far East; U-1060 and U-1061 remained in the Atlantic.

General Characteristics

• Displacement: surfaced 1084 tons, submerged 1181 tons, total 1345 tons
• Length: overall 77.6m, pressure hull 60.4m
• Beam: overall 7.3m, pressure hull 4.7m
• Draft: 4.9m
• Height: 9.6m
• Power: surfaced 3200 horsepower, submerged 750 horsepower
• Speed: surfaced 17.6 knots, submerged 7.9 knots
• Range: surfaced 23,500km (14,700 miles) at 10 knots, submerged 120km (75 miles) at 4 knots
• Torpedoes: 14 (4 bow, 1 stern)
• Deck gun: none
• Crew: 46-52 men
• Max depth: 200m (650 feet)

1 German Navy WW2 Capital Ships
1.1 Battleships/Schlachtschiff
1.2 Pre-Dreadnoughts/Linienschiffe
1.3 Heavy cruisers/Schwere Kreuzer
1.4 Light cruisers/Leichte Kreuzer
2 Destroyers and Torpedo boats
2.1 Destroyers/Zerst�rer
2.2 Torpedo boats/Flottentorpedoboot
3 Auxiliary cruisers/Hilfskreuzer
4 Mine Warfare Craft
4.1 Minelayers/Minenleger
4.2 Minesweepers/Minensuchboot
4.3 R Boats/R�umboote

5 Small craft
5.1 E-Boat (MTB)s/Schnellboot
6 U-boats/Unterseeboote
6.1 Training subs
6.2 Coastal subs
6.3 Ocean-going subs
6.4 Minelaying subs
6.5 Supply subs
6.6 Electric boats
6.7 Midget Submarines
6.8 Human Torpedoes
7 Auxiliary ships
7.1 Troop Ships
7.2 Artillery Training Ships/Artillerieschulschiffe
7.3 Radio-Controlled Targets
7.4 Sail Training Ships/Segelschulschiffe
7.5 Floating AA Batteries/Schwimmende Flakbatterien
7.6 Escorts/Flottenbegleiter
7.7 Gunboats/Leichte Schnellboote

Capital Ships

Battleships/Schlachtschiff

* Bismarck class (42,000 tons, 8 x 380 mm guns)
o Bismarck, 1939
o Tirpitz, 1939
* Scharnhorst class (35,000 tons, 9 x 280 mm guns)
o Gneisenau, 1936
o Scharnhorst, 1936

Pre-Dreadnoughts/Linienschiffe

* Deutschland class battleship (15,000 tons, 4 x 280mm guns)
o Schleswig-Holstein, 1906
o Schlesien, 1906

Heavy cruisers/Schwere Kreuzer

* Deutschland class (12,000 tons, 6 x 280 mm guns)
o L�tzow (ex-Deutschland), 1931
o Admiral Graf Spee, 1933
o Admiral Scheer, 1934
* Admiral Hipper class (14,000 tons, 8 x 203 mm guns)
o Admiral Hipper, 1937
o Bl�cher, 1937
o Prinz Eugen, 1938

Light cruisers/Leichte Kreuzer

* Emden class (6,000 tons, 8 x 150 mm guns)
o Emden, 1925
* K class (7,200 tons, 9 x 150 mm guns)
o K�nigsberg, 1925
o Karlsruhe, 1927
o K�ln, 1928
* Leipzig class (8,000 tons, 9 x 150 mm guns)
o Leipzig, 1929
o N�rnberg, 1934

Destroyers and Torpedo boats

Destroyers/Zerst�rer
Main article: German World War II destroyers

* Zerst�rer/Typ 1934 (3,155 tons, 5 � 127 mm guns)
o Z1 Leberecht Maas 1937
o Z2 Georg Thiele 1937
o Z3 Max Schultz 1937
o Z4 Richard Beitzen 1937
* Zerst�rer/Typ 1934 A
o Z5 Paul Jacobi
o Z6 Theodor Riedel
o Z7 Hermann Schoemann
o Z8 Bruno Heinemann
o Z9 Wolfgang Zenker
o Z10 Hans Lody
o Z11 Bernd von Arnim
o Z12 Erich Giese
o Z13 Erich Koellner
o Z14 Friedrich Ihn
o Z15 Erich Steinbrinck
o Z16 Friedrich Eckoldt
* Zerst�rer/Typ 1936
o Z17 Diether von Roeder
o Z18 Hans L�demann
o Z19 Hermann K�nne
o Z20 Karl Galster
o Z21 Wilhelm Heidkamp
o Z22 Anton Schmitt
* Zerst�rer/Typ 1936 A(Narvik)
o Z23 through Z30
* Zerst�rer/Typ 1936 A (Mob)
o Z31 through Z34
o Z37 through Z39
* Zerst�rer/Typ 1936 B
o Z35 through Z36
o Z43 through Z45

Torpedo boats/Flottentorpedoboot

* Torpedoboot 1923 ("Raubvogel") (900 tons, 3 x 105 mm guns)
o M�we
o Falke
o Greif
o Kondor
o Albatros
o Seeadler
* Torpedoboot 1924 ("Raubtier") (950 tons, 3 x 105 mm guns)
o Wolf
o Iltis
o Jaguar
o Leopard
o Luchs''
o Tiger
* Torpedoboot 1935 (1,090 tons, 1 x 105 mm gun)
o T1 through T12
* Torpedoboot 1937 (1,150 tons, 1 x 105 mm gun)
o T13 through T21
* Flottentorpedoboot 1939 (Elbing) (1,750 tons, 4 x 105 mm guns)
o T22 through T36

Auxiliary cruisers/Hilfskreuzer

* Orion
* Atlantis
* Widder
* Thor
* Pinguin
* Stier
* Komet
* Kormoran
* Michel
* Coronel
* Hansa

Mine Warfare Craft

Minelayers/Minenleger

* Tannenberg 1935 (5,500 tons, 3 x 150mm guns, 460 mines)
* Brandenburg 1936 (3,900 tons, 3 x 105mm guns, 250 mines)
* Lothringen 1941 (2,000 tons, 2 x 88mm guns, 200 mines)
* Niedersachsen 1934 (1,800 tons, 2 x 105mm guns, 260 mines
* Drache 1924 (1,800 tons, 2 x 88mm guns, 120 mines)
* Brummer 1940 (3 � 10.5 cm guns, 2 � 3.7 cm anti-aircraft guns, 10 � 2 cm anti-aircraft guns, 4 � 46 cm torpedo tubes, 280 mines)
* Oldenburg 1934 (1,200 tons, 2 x 88mm guns, 145 mines
* Kamerun 1939 (370 tons, 2 x 88mm guns, 100 mines)
* Togo 1939 (370 tons, 2 x 88mm guns, 100 mines)
* Kiebitz 1943

Pathmakers/Sperrbrecher

* Sperrbrecher 1 - Sperrbrecher 100 (5,000 tons, 2 x 88mm guns)

Mine-hunters/K�stenminenleger

* KM1 - KM36

Small craft

E-Boat (MTB)s/Schnellboot

* S-1 class (50 tons, 1 x 20mm gun, 2 torpedo tubes)
o S1 - S25
* S-26 class (75 tons, 1 x 20mm gun, 2 torpedo tubes)
o S26 - S29
* S-30 class (80 tons, 1 x 20mm gun, 2 torpedo tubes)
o S30 - S37
* S-38 class (80 tons, 1 x 20mm gun, 2 torpedo tubes)
o S38 - S60
* S-38b class (90 tons, 2 x 20mm guns, 2 torpedo tubes)
o S61 - S99
* S-100 class (100 tons, 1 x 37mm gun, 2 torpedo tubes)
o S100 - S150
* S-151 class (100 tons, 1 x 37mm gun, 2 torpedo tubes)
o S151 - S205

U-boats/Unterseeboote

Training subs

* Type I Unterseeboote
o U25 and U26

Coastal subs

* Type IIA Unterseeboote
o U1 through U6
* Type IIB Unterseeboote
o U7 through U24
o U120 and U121
* Type IIC Unterseeboote
o U56 through U63
* Type IID Unterseeboote
o U137 through U152
* Type XVIIB Unterseeboote
o U1405 through U1407

Ocean-going subs

* Type VIIA Unterseeboote
o U27 through U36
* Type VIIB Unterseeboote
o U45 through U55
o U73 through U76
o U83 through U87
o U99 through U102
* Type VIIC Unterseeboote
o U69 through U72
o U77 through U82
o U88 through U98
o U132 through U136
o U201 through U212
o U221 through U232
o U235 through U291
o U301 through U316
o U331 through U394
o U396 through U458
o U465 through U486

Minelaying subs

* Type VIID Unterseeboote
o U213 through U218
* Type XB Unterseeboote
o U116 through U119

Supply subs

* Type VIIF Unterseeboote
o U1059 through U1062
* Type IXD /42 Unterseeboot
o U883 and U884
* Type XB Unterseeboote
o U219 and U220
o U233 and U234
* Type XIV Unterseeboote
o U459 through U464
o U487 through U490


Midget Submarines

* Seehund (17 tons, 2 x torpedoes)
o 138 commissioned
* Hecht (Training)
o 53 commissioned
* Biber (6.5 tons, 2 x torpedoes)
o 324 commissioned
* Molch (11 tons, 2 x torpedoes)
o 393 commissioned
* Delphin (Prototype)
o 3 commissioned
* Seeteufel (Prototype)
o 1 commissioned
* Schwertwal (Prototype)
o 1 commissioned

Human Torpedoes

* Neger (1 x torpedo)
o 200 commissioned
* Marder (3 tons, 1 x torpedo)
o 500 commissioned
* Hai (Prototype)
o 1 commissioned

Auxiliary ships

Troop Ships

* Cap Arcona, 1927
* Deutschland, 1923
* Goya, 1940
* Steuben, 1923
* Wilhelm Gustloff, 1937

Artillery Training Ships/Artillerieschulschiffe

* Bremse 1933 (1,800 tons, 4 x 127mm guns, 280 mines)
* Brummer 1934 (3,000 tons, 8 x 105mm guns, 480 mines)
* Admiral Hugo Zeye, 1942

Radio-Controlled Targets

* Braunschweig class battleship
o Hessen, 1900
* Wittelsbach class battleship
o Zahringen, 1898

Gunboats/Leichte Schnellboote

* LS1 - LS12