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U boot ww212/16/2023 There were 17 positions (8 on either side and one in the gutter). The Type-XXI's torpedo room was dedicated to weapons with a maximum number of rounds stowed. This reduced the number of torpedo reloads and made it slower to load the tubes. SEALs, SBS, COMSUBIN, Sh-13, Spetsnaz, Kampfschwimmers, Commando Hubert, 4RR and many more.Įarlier submarines tended to use the torpedo room for crew berthing. A world history of naval Special Forces, their missions and their specialist vehicles. Learn EVERYTHING about Special Forces subs Covert Shores 2nd Edition. And nothing like it was fielded after the war despite the allies being aware of it. The lathe (red) was apparently fitted in place of the Ursel systemĬonceptually this highly automated underwater self-defense system was ahead of its time. One hint is that the lathe, which is in the aft compartment, may have been installed in its place on the vessels built. However an aft-firing configuration appears more logical as destroyers would typically be approaching from the stern. This would be trained onto the target and automatically fired by the Sp-Anlarge sonar system. Some sources suggest that the system would be installed in a pop-up 4-round launcher ahead of the conning tower. Ranges varied but reached 220 meters (720 feet) and speeds of up to 60 meters per second (116 knots). A series of rockets were tested from 1943, some with supercavitating technology, but the system was not ready before the end of the war. This short range system would have provided self-defense against destroyers and other escort vessels. The Type-XXI was intended to be fitted with an upward firing anti-ship rocket system. This Covert Shores Recognition Guide Covers over 80 classes of submarines including all types currently in service with World Navies. Get The essential guide to World Submarines This reflected operational lessons and the realities of the Allies’ dominant anti-submarine capabilities. Instead the all-torpedo main armament was concentrated in the bow (no aft tubes). This allowed it to operate underwater for much longer.Īnother improvement was that the old fashioned deck guns for attacking merchant vessels were removed. The 'Elektroboote' had considerably more batteries than previous submarines. The snorkel wasn't the only way that the submarine could operate submerged for longer. This potentially allowed the submarine to drop the mast before it was detected by the passing aircraft or ship. So the Germans added a dipole receiver to the top of the snorkel to warn of enemy radar transmissions. But the small snort mast was not entirely invisible to radar. Snorkeling greatly reduced the submarine's susceptibility to being detected by radar. German submarines had been using snorkels for a while but the Type-XXI's was integrated into the sail to reduce drag. The Type-XXI used its snorkel (a Dutch invention) to remain substantially submerged even when running on its diesel engines – the snorkel provided air for the engines. Up to this point submarines had operated mostly on the surface, especially during long transits. US Navy Photo (Naval History and Heritage Command). US Navy sketch of the Type-XXI, probably made for intelligence purposes during World War II. One less well known aspect is that it was to be fitted with an upward firing anti-ship rocket system. With the advanced Type-XXI the Germans hoped to regain their former power on the high seas. So by the late war the Kreigsmarine's submarine fleets were being decimated. But the allies had developed increasingly effective defenses (not least the breaking of the German Enigma codes). German U-boats (Unterseeboot - submarine) had been particularly effective during the early stages of the war. And it is widely considered the first 'true submarine' because it was designed to spend all of its time underwater. It was slicker and stealthier and than any other boat and incorporated both technical and doctrinal advances. The Kriegsmarine's Type-XX1 U-boat, known as the Elektroboote', is rightly considered the most advanced submarine of World War Two.
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