German Type II submarine
Encyclopedia
The Type II U-boat was designed by Germany
as a coastal U-boat
, modeled after the CV-707 submarine, which was designed by the Dutch
dummy company NV Ingenieurskantoor voor Scheepsbouw
den Haag (I.v.S) (set up by Germany after World War I
in order to maintain and develop German
submarine
technology and to circumvent the limitations set by the Treaty of Versailles
) and built in 1933 by the Finnish Crichton-Vulcan
shipyard in Turku
, Finland
. It was too small to undertake sustained operations far away from the home support facilities. Its primary role was found to be in the training schools, preparing new German naval officers for command. It appeared in four sub-types.
at the end of World War I
, but in the late 1920s and early 1930s began to rebuild her armed forces. The pace of rearmament accelerated under Adolf Hitler
, and the first Type II U-boat was laid down on 11 February 1935. Knowing that the world would see this step towards rearmament, Hitler reached an agreement with Britain
to build a navy up to 35% of the size of the Royal Navy
in surface vessels, but equal to the British in number of submarines. This agreement was signed on 18 June 1935, and was commissioned 11 days later.
. However, it had a shallower maximum depth, short range, and cramped living conditions, and could carry few torpedo
es.
The boat had a single hull, with no watertight compartments. There were three torpedo tubes forward (none aft), with space for another two torpedoes inside the pressure hull for reloads. A single 20 mm anti-aircraft gun was provided, but no deck gun was mounted.
Space inside was limited. The two spare torpedoes extended from just behind the torpedo tubes to just in front of the control room, and most of the 24-man crew lived in this forward area around the torpedoes, sharing 12 bunks. Four bunks were also provided aft of the engines for the engine room crew. Cooking and sanitary facilities were basic, and in this environment long patrols were very arduous.
Most Type IIs only saw operational service during the early years of the war, thereafter remaining in training bases. Six were stripped down to just a hull, transported by river and truck to Linz
(on the Danube), and reassembled for use in the Black Sea
against the Soviet Union
.
In contrast to other German submarine types, few Type IIs were lost. This, of course, reflects their use as training boats, although accidents accounted for several vessels.
These boats were a first step towards re-armament, intended to provide Germany with experience in submarine construction and operation and lay the foundation for larger boats to build upon. Only one of these submarines survives to this day; the prototype CV-707, renamed Vesikko by the Finnish Navy
which later bought it.
On February 3, 2008, The Telegraph
reported that U-20 had been discovered by Selçuk Kolay, a Turkish marine engineer in 80 feet (24.4 m) of water off the coast of the Turkish city of Zonguldak
. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml;?xml=/news/2008/02/03/whitler103.xml The paper also reported that Kolay knows where U-23 and U-19 are, scuttled in deeper water near U-20.
, built four Type IIBs in 1935 and 1936, Germaniawerft AG, of Kiel
, built fourteen in 1935 and 1936, and Flender Werke AG, of Lübeck
, built two between 1938 and 1940, for a total of twenty built.
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
as a coastal U-boat
U-boat
U-boat is the anglicized version of the German word U-Boot , itself an abbreviation of Unterseeboot , and refers to military submarines operated by Germany, particularly in World War I and World War II...
, modeled after the CV-707 submarine, which was designed by the Dutch
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
dummy company NV Ingenieurskantoor voor Scheepsbouw
NV Ingenieurskantoor voor Scheepsbouw
NV Ingenieurskantoor voor Scheepsbouw , usually contracted to IvS, was a Dutch dummy company set up by the Reichsmarineamt after World War I in order to maintain and develop German submarine know-how and to circumvent the limitations set by the Treaty of Versailles...
den Haag (I.v.S) (set up by Germany after World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
in order to maintain and develop German
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
submarine
Submarine
A submarine is a watercraft capable of independent operation below the surface of the water. It differs from a submersible, which has more limited underwater capability...
technology and to circumvent the limitations set by the Treaty of Versailles
Treaty of Versailles
The Treaty of Versailles was one of the peace treaties at the end of World War I. It ended the state of war between Germany and the Allied Powers. It was signed on 28 June 1919, exactly five years after the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand. The other Central Powers on the German side of...
) and built in 1933 by the Finnish Crichton-Vulcan
Crichton-Vulcan
Crichton-Vulcan is an abandoned shipyard in Turku, Finland that once formed the cornerstone of the Finnish shipbuilding industry. The shipyard is best known for the World War II coastal defence ships and submarines it produced....
shipyard in Turku
Turku
Turku is a city situated on the southwest coast of Finland at the mouth of the Aura River. It is located in the region of Finland Proper. It is believed that Turku came into existence during the end of the 13th century which makes it the oldest city in Finland...
, Finland
Finland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
. It was too small to undertake sustained operations far away from the home support facilities. Its primary role was found to be in the training schools, preparing new German naval officers for command. It appeared in four sub-types.
Background
Germany was stripped of her U-boats by the Treaty of VersaillesTreaty of Versailles
The Treaty of Versailles was one of the peace treaties at the end of World War I. It ended the state of war between Germany and the Allied Powers. It was signed on 28 June 1919, exactly five years after the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand. The other Central Powers on the German side of...
at the end of World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, but in the late 1920s and early 1930s began to rebuild her armed forces. The pace of rearmament accelerated under Adolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler was an Austrian-born German politician and the leader of the National Socialist German Workers Party , commonly referred to as the Nazi Party). He was Chancellor of Germany from 1933 to 1945, and head of state from 1934 to 1945...
, and the first Type II U-boat was laid down on 11 February 1935. Knowing that the world would see this step towards rearmament, Hitler reached an agreement with Britain
Anglo-German Naval Agreement
The Anglo-German Naval Agreement of June 18, 1935 was a bilateral agreement between the United Kingdom and German Reich regulating the size of the Kriegsmarine in relation to the Royal Navy. The A.G.N.A fixed a ratio whereby the total tonnage of the Kriegsmarine was to be 35% of the total tonnage...
to build a navy up to 35% of the size of the Royal Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
in surface vessels, but equal to the British in number of submarines. This agreement was signed on 18 June 1935, and was commissioned 11 days later.
Design
The defining characteristic of the Type II was its tiny size. Known as the Einbaum ("dugout canoe"), it had the advantages over larger boats of the ability to work in shallow water, diving more quickly, and being more difficult to spot due to the low conning towerConning tower
A conning tower is a raised platform on a ship or submarine, often armored, from which an officer can con the vessel; i.e., give directions to the helmsman. It is usually located as high on the ship as practical, to give the conning team good visibility....
. However, it had a shallower maximum depth, short range, and cramped living conditions, and could carry few torpedo
Torpedo
The modern torpedo is a self-propelled missile weapon with an explosive warhead, launched above or below the water surface, propelled underwater towards a target, and designed to detonate either on contact with it or in proximity to it.The term torpedo was originally employed for...
es.
The boat had a single hull, with no watertight compartments. There were three torpedo tubes forward (none aft), with space for another two torpedoes inside the pressure hull for reloads. A single 20 mm anti-aircraft gun was provided, but no deck gun was mounted.
Space inside was limited. The two spare torpedoes extended from just behind the torpedo tubes to just in front of the control room, and most of the 24-man crew lived in this forward area around the torpedoes, sharing 12 bunks. Four bunks were also provided aft of the engines for the engine room crew. Cooking and sanitary facilities were basic, and in this environment long patrols were very arduous.
Most Type IIs only saw operational service during the early years of the war, thereafter remaining in training bases. Six were stripped down to just a hull, transported by river and truck to Linz
Linz
Linz is the third-largest city of Austria and capital of the state of Upper Austria . It is located in the north centre of Austria, approximately south of the Czech border, on both sides of the river Danube. The population of the city is , and that of the Greater Linz conurbation is about...
(on the Danube), and reassembled for use in the Black Sea
Black Sea
The Black Sea is bounded by Europe, Anatolia and the Caucasus and is ultimately connected to the Atlantic Ocean via the Mediterranean and the Aegean seas and various straits. The Bosphorus strait connects it to the Sea of Marmara, and the strait of the Dardanelles connects that sea to the Aegean...
against the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
.
In contrast to other German submarine types, few Type IIs were lost. This, of course, reflects their use as training boats, although accidents accounted for several vessels.
These boats were a first step towards re-armament, intended to provide Germany with experience in submarine construction and operation and lay the foundation for larger boats to build upon. Only one of these submarines survives to this day; the prototype CV-707, renamed Vesikko by the Finnish Navy
Finnish Navy
The Finnish Navy is one of the branches of the Finnish Defence Forces. The Navy employs 2,300 people and about 4,300 conscripts are trained each year. Finnish Navy vessels are given the ship prefix "FNS" simply short for "Finnish Navy Ship"...
which later bought it.
On February 3, 2008, The Telegraph
The Daily Telegraph
The Daily Telegraph is a daily morning broadsheet newspaper distributed throughout the United Kingdom and internationally. The newspaper was founded by Arthur B...
reported that U-20 had been discovered by Selçuk Kolay, a Turkish marine engineer in 80 feet (24.4 m) of water off the coast of the Turkish city of Zonguldak
Zonguldak
Zonguldak is a city and the capital of Zonguldak Province in the Black Sea region of Turkey. Its population, according to the 2009 census, was 108,792. It is an important port on the Black Sea because of the coal mining in Zonguldak Province...
. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml;?xml=/news/2008/02/03/whitler103.xml The paper also reported that Kolay knows where U-23 and U-19 are, scuttled in deeper water near U-20.
Comparison of Finnish Crichton-Vulcan CV-707(U2A) to German Type II
| CV-707 | Type IIA U1-U6 | |
|---|---|---|
| Launched | 10 May 1933 | 1934–1935 |
| Displacement (tonnes) | ||
| Surfaced | 254 | 254 |
| Submerged | 303 | 303 |
| Total | 381 | 381 |
| Size (metres) | ||
| Length | 40.9 | 40.9 |
| Beam | 4.1 | 4.1 |
| Draft | 4.2 | 3.8 |
| Speed (knots) | ||
| Surfaced | 13 | 13 |
| Submerged | 8 | 6.9 |
| Range (nautical miles) | ||
| Surfaced | 1350 nmi (2,500.2 km) at 8 knots (15.7 km/h) | 1000 nmi (1,852 km) at 8 knots (15.7 km/h) |
| Submerged | 40 nmi (74.1 km) at 4 knots (7.8 km/h) | 35 nmi (64.8 km) at 4 knots (7.8 km/h) |
| Engine | Diesel-electric | Diesel-electric |
| 2 × MWM Diesel 700 hp | 2 × MWM Diesel 700 hp | |
| 2 × Siemens Electric 360 hp | 2 × Siemens Electric 402 hp | |
Type IIB
Deutsche Werke AG, of KielKiel
Kiel is the capital and most populous city in the northern German state of Schleswig-Holstein, with a population of 238,049 .Kiel is approximately north of Hamburg. Due to its geographic location in the north of Germany, the southeast of the Jutland peninsula, and the southwestern shore of the...
, built four Type IIBs in 1935 and 1936, Germaniawerft AG, of Kiel
Kiel
Kiel is the capital and most populous city in the northern German state of Schleswig-Holstein, with a population of 238,049 .Kiel is approximately north of Hamburg. Due to its geographic location in the north of Germany, the southeast of the Jutland peninsula, and the southwestern shore of the...
, built fourteen in 1935 and 1936, and Flender Werke AG, of Lübeck
Lübeck
The Hanseatic City of Lübeck is the second-largest city in Schleswig-Holstein, in northern Germany, and one of the major ports of Germany. It was for several centuries the "capital" of the Hanseatic League and, because of its Brick Gothic architectural heritage, is listed by UNESCO as a World...
, built two between 1938 and 1940, for a total of twenty built.
List of Type IIB submarines
There were 20 Type IIB submarines commissioned.List of Type IIC submarines
There were eight Type IIC submarines commissionedList of Type IID submarines
There were 16 Type IID submarines commissionedSee also
- List of naval ship classes of Germany
- List of World War II ship classes
- Ingenieurskantoor voor Scheepsbouw