List of U-boats never deployed
Encyclopedia
During the Second World War, Nazi Germany
built over a thousand U-boats or submarines for service in the Second Battle of the Atlantic
in the Kriegsmarine
. Although the majority of these had active service careers, and 784 of them were lost at sea, there were still several hundred boats which were never completed or completed too late to see any war service. These boats were sometime solely commissioned as training craft, or were too badly damaged by bombing to be worth completion. Most however were finished in the last six months of the war and never had time or enough fuel to complete their training programs. These boats remained in German harbours up until April/May 1945, when most were taken out to sea by skeleton crews and scuttled to prevent the allies capturing them. The boats that were captured were taken by the Allies to Loch Ryan
in Scotland
and Lisahally in Ireland
. Some were presented to allied navies for commissioning or experiments, but the majority of captured U-boats were towed out to sea in the autumn of 1945 and sunk by gunfire in Operation Deadlight
.
U-3508
Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany , also known as the Third Reich , but officially called German Reich from 1933 to 1943 and Greater German Reich from 26 June 1943 onward, is the name commonly used to refer to the state of Germany from 1933 to 1945, when it was a totalitarian dictatorship ruled by...
built over a thousand U-boats or submarines for service in the Second Battle of the Atlantic
Second Battle of the Atlantic
The Battle of the Atlantic was the longest continuous military campaign in World War II, running from 1939 to the defeat of Germany in 1945. At its core was the Allied naval blockade of Germany, announced the day after the declaration of war, and Germany's subsequent counter-blockade. It was at its...
in the Kriegsmarine
Kriegsmarine
The Kriegsmarine was the name of the German Navy during the Nazi regime . It superseded the Kaiserliche Marine of World War I and the post-war Reichsmarine. The Kriegsmarine was one of three official branches of the Wehrmacht, the unified armed forces of Nazi Germany.The Kriegsmarine grew rapidly...
. Although the majority of these had active service careers, and 784 of them were lost at sea, there were still several hundred boats which were never completed or completed too late to see any war service. These boats were sometime solely commissioned as training craft, or were too badly damaged by bombing to be worth completion. Most however were finished in the last six months of the war and never had time or enough fuel to complete their training programs. These boats remained in German harbours up until April/May 1945, when most were taken out to sea by skeleton crews and scuttled to prevent the allies capturing them. The boats that were captured were taken by the Allies to Loch Ryan
Loch Ryan
Loch Ryan is a Scottish sea loch that acts as an important natural harbour for shipping, providing calm waters for ferries operating between Scotland and Northern Ireland...
in Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
and Lisahally in Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
. Some were presented to allied navies for commissioning or experiments, but the majority of captured U-boats were towed out to sea in the autumn of 1945 and sunk by gunfire in Operation Deadlight
Operation Deadlight
Operation Deadlight was the code name for the scuttling of U-boats surrendered to the Allies after the defeat of Germany near the end of World War II....
.
U-3508German submarine U-3508German submarine U-3508 was a Type XXI U-boat of the German Kriegsmarine during World War II. The Elektroboote submarine was laid down on 25 July 1944 at the Schichau-Werke yard at Danzig, launched on 22 September 1944, and commissioned on 2 November 1944 under the command of Oberleutnant zur See...
- Type: XXIGerman Type XXI submarineType XXI U-boats, also known as "Elektroboote", were the first submarines designed to operate primarily submerged, rather than as surface ships that could submerge as a means to escape detection or launch an attack.-Description:...
- Construction
- Laid Down: July 25, 1944
- Launched: September 22, 1944
- Commissioned: November 2, 1944
- Shipyard: F. Schichau, Danzig
- Commander
- Detlef von Lehsten
- Fate: Sunk whilst empty in WilhelmshavenWilhelmshavenWilhelmshaven is a coastal town in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is situated on the western side of the Jade Bight, a bay of the North Sea.-History:...
by an Eighth Air ForceEighth Air ForceThe Eighth Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force Global Strike Command . It is headquartered at Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana....
raid on March 3, 1945. Raised by engineers, but sunk again on March 30, 1945. - U-boat.net webpage for U-3508
U-3509
- Type: XXIGerman Type XXI submarineType XXI U-boats, also known as "Elektroboote", were the first submarines designed to operate primarily submerged, rather than as surface ships that could submerge as a means to escape detection or launch an attack.-Description:...
- Construction
- Laid Down: July 19, 1944
- Launched: September 27, 1944
- Commissioned: January 29, 1945
- Shipyard: F. Schichau, Danzig
- Commanders
- Hans Hornkohl
- Karl-Hein Vosswinkel
- Heinz FrankeHeinz FrankeHeinz Franke was a German U-boat commander in World War II and recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross...
- Wilhelm Neitzsch
- Fate: Scuttled at Wesermünde near BremerhavenBremerhavenBremerhaven is a city at the seaport of the free city-state of Bremen, a state of the Federal Republic of Germany. It forms an enclave in the state of Lower Saxony and is located at the mouth of the River Weser on its eastern bank, opposite the town of Nordenham...
, May 3, 1945 - U-boat.net webpage for U-3509
U-3510
- Type: XXIGerman Type XXI submarineType XXI U-boats, also known as "Elektroboote", were the first submarines designed to operate primarily submerged, rather than as surface ships that could submerge as a means to escape detection or launch an attack.-Description:...
- Construction
- Laid Down: August 6, 1944
- Launched: October 4, 1944
- Commissioned: November 11, 1944
- Shipyard: F. Schichau, Danzig
- Commander
- Ernst-Werner Schwirley
- Fate: Scuttled in Geltinger Bay, May 4, 1945
- U-boat.net webpage for U-3510
U-3511
- Type: XXIGerman Type XXI submarineType XXI U-boats, also known as "Elektroboote", were the first submarines designed to operate primarily submerged, rather than as surface ships that could submerge as a means to escape detection or launch an attack.-Description:...
- Construction
- Laid Down: August 14, 1944
- Launched: October 11, 1944
- Commissioned: November 18, 1944
- Shipyard: F. Schichau, Danzig
- Commander
- Martin Grasse
- Hans-Heinrich Ketels
- Hermann Schrenk
- Fate: Scuttled at TravemündeTravemündeTravemünde is a borough of Lübeck, Germany, located at the mouth of the river Trave in Lübeck Bay. It began life as a fortress built by Henry the Lion, Duke of Saxony, in the 12th century to guard the mouth of the Trave, and the Danes subsequently strengthened it. It became a town in 1317 and in...
near NeustadtNeustadt in HolsteinNeustadt in Holstein is a town in the district of Ostholstein, in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany. It is situated on the Bay of Lübeck , approx...
, May 3, 1945 - U-boat.net webpage for U-3511
U-3512
- Type: XXIGerman Type XXI submarineType XXI U-boats, also known as "Elektroboote", were the first submarines designed to operate primarily submerged, rather than as surface ships that could submerge as a means to escape detection or launch an attack.-Description:...
- Construction
- Laid Down: August 15, 1944
- Launched: October 11, 1944
- Commissioned: November 27, 1944
- Shipyard: F. Schichau, Danzig
- Commander
- Hans Hornkohl
- Fate: Destroyed by Royal Air ForceRoyal Air ForceThe Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
bombers whilst laid up empty in KielKielKiel 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...
, 9 April 1945 - U-boat.net webpage for U-3512
U-3513
- Type: XXIGerman Type XXI submarineType XXI U-boats, also known as "Elektroboote", were the first submarines designed to operate primarily submerged, rather than as surface ships that could submerge as a means to escape detection or launch an attack.-Description:...
- Construction
- Laid Down: August 20, 1944
- Launched: October 21, 1944
- Commissioned: December 2, 1944
- Shipyard: F. Schichau, Danzig
- Commander
- Otto-Heinrich Nachtigall
- Fate: Scuttled at TravemündeTravemündeTravemünde is a borough of Lübeck, Germany, located at the mouth of the river Trave in Lübeck Bay. It began life as a fortress built by Henry the Lion, Duke of Saxony, in the 12th century to guard the mouth of the Trave, and the Danes subsequently strengthened it. It became a town in 1317 and in...
near NeustadtNeustadt in HolsteinNeustadt in Holstein is a town in the district of Ostholstein, in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany. It is situated on the Bay of Lübeck , approx...
, May 3, 1945 - U-boat.net webpage for U-3513
U-3514
- Type: XXIGerman Type XXI submarineType XXI U-boats, also known as "Elektroboote", were the first submarines designed to operate primarily submerged, rather than as surface ships that could submerge as a means to escape detection or launch an attack.-Description:...
- Construction
- Laid Down: August 21, 1944
- Launched: October 21, 1944
- Commissioned: December 9, 1944
- Shipyard: F. Schichau, Danzig
- Commander
- Günther Fritze
- Fate: Captured at Bergen, Norway and transported to Loch RyanLoch RyanLoch Ryan is a Scottish sea loch that acts as an important natural harbour for shipping, providing calm waters for ferries operating between Scotland and Northern Ireland...
awaiting a decision about its fate. The Soviet Union refused an offer to have it, as did Britain, so on the 11 February 1946 it was sunk by the naval tug Prosperous with gunfire and a "Shark" anti-submarine weapon. U-3514 was the last submarine to be disposed of in Operation DeadlightOperation DeadlightOperation Deadlight was the code name for the scuttling of U-boats surrendered to the Allies after the defeat of Germany near the end of World War II....
. - U-boat.net webpage for U-3514
U-3516
- Type: XXIGerman Type XXI submarineType XXI U-boats, also known as "Elektroboote", were the first submarines designed to operate primarily submerged, rather than as surface ships that could submerge as a means to escape detection or launch an attack.-Description:...
- Construction
- Laid Down: Summer 1944
- Launched: November 4, 1944
- Commissioned: December 18, 1944
- Shipyard: F. Schichau, Danzig
- Commander
- Hans Wengel
- Heinrich Grote
- Fate: Scuttled at TravemündeTravemündeTravemünde is a borough of Lübeck, Germany, located at the mouth of the river Trave in Lübeck Bay. It began life as a fortress built by Henry the Lion, Duke of Saxony, in the 12th century to guard the mouth of the Trave, and the Danes subsequently strengthened it. It became a town in 1317 and in...
near NeustadtNeustadt in HolsteinNeustadt in Holstein is a town in the district of Ostholstein, in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany. It is situated on the Bay of Lübeck , approx...
, May 4, 1945 - U-boat.net webpage for U-3516
U-3517
- Type: XXIGerman Type XXI submarineType XXI U-boats, also known as "Elektroboote", were the first submarines designed to operate primarily submerged, rather than as surface ships that could submerge as a means to escape detection or launch an attack.-Description:...
- Construction
- Laid Down: September 12, 1944
- Launched: December 6, 1944
- Commissioned: December 22, 1944
- Shipyard: F. Schichau, Danzig
- Commander
- Helmuth Münster
- Fate: Scuttled at TravemündeTravemündeTravemünde is a borough of Lübeck, Germany, located at the mouth of the river Trave in Lübeck Bay. It began life as a fortress built by Henry the Lion, Duke of Saxony, in the 12th century to guard the mouth of the Trave, and the Danes subsequently strengthened it. It became a town in 1317 and in...
near NeustadtNeustadt in HolsteinNeustadt in Holstein is a town in the district of Ostholstein, in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany. It is situated on the Bay of Lübeck , approx...
, May 4, 1945 - U-boat.net webpage for U-3517
U-3518
- Type: XXIGerman Type XXI submarineType XXI U-boats, also known as "Elektroboote", were the first submarines designed to operate primarily submerged, rather than as surface ships that could submerge as a means to escape detection or launch an attack.-Description:...
- Construction
- Laid Down: September 12, 1944
- Launched: December 11, 1944
- Commissioned: December 29, 1944
- Shipyard: F. Schichau, Danzig
- Commander
- Herbert Brünning
- Fate: Scuttled in Kiel harbour, May 3, 1945
- U-boat.net webpage for U-3518
U-3521
- Type: XXIGerman Type XXI submarineType XXI U-boats, also known as "Elektroboote", were the first submarines designed to operate primarily submerged, rather than as surface ships that could submerge as a means to escape detection or launch an attack.-Description:...
- Construction
- Laid Down: October 3, 1944
- Launched: December 3, 1944
- Commissioned: January 14, 1945
- Shipyard: F. Schichau, Danzig
- Commander
- Günther Keller
- Fate: Scuttled at TravemündeTravemündeTravemünde is a borough of Lübeck, Germany, located at the mouth of the river Trave in Lübeck Bay. It began life as a fortress built by Henry the Lion, Duke of Saxony, in the 12th century to guard the mouth of the Trave, and the Danes subsequently strengthened it. It became a town in 1317 and in...
near NeustadtNeustadt in HolsteinNeustadt in Holstein is a town in the district of Ostholstein, in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany. It is situated on the Bay of Lübeck , approx...
, May 2, 1945 - U-boat.net webpage for U-3521
U-3522
- Type: XXIGerman Type XXI submarineType XXI U-boats, also known as "Elektroboote", were the first submarines designed to operate primarily submerged, rather than as surface ships that could submerge as a means to escape detection or launch an attack.-Description:...
- Construction
- Laid Down: October 1944
- Launched: December 3, 1944
- Commissioned: January 21, 1945
- Shipyard: F. Schichau, Danzig
- Commander
- Diether Lenzmann
- Fate: Scuttled at TravemündeTravemündeTravemünde is a borough of Lübeck, Germany, located at the mouth of the river Trave in Lübeck Bay. It began life as a fortress built by Henry the Lion, Duke of Saxony, in the 12th century to guard the mouth of the Trave, and the Danes subsequently strengthened it. It became a town in 1317 and in...
near NeustadtNeustadt in HolsteinNeustadt in Holstein is a town in the district of Ostholstein, in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany. It is situated on the Bay of Lübeck , approx...
, May 2, 1945 - U-boat.net webpage for U-3522
U-3524
- Type: XXIGerman Type XXI submarineType XXI U-boats, also known as "Elektroboote", were the first submarines designed to operate primarily submerged, rather than as surface ships that could submerge as a means to escape detection or launch an attack.-Description:...
- Construction
- Laid Down: October 1944
- Launched: December 14, 1944
- Commissioned: January 26, 1945
- Shipyard: F. Schichau, Danzig
- Commander
- Hans-Ludwig Witt
- Fate: Scuttled in Flensburger Förde, May 4, 1945
- U-boat.net webpage for U-3524
U-3525
- Type: XXIGerman Type XXI submarineType XXI U-boats, also known as "Elektroboote", were the first submarines designed to operate primarily submerged, rather than as surface ships that could submerge as a means to escape detection or launch an attack.-Description:...
- Construction
- Laid Down: October 17, 1944
- Launched: December 23, 1944
- Commissioned: January 31, 1945
- Shipyard: F. Schichau, Danzig
- Commanders
- Hans-Ludwig Gaude
- Franz Kranisch
- Fate: Severely damaged by an air raid on KielKielKiel 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...
, the wreckage was scuttled the following day, May 1, 1945 - U-boat.net webpage for U-3525
U-3526
- Type: XXIGerman Type XXI submarineType XXI U-boats, also known as "Elektroboote", were the first submarines designed to operate primarily submerged, rather than as surface ships that could submerge as a means to escape detection or launch an attack.-Description:...
- Construction
- Laid Down: October 15, 1944
- Launched: December 23, 1944
- Commissioned: March 22, 1945
- Shipyard: F. Schichau, Danzig
- Commander
- Kurt Hilbig
- Fate: Scuttled in the mouth of the Weser RiverWeser RiverThe Weser is a river in north-western Germany. Formed at Hann. Münden by the Fulda and Werra, it flows through Lower Saxony, then reaching the historic port city of Bremen before emptying into the North Sea 50 km further north at Bremerhaven, which is also a seaport...
at Wesermünde, May 4, 1945 - U-boat.net webpage for U-3526
U-3527
- Type: XXIGerman Type XXI submarineType XXI U-boats, also known as "Elektroboote", were the first submarines designed to operate primarily submerged, rather than as surface ships that could submerge as a means to escape detection or launch an attack.-Description:...
- Construction
- Laid Down: October 25, 1944
- Launched: January 10, 1945
- Commissioned: March 10, 1945
- Shipyard: F. Schichau, Danzig
- Commander
- Willy Kronenbitter
- Fate: Scuttled in the mouth of the Weser RiverWeser RiverThe Weser is a river in north-western Germany. Formed at Hann. Münden by the Fulda and Werra, it flows through Lower Saxony, then reaching the historic port city of Bremen before emptying into the North Sea 50 km further north at Bremerhaven, which is also a seaport...
at Wesermünde, May 4, 1945 - U-boat.net webpage for U-3527
U-3528
- Type: XXIGerman Type XXI submarineType XXI U-boats, also known as "Elektroboote", were the first submarines designed to operate primarily submerged, rather than as surface ships that could submerge as a means to escape detection or launch an attack.-Description:...
- Construction
- Laid Down: October 26, 1944
- Launched: January 10, 1945
- Commissioned: March 18, 1945
- Shipyard: F. Schichau, Danzig
- Commander
- Heinz Zwarg
- Fate: Scuttled in the mouth of the Weser RiverWeser RiverThe Weser is a river in north-western Germany. Formed at Hann. Münden by the Fulda and Werra, it flows through Lower Saxony, then reaching the historic port city of Bremen before emptying into the North Sea 50 km further north at Bremerhaven, which is also a seaport...
at Wesermünde, May 4, 1945 - U-boat.net webpage for U-3528
U-3529
- Type: XXIGerman Type XXI submarineType XXI U-boats, also known as "Elektroboote", were the first submarines designed to operate primarily submerged, rather than as surface ships that could submerge as a means to escape detection or launch an attack.-Description:...
- Construction
- Laid Down: November 2, 1944
- Launched: January 26, 1945
- Commissioned: March 22, 1945
- Shipyard: F. Schichau, Danzig
- Commander
- Karl-Heinz Schmidt
- Fate: Scuttled in Flensburger Förde, May 5, 1945
- U-boat.net webpage for U-3529
U-3530
- Type: XXIGerman Type XXI submarineType XXI U-boats, also known as "Elektroboote", were the first submarines designed to operate primarily submerged, rather than as surface ships that could submerge as a means to escape detection or launch an attack.-Description:...
- Construction
- Laid Down: November 3, 1944
- Launched: January 26, 1945
- Commissioned: March 23, 1945
- Shipyard: F. Schichau, Danzig
- Commanders
- Wilhelm Brauel
- Walter-Ernst Koch
- Fate: Scuttled in Kiel harbour, May 3, 1945
- U-boat.net webpage for U-3530
- For all German Type XXIII submarineGerman Type XXIII submarineGerman Type XXIII submarines were the first so-called elektroboats to become operational. They were small coastal submarines designed to operate in the shallow waters of the North Sea, Black Sea and Mediterranean Sea, where larger Type XXI Elektro boats were at risk in World War II. They were so...
s, see list of German Type XXIII submarines