German submarines of the Second World War: photos and technical characteristics

The outcome of any war depends on many factors, among which, of course, weapons are of considerable importance. Despite the fact that absolutely all German submarines of the Second World War were very powerful, since Adolf Hitler personally considered them the most important weapon and paid considerable attention to the development of this industry, they failed to inflict damage on their opponents that would have significantly affected the course of the war. Why did it happen? Who is at the origins of the creation of a submarine army? Were the German submarines of World War II really that invincible? Why were such prudent Nazis unable to defeat the Red Army? You will find the answer to these and other questions in the review.

general information

Collectively, all equipment in service with the Third Reich during World War II was called the Kriegsmarine, and submarines made up a significant part of the arsenal. Underwater equipment became a separate industry on November 1, 1934, and the fleet was disbanded after the war ended, i.e., having existed for less than a dozen years. In such a short period of time, German submarines of World War II brought a lot of fear into the souls of their opponents, leaving their huge mark on the bloody pages of the history of the Third Reich. Thousands of dead, hundreds of sunk ships, all this remained on the conscience of the surviving Nazis and their subordinates.

PREFACE

This book is not only well written, but also represents a powerful piece of military history.
If not for these two circumstances, I would never have touched this “depth charge.” My point of view must be defined from the very beginning, because I do not want to be considered a defender of any military achievements of Germany. After the war, too many books, films, plays appeared, convincing that the Germans, misled, were basically honest people who fought valiantly, like any Christian soldier. I do not want to be one of the supporters of this opinion, especially since a determined attempt has been made to present Field Marshal Rommel (at one time the head of Hitler's personal guard and head of the Hitler Youth) as not a Nazi at all, but simply a decent officer who sought to do his duty as best as possible.

This nonsense is eagerly bought as buzzwords, presented as a novelty and packaged as a holiday gift. But it's still nonsense.

As you read this book, you will also make a remarkable discovery: there really were no Nazis in defeated Germany, just millions of “decent Germans” who suffered terribly because of the terrible things that others forced them to do. You will also remember that General MacArthur discovered the same thing in Japan: every [- 5 -] Japanese are just gum-chewing democrats, waiting only for the Americans to arrive to show it. You'll remember the general willingness to welcome both the Germans and the Japanese - good guys who were just a little off track.

I don’t want to belong to supporters of this opinion either.

No one can say why the Western world accepts this particular type of blindness. For Nazi Germany was by no means a nation of honest simpletons. They all knew what they wanted and were prepared to go all the way to achieve their goal. Until they were defeated (then all the colors suddenly changed), they were absolute supporters of the idea of world domination, wholeheartedly supporting a disgusting tyranny, which, if not checked, would draw the curtain on human freedom for all subsequent generations.

Now they sing sweetly (and others sing for them): “Let's love each other, let's shake hands over the trenches. Everything that happened was a terrible mistake.” But in the 20th century this mistake happened twice already. Twice this people, and not any other, plunged the whole world into suffering and bloodshed, pursuing their dream of unlimited power. And then and now it is recognized as a mistake only because of defeat. We have forgotten about this, and this is dangerous.

Among the worst of the voluntary advocates of world enslavement were men who served on submarines, which brings us back to this book.

No one except a maniac, a sadist or a romantic of the sea can speak out in defense of submarine warfare. This is a cruel and disgusting form of human behavior, whether practiced by us or the Germans. This is betrayal, no matter what flag it comes under. According to the well-known Anglo-American illusion, German submarines are disgusting, ours are completely different, even wonderful. (This self-delusion is not confirmed by those who themselves have been under the gun of a torpedo.) Of course, this is the other side of the coin. It cannot be denied that submariners of any country are brave and skillful people. They are accustomed to doing their job in conditions of real danger, which, perhaps, is where real courage is manifested. But what constitutes their life's work - killing secretly, without warning and without mercy - is evil as much as it is skill. Moreover, evil prevails and, if you think about it, it has no forgiveness.

Before us is a book by a brave and intelligent man who was the embodiment of this evil. Having written the foreword to it, I do not advocate the principle of “forgive and forget.” The author and people like him tried to kill me and my friends for five years straight. Until the end of the Battle of the Atlantic I loathed and feared them. I still have a disgust for them. But it would be right now, when the fight is over and the German submarines are disarmed, to try to understand the other side. We must find out what the picture of war looks like from the other side of the periscope, understand what made these people act and, in acting, kill.

We learn about the training of young submariners, about their initiation into a special type of killer. We learn how they felt when they saw their victims, and, conversely, when, as often happened, they themselves became victims, and the depth charges exploded and rumbled around them.

For most of the war, the author commanded the submarine, and, I must say, he commanded well, otherwise he would not have survived. We learn about the enormous human effort that a submariner's service requires.

We learn about the appearance of radar in the war at sea, this important weapon that changed the course of the struggle and finally made submarines and surface ships equal.

We learn about the enormous cost of preserving such an important artery across the Atlantic. It was here that swarms of submarines attacked the convoy and sometimes tore it to shreds, [- 7 -] and sometimes they themselves died in the attack. And we really understand what we could only guess about or fear in those past bad days.

The book ends with the escape of U-977 to Argentina at the end of the war. This transition took three and a half months. The team was at times disciplined and at others on the verge of mutiny. The submarine spent 66 consecutive days underwater - a feat of endurance and determination that deserves every respect.

But in such cases there is always “something else”. For me, this “something” is a small incident with the sinking of a tanker, described at the beginning of the book. It was literally torn in two in stormy weather. Of course, there was no warning. They just saw him, tracked him down, his hand was on the start button, and that was the sweet moment of murder. When it was all over, the author says, when those who tried to escape were left to die and the wrecked ship was overwhelmed by the waves, “we put on a record and listened to the old songs that reminded us of home.”

The book makes us sympathize with the crews of other submarines that failed to reach the shores of Argentina; they sought in vain for “respect for the vanquished.”

Ah, Germany!

But read for yourself. This book is valuable for its authenticity and clarity in showing this type of warfare. It is even more valuable for understanding the root causes of the appearance of submarines. After reading it, you will not only feel the dirt and cruelty of the life of a submariner, but also understand how far politicians can go down the road of madness and what they can do to other people in an irrepressible thirst for power.

Nicholas Montserrat [- 8 -]

Commander-in-Chief of the Kriegsmarine

During World War II, one of the most famous Nazis, Karl Doenitz, was at the helm of the Kriegsmarine. German submarines certainly played an important role in World War II, but without this man this would not have happened. He was personally involved in creating plans to attack opponents, participated in attacks on many ships and achieved success in this path, for which he was awarded the Knight's Cross and Oak Leaves - one of the most significant awards of Nazi Germany. Doenitz was an admirer of Hitler and was his successor, which did a lot of harm to him during the Nuremberg trials, because after the death of the Fuhrer he was considered the commander-in-chief of the Third Reich.

U-Boote.ru

STATISTICS ON GERMAN SUBMARINES IN THE SECOND WORLD WAR

Before and during the Second World War, Germany built, manned and prepared for sailing 1,153 serial submarines
: I series - 2, II series - 50, VII series - 703, IX series - 194, X series - 8, XIV series - 10, XVII series - 7, XXI series - 118, XXIII series - 61.

15 foreign submarines

was requisitioned or captured, manned and put into operation. Some of them participated in combat operations: (Turkish), UD-3 and UD-5 (Dutch); most were educational: (British), UC-1 and UC-2 (Norwegian), UD-1, UD-2 and UD-4 (Dutch), UF-2 (French); transport ones were: UIT-22, UIT-23, UIT-24 and UIT-25 (Italian); not used: UIT-21 (Italian).

Type VIIC
-
568
submarines.
type VIIC/41
-
91
submarines.
type IXC/40
-
87
submarines.

766 submarines

1939
-
9
submarines;
1940
-
24
submarines;
1941
-
35
submarines;
1942
-
86
submarines;
1943
-
243
submarines;
1944
-
249
submarines;
1945
-
120
submarines.

The total number of submariners killed in World War II was 28,728 people

, which equals
75-80%
of the number of sailors who served on combat submarines.
7,000
German submarine crew members remained alive

The total losses of the allies and neutral countries from German submarines amounted to 2919 ships,

with a total tonnage of
14879472 gross register tons
, according to other data
2882 vessels
with a total tonnage of
14408412 gross register tons
.
264 vessels
with a total tonnage of
1,989,703 gross register tons
were damaged .

Fregatten captain Otto Kretschmer - 47 ships
with a total tonnage of
274,418 tons.
Captain zur see Wolfgang Lüth - 47 ships
with a total tonnage of
225,756 tons.
Fregatten captain Erich Topp - 36 ships
with a total tonnage of
198,650 tons.

U-48 - 51 transport ships
with a total tonnage of
306,874 tons were destroyed.
U-103 - 45 transport ships
with a total tonnage of
237,596 tons were destroyed.
U-123 - 42 transport ships
with a total tonnage of
219,924 tons were destroyed.

U-196 - 225 days
from March 13 to October 23, 1943 (Eitel-Friedrich Kentrath).
U-181 - 206 days
from March 23 to October 14, 1943 (Wolfgang Lüth).
U-198 - 200 days
from March 9 to September 24, 1943 (Werner Hartmann).

INFORMATION ON GERMAN SUBMARINES

LIST OF GERMAN SUBMARINES

A list of all German submarines built, manned and ready for sailing, as well as requisitioned and captured foreign submarines, is on this page

SEARCH FOR GERMAN SUBMARINE BY INDEX:

SITE NEWS:

2020

01.09

— information on 1,153 serial and 15 foreign submarines has been updated.

2021

05.01

— in the
“About the site”
on the
“Books”
, a description of five books by the authors has been added: Gromov A.B., Nagirnyak V.A., Sergeev A.A., Jürg Meister and Franz Kurowski.

Specifications

It is easy to guess that Karl Doenitz was responsible for the condition of the submarine army. German submarines in World War II, photos of which prove their power, had impressive parameters.

In general, the Kriegsmarine was armed with 21 types of submarines. They had the following characteristics:

displacement: from 275 to 2710 tons;
surface speed: from 9.7 to 19.2 knots;
underwater speed: from 6.9 to 17.2;
diving depth: from 150 to 280 meters.

This proves that the German submarines of World War II were not just powerful, they were the most powerful among the weapons of the countries that fought with Germany.

From the author

After the First World War, those who participated in it rushed to express themselves in print because, under those circumstances, they felt able to tell the full truth about themselves and their time. But very few German survivors of World War II broke their silence. The reason seems to be that their exploits were meaningless, and their future in our dramatically changed world is obscured by the threat of another war.

I am just one of those unknown young Germans who went through the Second World War and would also remain silent if I could. But the mystery of the U-977 submarine has already become the subject of so many comments that I feel the need to tell its true story. I was the last commander of this submarine and, since I now live abroad, I can speak more freely than those who returned home. I realized my responsibility as soon as I started writing this book. Apart from Gunther Prien, who died in the first days of the war, I do not know a single submarine commander in the war of 1939-1945 who put pen to paper. Those who could tell everything better than me are either at the bottom of the sea, or caught up in the struggle for survival in the post-war world. However, I am afraid that what I can tell [- 11 -] means very little compared to what more eminent people could say. But it still means something, because while one or two books have already appeared telling about the battles on land and in the air from the German point of view, no one has told about what we did at sea in this very the most terrible of all international wars.

Both on the ground and in the air, Germany, supported by its powerful industry, began the war as strong as its opponents. At sea we were always up against vastly superior forces and had to supplement our meager material resources with our own efforts and skill. I think I have the right to say that we have fulfilled our task at the cost of enormous demands on each individual person. The story of how German sailors withstood these demands is not the smallest chapter in the history of this war.

Achievements of the Navy

The Kriegsmarine inflicted considerable damage on its opponents throughout the war. For example, the most effective captain Otto Kretschmer sank almost fifty enemy ships. There are also record holders among ships. For example, the German submarine U-48 sank 52 ships.

Throughout World War II, the German navy managed to destroy 63 destroyers, 9 cruisers, 7 aircraft carriers and even 2 battleships. The largest and most notable victory for the German army among them can be considered the sinking of the battleship Royal Oak, whose crew consisted of a thousand people and its displacement was 31,200 tons.

Plan Z

Since Hitler considered his fleet extremely important for Germany’s triumph over other countries and had extremely positive feelings towards it, he paid considerable attention to it and did not limit funding. In 1939, a plan was developed for the development of the Kriegsmarine for the next 10 years, which, fortunately, never came to fruition. According to this plan, several hundred more of the most powerful battleships, cruisers and submarines were to be built.

Powerful German submarines of World War II

Photos of some surviving German submarine technology give an idea of the power of the Third Reich's navy, but only weakly reflect how strong this army was. The majority of the German fleet consisted of Type VII submarines; they had optimal seaworthiness, were of medium size, and most importantly, their construction was relatively inexpensive, which is important in wartime.

They could dive to a depth of 320 meters with a displacement of up to 769 tons, the crew ranged from 42 to 52 employees. Despite the fact that the “sevens” were quite high-quality boats, over time, Germany’s enemy countries improved their weapons, so the Germans also had to work on modernizing their brainchild. As a result of this, the boat received several more modifications. The most popular of these was the VIIC model, which not only became the personification of Germany's military power during the attack on the Atlantic, but was also much more convenient than previous versions. The impressive dimensions made it possible to install more powerful diesel engines, and subsequent modifications also featured durable hulls, which made it possible to dive deeper.

German submarines of the Second World War were subject to constant, as they would say now, upgrades. One of the most innovative models is considered to be type XXI. An air conditioning system and additional equipment were created in this submarine, which was intended for a longer stay of the crew under water. A total of 118 boats of this type were built.

Submarines | USSR

P-type submarine

P-3 type submarine (Iskra)

Squadron submarines “P-1”, “P-2” and “P-3” of type “P” (IV series) were built at the Leningrad plant No. 189 and commissioned in 1936. The boat “P-1” was lost in 1941, “P-2” - decommissioned in 1955, and “P-3” - in 1952. Performance characteristics of the boat: total surface displacement - 1 thousand tons, underwater - 1.7 thousand tons; length – 87.7 m, width – 8 m; draft – 3 m; immersion depth – 50 m; power plants – 2 diesel engines and 2 electric motors; power – 5.4/1.1 thousand hp; speed - 19 knots; fuel reserve – 92 tons of diesel fuel; cruising range - 5.7 thousand miles; crew - 56 people. Armament: 2x1 – 100 mm guns; 1x1 – 45 mm anti-aircraft gun; 6 – 533 mm torpedo tubes; 10 torpedoes.

Submarine "K-21"

Torpedo compartment of the boat "K-21"

Central post of the boat "K-21"

Submarine "K-52"

Submarine "K-55"

The series of cruising submarines of the "K" type (series XIV) consisted of 11 units ("K-1", "K-2", "K-3", "K-21", "K-22", "K- 23", "K-51", "K-52", "K-53", "K-55", "K-56"), built at plants No. 189, No. 194, No. 196 and commissioned in 1939-1944 During the war, 5 boats were lost, the rest were written off in 1954-1957. Performance characteristics of the boat: total surface displacement - 1.5 thousand tons, underwater displacement - 2.1 thousand tons; length – 97.8 m, width – 7.4 m; draft – 4 m; immersion depth – 80 m; power plants – 3 diesel engines and 2 electric motors; power – 9.2/2.4 thousand hp; speed – 22.5 knots; fuel reserve - 263 tons of diesel fuel; cruising range - 15 thousand miles; crew - 66 people. Armament: 2x1 – 100 mm guns; 2x1 – 45 mm anti-aircraft guns; 2x1 – 12.7 mm machine gun; 10 – 533 mm torpedo tubes; 24 torpedoes; 20 minutes.

Submarine "D-1" (Decembrist)

Submarine "D-2" (Narodovolets)

Torpedo compartment of the boat "D-2"

Cabins

Submarine "D-3" (Krasnogvardeets)

Submarine "D-4" (Spartakovets)

A series of large submarines of the "D" type (series I) consisted of 6 units ("D-1", "D-2", "D-3", "D-4", "D-5", "D- 6"), built at factories No. 189, No. 198 and commissioned in 1930-1931. During the war, 3 boats were lost, 1 was sunk by the crew in 1942, the rest were decommissioned in 1955-1956. Performance characteristics of the boat: total surface displacement – 0.9 thousand tons, underwater – 1.4 thousand tons; length – 76 m, width – 6.4 m; draft - 3.8 m; immersion depth – 75 m; power plants – 2 diesel engines and 2 electric motors; power – 2.2/1.1 thousand hp; speed – 12.5 knots; fuel reserve - 128 tons of diesel fuel; cruising range - 7.5 thousand miles; crew - 47 people. Armament: 2x1 – 100 mm or 102 mm gun; 1x1 – 37 mm or 45 mm gun; 8 – 533 mm torpedo tubes; 14 torpedoes.

The cabin of the submarine "L-3" (Frunzovets)

"L-1" (Leninets)

Submarine "L-4" (Garibaldiets)

Submarine "L-6" (Carbonari)

A series of underwater minelayers of type “L” (series II) consisted of 6 units (“L-1”, “L-2”, “L-3”, “L-4”, “L-5”, “L- 6"), built at factories No. 189, No. 198 and commissioned in 1930-1931. During the war, 3 boats were lost, the rest were written off in 1955-1956. Performance characteristics of the boat: total surface displacement - 1 thousand tons, underwater displacement - 1.4 thousand tons; length – 78 m, width – 7.3 m; draft – 4.3 m; immersion depth – 75 m; power plants – 2 diesel engines and 2 electric motors; power – 2.2/1.3 thousand hp; speed – 12.5 knots; fuel reserve - 102 tons of diesel fuel; cruising range - 6 thousand miles; crew - 55 people. Armament: 1x1 – 100 mm gun; 1x1 – 45 mm anti-aircraft gun; 6 – 533 mm torpedo tubes; 12 torpedoes; 17-20 min.

Submarine "L-9"

Submarine "L-8"

Submarine "L-10" (Menzhinets)

A series of underwater minelayers of the “L” type (series XI) consisted of 6 units (“L-7”, “L-8”, “L-9”, “L-10”, “L-11”, “L- 12"), built at factories No. 189, No. 198, No. 199, No. 202 and commissioned in 1936-1938. The boats were decommissioned in 1952-1959. Performance characteristics of the boat: total surface displacement - 1 thousand tons, underwater displacement - 1.4 thousand tons; length – 80 m, width – 7 m; draft – 4 m; immersion depth – 75 m; power plants – 2 diesel engines and 2 electric motors; power – 2.2/1.3 thousand hp; speed - 14.5 knots; fuel reserve – 140 tons of diesel fuel; cruising range - 7.5 thousand miles; crew - 55 people. Armament: 1x1 – 100 mm gun; 1x1 – 45 mm anti-aircraft gun; 6 – 533 mm torpedo tubes; 16 torpedoes; 20 minutes.

Submarine "L-16"

Boat cutting

Submarine "L-19"

Submarine "L-15"

Submarine "L-18"

A series of underwater minelayers of the “L” type (series XIII) consisted of 7 units (“L-13”, “L-14”, “L-15”, “L-16”, “L-17”, “L- 18", "L-19"), built at factories No. 189, No. 198, No. 202 and commissioned in 1938-1939. During the war, 2 boats were lost, the rest were decommissioned in 1953-1958. Performance characteristics of the boat: total surface displacement - 1.1 thousand tons, underwater displacement - 1.4 thousand tons; length – 85.3 m, width – 7 m; draft – 4 m; immersion depth – 80 m; power plants – 2 diesel engines and 2 electric motors; power – 2.2/1.3 thousand hp; speed – 15 knots; fuel reserve - 143 tons of diesel fuel; cruising range - 10 thousand miles; crew - 56 people. Armament: 1x1 – 100 mm gun; 1x1 – 45 mm anti-aircraft gun; 8 – 533 mm torpedo tubes; 12 torpedoes; 20 minutes.

Submarine "L-22"

Submarine "L-20"

A series of underwater minelayers of the “L” type (series XIII-bis) consisted of 5 units (“L-20”, “L-21”, “L-22”, “L-23”, “L-24”), built at factories No. 189, No. 198, No. 402 and commissioned in 1941-1944. During the war, 2 boats were lost, the rest were decommissioned in 1955-1959. Performance characteristics of the boat: total surface displacement - 1.1 thousand tons, underwater displacement - 1.4 thousand tons; length – 85.3 m, width – 7 m; draft – 4 m; immersion depth – 80 m; power plants – 2 diesel engines and 2 electric motors; power – 4/1.3 thousand hp; speed – 18 knots; fuel reserve - 143 tons of diesel fuel; cruising range - 10 thousand miles; crew - 56 people. Armament: 1x1 – 100 mm gun; 1x1 – 45 mm anti-aircraft gun; 8 – 533 mm torpedo tubes; 18 torpedoes; 20 minutes.

Submarine "Shch-301" (Pike)

Submarine "Shch-302" (Okun)

Submarine "Shch-304" (Komsomolets)

Submarine "Shch-303" (Ruff)

The series of medium submarines of the "Shch" type (series III) consisted of 4 units ("Shch-301", "Shch-302", "Shch-303", "Shch-304"), built at plant No. 112, No. 189 and put into operation in 1941-1942. The Shch-303 boat was decommissioned in 1954, the rest were lost in 1941-1942. Performance characteristics of the boat: total surface displacement – 578 tons, underwater displacement – 706 tons; length – 57 m, width – 6.2 m; draft - 3.8 m; immersion depth – 75 m; power plants – 2 diesel engines and 2 electric motors; power – 1.4/0.8 thousand hp; speed – 12 knots; fuel reserve - 52 tons of diesel fuel; cruising range - 3,000 miles; crew - 41 people. Armament: 1x1 – 45 mm gun; 6 – 533 mm torpedo tubes; 10 torpedoes.

Submarine "Shch-101"

Submarine "Shch-106" and "Shch-102"

The series of medium submarines of the "Shch" type (series V) consisted of 12 units ("Shch-101" - "Shch-112"), built at factories No. 189, No. 190, No. 194 and commissioned in 1933-1934 . The boat "Shch-103" died in 1939, the rest were written off in 1952-1956. Performance characteristics of the boat: total surface displacement – 585 tons, underwater displacement – 700 tons; length – 58.5 m, width – 6.2 m; draft - 3.8 m; immersion depth – 75 m; power plants – 2 diesel engines and 2 electric motors; power – 1.4/0.8 thousand hp; speed – 12 knots; fuel reserve - 53 tons of diesel fuel; cruising range - 4.2 thousand miles; crew – 40 people. Armament: 2x1 – 45 mm guns; 1x1- 12.7 mm machine gun; 6 – 533 mm torpedo tubes; 10 torpedoes.

Submarine "Shch-117" (Mackerel)

Submarine "Shch-109"

Submarine "Shch-115" (Skat)

Submarine "Shch-118" (Mullet)

Submarine "Shch-202" (Herring)

Submarine "Shch-201" (Sazan)

The series of medium submarines of the "Shch" type (V-bis series) consisted of 13 units ("Shch-113" - "Shch-120", "Shch-201" - "Shch-203", "Shch-305", " Shch-308"), built at factories No. 112, No. 189, No. 194 and put into operation in 1934-1935. The boats "Shch-203", "Shch-305" and "Shch-308" were lost in 1942-1943, the rest were written off in 1952-1956. Performance characteristics of the boat: total surface displacement - 600 tons, underwater - 750 tons; length – 58 m, width – 6.2 m; draft - 3.8 m; immersion depth – 75 m; power plants – 2 diesel engines and 2 electric motors; power – 1.4/0.8 thousand hp; speed – 12 knots; fuel reserve - 53 tons of diesel fuel; cruising range - 4.2 thousand miles; crew – 40 people. Armament: 1-2x1 – 45 mm gun; 1x1- 12.7 mm machine gun; 6 – 533 mm torpedo tubes; 10 torpedoes.

Submarine "Shch-123" (Halibut)

Submarine "Shch-204" (Lamprey)

Submarine "Shch-205" (Nerpa) and "Shch-207" (Kasatka)

The cabin of the submarine "Shch-307" (Cod)

Submarine "Shch-306" (Haddock)

Submarine "Shch-309" (Dolphin)

Submarine "Shch-311" (Kumzha)

The series of medium submarines of the "Shch" type (series V-bis 2) consisted of 14 units ("Shch-121" - "Shch-125", "Shch-204" - "Shch-207", "Shch-306", "Shch-307", "Shch-309" - "Shch-311"), built at factories No. 112, No. 189, No. 194, No. 200 and put into operation in 1935-1936. The boats "Shch-204", "Shch-206", "Shch-306" and "Shch-311" were lost in 1948-1943, the rest were written off in 1952-1954. Performance characteristics of the boat: total surface displacement – 610 tons, underwater displacement – 720 tons; length – 58.8 m, width – 6.2 m; draft – 4 m; immersion depth – 75 m; power plants – 2 diesel engines and 2 electric motors; power – 1.4/0.8 thousand hp; speed – 12 knots; fuel reserve - 58 tons of diesel fuel; cruising range - 5.4 thousand miles; crew – 40 people. Armament: 1-2x1 – 45 mm gun; 1x1- 12.7 mm machine gun; 6 – 533 mm torpedo tubes; 10 torpedoes.

Submarine "Shch-128"

Submarine "Shch-208"

Submarine "Shch-324"

Submarine "Shch-215"

Submarine "Shch-422"

The series of medium submarines of the "Shch" type (series X) consisted of 32 units ("Shch-126" - "Shch-134", "Shch-208" - "Shch-215", "Shch-317" - "Shch- 324", "Shch-401" - "Shch-404", "Shch-421" - "Shch-432), built at plants No. 112, No. 189, No. 194, No. 200, No. 202 and commissioned in 1935 -1937 During the war, 18 boats were lost, the rest were written off in 1955-1957. Performance characteristics of the boat: total surface displacement – 590 tons, underwater displacement – 708 tons; length – 58.8 m, width – 6.2 m; draft – 4 m; immersion depth – 75 m; power plants – 2 diesel engines and 2 electric motors; power – 1.6/0.8 thousand hp; speed - 14 knots; fuel reserve - 56 tons of diesel fuel; cruising range - 4.8 thousand miles; crew – 40 people. Armament: 2x1 – 45 mm guns; 1x1- 12.7 mm machine gun; 6 – 533 mm torpedo tubes; 10 torpedoes.

Submarine "Shch-216"

Submarine "Shch-407"

The series of medium submarines of the "Shch" type (X-bis series) consisted of 11 units ("Shch-135" - "Shch-138", "Shch-216", "Shch-405" - "Shch-408", " Shch-411", "Shch-412") was built at factories No. 194, No. 200, No. 202 and put into operation in 1941-1945. During the war, 5 boats were lost, the rest were written off in 1946-1958. Performance characteristics of the boat: total surface displacement - 590 tons, underwater - 705 tons; length – 58.8 m, width – 6.4 m; draft – 4 m; immersion depth – 75 m; power plants – 2 diesel engines and 2 electric motors; power – 1.6/0.8 thousand hp; speed - 14 knots; fuel reserve - 55 tons of diesel fuel; cruising range - 5.1 thousand miles; crew – 40 people. Armament: 1x1 – 45 mm gun; 1x1- 12.7 mm machine gun; 6 – 533 mm torpedo tubes; 10 torpedoes.

Submarine "S-2"

Submarine "S-1"

A series of medium submarines of type “C” (series IX) consisted of 3 units (“S-1”, “S-2”, “S-3”), built at plant No. 189 and commissioned in 1939-1938 . During the war, all the boats were lost. Performance characteristics of the boat: total surface displacement - 0.9 thousand tons, underwater displacement - 1.1 thousand tons; length – 77.7 m, width – 6.4 m; draft – 4 m; immersion depth – 80 m; power plants – 2 diesel engines and 2 electric motors; power – 4/1.1 thousand hp; speed - 19.5 knots; fuel reserve - 100 tons of diesel fuel; cruising range - 7.5 thousand miles; crew - 45 people. Armament: 1x1 – 100 mm gun; 1x1 – 45 mm gun; 2x1 7.62 mm machine guns; 6 – 533 mm torpedo tubes; 12 torpedoes.

Submarine "S-9"

Chopping boat "S-13"

Submarine "S-16"

Submarine "S-55"

Submarine "S-56"

Central post of the boat "S-56"

Captain's cabin of the boat "S-56"

Torpedo compartment of the boat "S-56"

Submarine "S-102"

During the war, 30 medium submarines of type “C” (series IX-bis) were built: “S-4” - “S-20”, “S-31” - “S-34”, “S-52” - "S-56", "S-101" - "S-104". The boats were built at factories No. 112, No. 189, No. 196, No. 198, No. 202, No. 402, No. 638 and put into operation in 1939-1945. During the war, 13 boats were lost, the rest were decommissioned in 1955-1975. Performance characteristics of the boat: total surface displacement - 0.8 thousand tons, underwater - 1.1 thousand tons; length – 77.8 m, width – 6.4 m; draft – 4 m; immersion depth – 80 m; power plants – 2 diesel engines and 2 electric motors; power – 4/1.1 thousand hp; speed - 19.5 knots; fuel reserve - 110 tons of diesel fuel; cruising range - 8.2 thousand miles; crew - 46 people. Armament: 1x1 – 100 mm gun; 1x1 – 12.7 mm machine gun; 2x1 - 7.62 mm machine gun; 6 – 533 mm torpedo tubes; 12 torpedoes.

Submarine "A-1" (Shakhtar)

Submarines "A-5" (Metalist), "A-4" (Political Worker) and "A-2" (Communist)

From the series of small submarines of the “AG” (American Holland) type, by the beginning of the war only 5 units remained in service (“A-1” - “A-5”). The boats were built at the Canadian shipyard “Electric Boat” by order of Russia and, disassembled, were delivered for assembly to the Baltic and Nikolaevsky factories. The boats were put into operation in 1918-1923. In 1929-1935. the boats have been modernized. Two boats were lost during the war, the rest were decommissioned in 1945-1950. Performance characteristics of the boat: total surface displacement - 355 tons, underwater - 434 tons; length – 46 m, width – 4.9 m; draft - 3.8 m; immersion depth – 50 m; power plants – 2 diesel engines and 2 electric motors; power – 1/0.6 thousand hp; speed – 13 knots; fuel reserve - 15 tons of diesel fuel; cruising range - 1.8 thousand miles; crew - 24 people. Armament: 1x1 – 45 mm gun; 1x1-7.62 mm machine gun; 4 – 450 mm torpedo tubes; 8 torpedoes.

Submarine "M-26"

A series of small submarines of the "M" type (series VI) consisted of 30 units ("M-1 - M-28", "M-51", "M-52"), built at factories No. 198, No. 200, No. 202, and commissioned in 1934-1935. The boats were decommissioned in 1945-1951. Performance characteristics of the boat: total surface displacement - 161 tons, underwater - 201 tons; length – 37 m, width – 3.1 m; draft – 2.6 m; immersion depth – 50 m; power plants – diesel engine and electric motor; power – 0.7/0.2 thousand hp; speed – 11 knots; fuel reserve - 13 tons of diesel fuel; cruising range - 1 thousand miles; crew - 19 people. Armament: 1x1 – 45 mm gun; 2 – 533 mm torpedo tubes; 2 torpedoes.

Submarine "M-73"

Submarine "M-53"

Submarine "M-79"

Submarine "M-81"

The series of small submarines of the "M" type (series VI-bis) consisted of 20 units ("M-53" - "M-56", "M-71" - "M-86"), built at factories No. 190, No. 196, No. 198, No. 200, No. 202 and commissioned in 1939-1943. 12 boats were lost during the war, the rest were decommissioned in 1949-1950. Performance characteristics of the boat: total surface displacement - 161 tons, underwater - 202 tons; length – 37.8 m, width – 3.1 m; draft – 2.6 m; immersion depth – 60 m; power plants – diesel engine and electric motor; power – 0.7/0.2 thousand hp; speed – 13 knots; fuel reserve - 13 tons of diesel fuel; cruising range - 1 thousand miles; crew - 17 people. Armament: 1x1 – 45 mm gun; 2 – 533 mm torpedo tubes; 2 torpedoes.

Submarine "M-87"

Submarine "M-14"

Submarine "M-32"

Submarine "M-111"

Submarine "M-116"

A series of small submarines of the "M" type (series XII) consisted of 45 units ("M-30" - "M-36", "M-57" - "M-63", "M-87" - "M- 99", "M-102" - "M-108", "M-111" - "M-122"), built at factories No. 112, No. 196, No. 402 and commissioned in 1934-1936. 27 boats were lost during the war, the rest were decommissioned in 1952-1955. Performance characteristics of the boat: total surface displacement - 206 tons, underwater - 256 tons; length – 44.5 m, width – 3.3 m; draft – 2.6 m; immersion depth – 50 m; power plants – diesel engine and electric motor; power - 0.8/0.4 thousand hp. speed – 14 knots. fuel reserve - 14 tons of diesel fuel; cruising range - 3.4 thousand miles; crew – 20 people. Armament: 1x1 – 45 mm gun; 2 – 533 mm torpedo tubes; 2 torpedoes.

Submarines "M-200" (Revenge) and "201"

From the series of small submarines of the “M” type (XV series), by the end of the war, 4 units were built at plant No. 196 (“M-200” - “M-203”), which were put into operation in 1943-1944.
The boats were decommissioned in 1954-1956. Performance characteristics of the boat: total surface displacement - 280 tons, underwater - 351 tons; length – 49.5 m, width – 4.4 m; draft – 2.8 m; immersion depth – 60 m; power plants – 2 diesel engines and 2 electric motors; power - 1.2/0.4 thousand hp. speed - 15.5 knots. fuel reserve - 14 tons of diesel fuel; cruising range - 4.5 thousand miles; crew - 23 people. Armament: 1x1 – 45 mm gun; 2 – 533 mm torpedo tubes; 4 torpedoes. Share to:

Kriegsmarine performance results

German submarines of the Second World War, photos of which can often be found in books about military equipment, played a very important role in the offensive of the Third Reich. Their power cannot be underestimated, but it is worth considering that even with such patronage from the bloodiest Fuhrer in world history, the German fleet did not manage to bring its power closer to victory. Probably, good equipment and a strong army were not enough; for Germany’s victory, the ingenuity and courage that the brave soldiers of the Soviet Union possessed was not enough. Everyone knows that the Nazis were incredibly bloodthirsty and did not disdain much on their way, but neither an incredibly equipped army nor a lack of principles helped them. Armored vehicles, a huge amount of ammunition and the latest developments did not bring the expected results to the Third Reich.