Her diesel engines gave a top speed of 17 knots on the surface and 7.5 knots underwater. Its only drawback – a major one – was its limited range of operation; 6,500 miles at an average speed of 12 knots.

How far could U-boats go?

U-boats could only travel about sixty miles underwater before having to surface for fresh air. They often attacked ships while on the surface using deck-mounted guns. Typically, about 50 men operated a U-boat.

How far down could Au boat go?

What is the maximum depth to which submarines can dive? All modern German submarines are tested for a depth of 197 feet, but for short periods they can go deeper. Cases are known of boats having dived to 250 to 300 feet without injury.

What was the range of German U-boats?

Since World War I, nautical technology has evolved at a rapid rate, but in 1914 U-boats were considered quite advanced. These vessels could reach maximum depths of 50 meters or 165 feet, achieve speeds of 16 knots at the surface and eight knots underwater, and had a range of up to 25,000 miles.

How far could a German U-boat travel without refueling?

The German U-461, a milk cow. It was sunk July 30, 1943, with another milk cow and an attack submarine. The German standard in World War II was the Type VII C, which had “saddle tanks” that could hold enough fuel for a patrol of 6,500 miles, which might sound like a lot — but is actually fairly limited.

U-Boats (World War II)

20 related questions found

Did Britain have submarines in ww2?

The British U-class submarines (officially "War Emergency 1940 and 1941 programmes, short hull ") were a class of 49 small submarines built just before and during the Second World War. The class is sometimes known as the Undine class, after the first submarine built.

How deep could ww1 submarines dive?

Early world War I boats were designed with max depths as little as 150 feet. The idea was that a sub need go no deeper than necessary to get its conning tower below the keel of the deepest draft ships.

What's the difference between a U-boat and a submarine?

Key Difference: A submarine is a vessel that is capable of propelling itself underwater as well as at the surface of water. U-boats are submarines of Germany which were designed to be used in world wars I and II. Thus, all U-boats are submarines but all submarines are not U-boats.

Were U-boats used in ww2?

In World War II Germany built 1,162 U-boats, of which 785 were destroyed and the remainder surrendered (or were scuttled to avoid surrender) at the capitulation. Of the 632 U-boats sunk at sea, Allied surface ships and shore-based aircraft accounted for the great majority (246 and 245 respectively).

How deep can military subs go?

It's generally accepted that the maximum depth (depth of implosion or collapse) is about 1.5 or 2 times deeper. The latest open literature says that a US Los Angeles-class test depth is 450m (1,500 ft), suggesting a maximum depth of 675–900m (2,250–3,000 ft).

What is crush depth for a submarine?

What is crush depth? The name is foreboding and fairly self-explanatory; it's when the submarine goes so deep the water pressure crushes it, causing an implosion. The crush depth of most submarines is classified, but it's likely to be more than 400 metres.

What is the deepest a submarine has ever gone?

Trieste is a Swiss-designed, Italian-built deep-diving research bathyscaphe which reached a record depth of about 10,911 metres (35,797 ft) in the Challenger Deep of the Mariana Trench near Guam in the Pacific.

What is the top speed of a submarine?

There are established reports and manufacturer's claims that would indicate two (or perhaps more) submarines are capable of speeds exceeding 30 knots (56 km/h). In 1965, USS Albacore reported a speed of 33 knots (61 km/h), but this was not an official record.

How long can a submarine stay underwater ww2?

After 48 hours, it would be unbearable and you would have to surface. The World War II submarine that had the longest possible underwater endurance was the German Type 21. It could stay down for up to 75 hours, which gives you a tad over 3 days.

Do any German U-boats still exist?

The German Unterseeboot, or U-boat, was a submarine that appeared seemingly out of nowhere to destroy both military and commercial ships. Despite their prevalence during WWI and WWII, only four U-boats exist today.

What was it like in a U-boat?

A U-boat war patrol could take anywhere between three weeks to six months, depending on their deployment location and mission objectives. During this time, U-boat crews were not able to fully bathe, shave or even change their clothes – for a crew set constantly on high-alert, life was unpleasant.

What were German wolf packs?

Wolfpack (naval tactic)

• The wolfpack was a convoy attack tactic employed in the Second World War. ...
• During the Handelskrieg (German war on trade) Allied ships travelled independently prior to the introduction of the convoy system and were vulnerable to attacks by U-boats operating as 'lone wolves'.

How did Allies defend against U-boats?

The Allies' defence against, and eventual victory over, the U-boats in the Battle of the Atlantic was based on three main factors: the convoy system, in which merchant ships were herded across the North Atlantic and elsewhere in formations of up to 60 ships, protected, as far as possible, by naval escorts and ...

How many U-boats are still missing?

According to my compilation of U-boat fates by cause some 46 U-boats are now being listed as missing in action during the war. Some were no doubt lost to operational accidents (such as Schorchel failures or hull failure while deep diving) while others were most probably lost to yet-unidentified enemy action. U-1.

How long did u-boats stay at sea?

Concluding its fourth patrol, U-576 reached its home port in St. Lazare, France, in May 1942, after a long 49 days out at sea.

At what depth will water crush you?

Human beings can withstand 3 to 4 atmospheres of pressure, or 43.5 to 58 psi. Water weighs 64 pounds per cubic foot, or one atmosphere per 33 feet of depth, and presses in from all sides. The ocean's pressure can indeed crush you.

What u boat had the most kills?

U-35 alone accounted for 224 ships totaling more than 500,000 tons—most sunk by its deck gun. It averaged nine kills per patrol, making U-35 the highest-scoring submarine of either world war.

What is the crush depth of a human?

Human bone crushes at about 11159 kg per square inch. This means we'd have to dive to about 35.5 km depth before bone crushes. This is three times as deep as the deepest point in our ocean.