Type I submarine

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
U-25, a Type I U-boat.
Class overview
Builders
Deschimag
, Bremen
Operators Kriegsmarine
Preceded bySpanish Type E1
Succeeded by
Cost4,500,000 ℛ︁ℳ︁
In commission1936 – 1940
Planned2
Completed2
Lost2
General characteristics
Displacement
  • 862 t (848 long tons) surfaced
  • 982 t (966 long tons) submerged
  • Official displacement was 712
    tons standard
Length72.39 m (237 ft 6 in)
Beam6.21 m (20 ft 4 in)
Draft4.30 m (14 ft 1 in)
Propulsion
  • Diesel-electric:
    • 2 ×
      kW
      )
    • 2 ×
      double acting electric motors
      with 1,000 PS (990 shp; 740 kW)
Speed
  • 17.7–18.6 knots (32.8–34.4 km/h; 20.4–21.4 mph) surfaced
  • 8.3 knots (15.4 km/h; 9.6 mph) submerged
Range
  • 7,900 nmi (14,600 km; 9,100 mi) at 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph) surfaced
  • 78 nmi (144 km; 90 mi) at 4 knots (7.4 km/h; 4.6 mph) submerged
Test depth200 m (660 ft)
Complement4 officers, 39 enlisted
Armament

The Type I

type IX class oceangoing U-boats was designed.[2]

Constructed by

Bremen, the first Type IA was launched on 14 February 1936. The two boats produced, U-25 and U-26, were primarily used as training vessels and for propaganda purposes to fly the Nazi flag. In 1940, the boats were called into combat duty due to the shortage of available submarines. Both boats experienced short, but successful combat careers. U-25 participated in five war cruises, sinking eight enemy ships. On 3 August 1940, while on a mine laying mission near Norway, U-25 struck a mine and sank with all hands on board.[1]

U-26 carried out eight war cruises, sinking three merchant ships on its first mission laying mines. On its second war cruise it became the first U-boat during World War II to enter the Mediterranean Sea. U-26 participated in three other successful war patrols, sinking four additional merchant ships. On its eighth war cruise the boat sank three merchant ships and damaged another ship the next day. The attack on this ship led to severe depth-charging by two British warships, including HMS Gladiolus.[1] Unable to dive, U-26 was forced to surface where she was bombed by a Sunderland flying boat. The crew scuttled the submarine and were rescued by Allied warships.

List of Type I submarines

References

  1. ^ a b c Gröner 1991, p. 39.
  2. ^ Paterson 2003, p. x-xi.

Bibliography

  • Gröner, Erich; Jung, Dieter; Maass, Martin (1991). German Warships 1815–1945, U-boats and Mine Warfare Vessels. Vol. 2. Translated by Thomas, Keith; Magowan, Rachel. London: Conway Maritime Press. .
  • Paterson, Lawrence (2003). Second U-Boat Flottila. Leo Cooper. .

External links