Type XXI U-boat

Type XXI U-boats, also known as the "Elektroboots," were the first submarines designed to operate entirely submerged, rather than as surface ships that could submerge as a temporary, awkward mode of operation.

Type XXIs had much better facilities than previous classes, with a freezer for foodstuffs and minor conveniences for the crew such as a shower and wash basin. They were much quieter, and enjoyed a hydraulic torpedo reload system that allowed all six torpedo tubes to be reloaded faster than a Type VIIC could reload a single tube. Improvements in battery design yielded a storage capacity roughly three times that of a Type VIIC, giving these boats enormous underwater range. They could travel submerged at about five knots for two or three days before recharging the batteries, which took less than five hours on the snorkel.

Between 1943 and 1945, 118 boats of this type were built by Blohm and Voss of Hamburg, AG Weser of Bremen, and F.Schichau[?] of Danzig.

U-2501[?] - U-2502[?] - U-2503[?] - U-2504[?] - U-2505[?] - U-2506[?] - U-2507[?] - U-2508[?] - U-2509[?] - U-2510[?] - U-2511 - U-2512[?] - U-2513[?] - U-2514[?] - U-2515[?] - U-2516[?] - U-2517[?] - U-2518[?] - U-2519[?] - U-2520[?] - U-2521[?] - U-2522[?] - U-2523[?] - U-2524[?] - U-2525[?] - U-2526[?] - U-2527[?] - U-2528[?] - U-2529[?] - U-2530[?] - U-2531[?] - U-2533[?] - U-2534[?] - U-2535[?] - U-2536[?] - U-2538[?] - U-2539[?] - U-2540[?] - U-2541[?] - U-2542[?] - U-2543[?] - U-2544[?] - U-2545[?] - U-2546[?] - U-2548[?] - U-2551[?] - U-2552[?] - U-3001[?] - U-3002[?] - U-3003[?] - U-3004[?] - U-3005[?] - U-3006[?] - U-3007[?] - U-3008[?] - U-3009[?] - U-3010[?] - U-3011[?] - U-3012[?] - U-3013[?] - U-3014[?] - U-3015[?] - U-3016[?] - U-3017[?] - U-3018[?] - U-3019[?] - U-3020[?] - U-3021[?] - U-3022[?] - U-3023[?] - U-3024[?] - U-3025[?] - U-3026[?] - U-3027[?] - U-3028[?] - U-3029[?] - U-3030[?] - U-3031[?] - U-3032[?] - U-3033[?] - U-3034[?] - U-3035[?] - U-3037[?] - U-3038[?] - U-3039[?] - U-3040[?] - U-3041[?] - U-3044[?] - U-3501[?] - U-3502[?] - U-3503[?] - U-3504[?] - U-3505[?] - U-3506[?] - U-3507[?] - U-3508[?] - U-3509[?] - U-3510[?] - U-3511[?] - U-3512[?] - U-3513[?] - U-3514[?] - U-3515[?] - U-3516[?] - U-3517[?] - U-3518[?] - U-3519[?] - U-3520[?] - U-3521[?] - U-3522[?] - U-3523[?] - U-3524[?] - U-3525[?] - U-3526[?] - U-3527[?] - U-3528[?] - U-3529[?] - U-3530[?]

General Characteristics

• Displacement: surfaced 1621 tons, submerged 1819 tons, total 2100 tons
• Length: overall 76.7 meters, pressure hull 60.5 meters
• Beam: overall 8 meters, pressure hull 5.3 meters
• Draft: 6.3 meters
• Height: 11.3 meters
• Power: surfaced 4000 horsepower, submerged 4400 horsepower
• Speed: surfaced 15.6 knots, submerged 17.2 knots
• Range: surfaced 25,000km (15,500 miles) at 10 knots, submerged 550km (340 miles) at 5 knots
• Torpedoes: 23 (6 bow, no stern) and12 TMC mines
• Deck gun: none
• Crew: 57-60 men
• Max depth: 280 meters (920 feet)