The Type II German U-boat was a fairly small coastal submarine known to
her Skippers and crew as the 'Dugout Canoe' and not always with
affection. Many of the top Skippers did their time and had successes in
their own 'Dugout Canoe' before going on to bigger
submarines. They were built after the UB-II series of World
War I coupled with design improvements of the VESIKKO boats of the
Finnish submarine navy. When war broke out in September 1939, much of the
U-Bootwaffe was made up of the 'Canoes' and many were pressed into
service as Frontboots (combat submarines) with much success. Once the Type
VII and IX boats were being delivered in greater numbers,
the Type II boats were relegated to the training command except
for six that were assigned to the 33rd U-Bootflottille.
These were the U-Boats that were disassembled, put on trucks and later barges on
the Danube River to be reassembled and recommissioned in the Black Sea base of
Costanza.
Many of the top Skippers drove Type II boats into battle before
getting their bigger boats, including:
Type II-A
U-2.....Kapitänleutnant Helmut Rosenbaum who later sank the
carrier HMS EAGLE in U-73
U-3.....Kapitänleutnant Joachin Schepke
U-5.....Kapitänleutnant Heinrich Lehmann-Willenbrock, later of
the 'Smiling Sawfish'
U-6.....Oberleutnant zur See Adalbert Schnee
Type II-B
U-8.....Kapitänleutnant Eitel-Friederich Kentrat
U-9.....Oberleutnant zur See Wolfgang Lüth
U-10.....Kapitänleutnant Georg Wilhelm Schulz, later of the 'Edelweißboot
U-19.....Kapitänleutnant Joachim Schepke
U-23.....Kapitänleutnant Otto Kretschmer
Type II-C
U-57.....Oberleutnant zur See Erich Topp, later of the 'Red
Devil Boot'
U-60.....Oberleutnant zur See Adalbert Schnee
U-61.....Oberleutnant zur See Jürgen Oesten
Type II-D
U-138.....Oberleutnant zur See Wolfgang Lüth
U-147.....Kapitänleutnant Reinhard Hardegen, later to become 'the
Drumbeater'
___________________________________
Specifications for the Type
II U-Boats
U-1 through U-6
were Type II-A U-Boats.
Displacement................ 254 tons surface; 303 tons
submerged
Dimensions..................... 134' 3" x 13' 6" x
12" 6"
Engines............................ twin shaft diesel and
electric
Power (diesel)........... 700 hp
(electric)....... 360 hp
Speed (diesel).......... 13 knots
(electric)...... 7 knots
Bunkers........................ 12 tons of fuel oil
Radius (diesel)..... 1,050 miles @ 12 knots
(electric).. 35 miles @ 4 knots
Tubes (fwd)........... three 21 inch
(aft)............ None
(carried six torpedoes or eight mines)
Guns.......................... No deck gun
AA Guns.................. Single 20mm
(AA armament was increased to two twin mounts
when the boats were outfitted for combat)
Crew........................ 25 men
___________________________________
U-7 through U-24 were Type II-B
U-Boats as were U-120 and U-121
The "B" mod of the Type II was mainly in
the increased bunker capacity and corresponding radius of action.
Displacement................ 279 tons surface; 329 tons
submerged
Dimensions..................... 140' x 13' 6" x 12"
9"
Engines............................ twin shaft diesel and
electric
Power (diesel)........... 700 hp
(electric)....... 360 hp
Speed (diesel).......... 13 knots
(electric)...... 7 knots
Bunkers........................ 21 tons of fuel oil, an
increase over the previous 12 tons
Radius (diesel)..... 1,300 miles @ 12 knots
(electric).. 43 miles @ 4 knots
Tubes (fwd)........... three 21 inch
(aft)............ None
(carried six torpedoes or eight mines)
Guns.......................... No deck gun
AA Guns.................. Single 20mm
(AA armament was increased to two twin mounts
when the boats were outfitted for combat)
Crew........................ 25 men
NOTE - U-120 and U-121 were being constructed for
the Royal Yugoslav Navy when the war broke out, so they were 'acquired'
by the Kriegsmarine. Their conning towers were more like that of the Type
II-D.
___________________________________
U-56 through U-63 were Type II-C
U-Boats
The "C" mod of the Type II was again in
the increased bunker capacity and corresponding radius of action, but also more
powerful electric motors for greater underwater performance.
Displacement................ 291 tons surface; 341 tons
submerged
Dimensions..................... 144' x 13' 9" x 12"
6"
Engines............................ twin shaft diesel and
electric
Power (diesel)........... 700 hp
(electric)....... 410 hp
Speed (diesel).......... 12 knots
(electric)...... 7 knots
Bunkers........................ 23 tons of fuel oil, another
increase
Radius (diesel)..... 1,900 miles @ 12 knots
(electric).. 43 miles @ 4 knots
Tubes (fwd)........... three 21 inch
(aft)............ None
(carried six torpedoes or eight mines)
Guns.......................... No deck gun
AA Guns.................. Single 20mm
(AA armament was increased to two twin mounts
when the boats were outfitted for combat)
Crew........................ 25 men
___________________________________
U-137 through U-152 were Type II-D
U-Boats
The "D" mod of the Type II was the first
of the series to mount saddle tanks, which again in the increased bunker
capacity and corresponding radius of action. These were also built for
another navy, but 'acquired' by the Kriegsmarine at the outbreak of
war. The conning towers were quite larger than the other mods. of the Type
II.
Displacement................ 314 tons surface; 364 tons
submerged
Dimensions..................... 144' 3" x 16' x 12"
9"
Engines............................ twin shaft diesel and
electric
Power (diesel)........... 700 hp
(electric)....... 410 hp
Speed (diesel).......... 12.75 knots
(electric)...... 7.25 knots
Bunkers........................ 38 tons of fuel oil, a huge
increase
Radius (diesel)..... 3,500 miles @ 12 knots
(electric).. 56 miles @ 4 knots
Tubes (fwd)........... three 21 inch
(aft)............ None
(carried six torpedoes or eight mines)
Guns.......................... No deck gun
AA Guns.................. Single 20mm
Crew........................ 25 men
___________________________________
Interesting Historical
Note - Did you know it nearly was
a 'Dugout Canoe' that sank the battleship HMS ROYAL OAK?
Otto Kretschmer in command of U-23, a Type II-B
coastal boat, was patrolling in the North Sea near the British Fleet anchorage
at Scapa Flow and he knew the battleship was in there. He had decided to
go in, on his on, and sink her. Before he was able to put his plan into
action however, BDU (U-Boat High Command) ordered all the Type II
boats that were patrolling anywhere near the British Isles to stand well out
into the North Sea. Otto was furious at this command, but he obeyed as he
should have. He did not know it at the time, but BDU had already conceived
the plan of going into Scapa Flow to sink HMS ROYAL OAK but they
selected Günther Prien to do the job. He had already gotten command of a Type
VII boat, and BDU felt that this would be the best chance for
success. As it turned out, they were correct.
Naturally, it was the intention of BDU to pull all the other boats away from
England's shores so as not to alarm the Royal Navy into a heightened state of
security around Scapa Flow.
Interesting historical
note - Much of the reconnaissance
of the Scapa Flow anchorage and of the battleship HMS ROYAL OAK in
particular, was flown by a Luftwaffe pilot with the name of Kretschmer. It
was Otto's own brother who flew the recon flights so BDU could plan the
attack. Otto learned this from his brother some months after the sinking
of HMS ROYAL OAK........but the brother did not survive World War
II.
Historical notes like this are constantly being revealed in the monthly KTB
Magazine of Sharkhunters. To learn about this unique history group and
how you may become a Member with your monthly Magazine, CLICK
HERE
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