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Garlicdesign
Post subject: Willie's WolvesPosted: June 3rd, 2017, 7:58 pm
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Hello everyone!

The next one should not be too much of a surprise. I split it up into seven posts, might be too big for less. Dont't know if I manage to post all of them tonight, if not the rest will follow tomorrow.

Proudly presenting: Willie's Wolves: German Submarines of the First World War

1. Early types

1.1. U-2
Germany was surprisingly late in submarine development. The first experimental vessel U-1 (drawn by DP already) was built in 1906, when Great Britain, France and the USA already had sizeable submarine forces in service. Neither U-1 nor the next German sub U-2 were used operationally, only for trials and training; U-1 became a museum exhibit in Munich in 1922, U-2 was scrapped. Despite this, they started a development line in which virtually no major mistakes occurred (very unlike, for instance, French and Russian efforts of this era). U-2 was already double hulled, a feature which was repeated by virtually all following U-Boat classes, except the UB-1 and -2, UC-1, UE-1 and UF types.
[ img ]

1.2. U-3 class
The follow-on class, U-3 and U-4 (like U-2 through U-4 built by the Imperial Yard at Danzig), were ordered in 1907 and marked a significant step in size at 420/510 tons; they already were larger than any contemporary British and US subs, and at 11,5/9,5 knots had similar performance too. They had two 450mm TTs, but no gun. Like U-1 and U-2, this pair was powered by Koerting Kerosene engines, not by diesels. These engines were reliable and accident-safe, but had high fuel consumption, produced revealing yellow-white smoke columns and stank to high heaven; they also were more expensive than diesels and partly consisted of bronze, which was in short supply in Germany. U-3 sank in port in the sole prewar submarine accident in the Imperial Navy in 1911, but was salvaged and repaired. Both were sent on patrol in 1914 but soon judged unsuitable for combat and relegated to training duties. They were scrapped after the war.
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1.3. U-5 class
U-5 through U-9 (built by Krupp at Kiel and commissioned in 1910) were the first German submarine class with a real combat record. At 505/635 tons they were again significantly larger than their predecessors, and their speed of 13,5/10 kts was on par with the most advanced foreign designs. All were early war losses (one on a mine, one torpedoed by a British sub, one torpedoed in error by the German U-22 and one rammed by a British escort vessel. Between them, they sank 16 merchants.
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1.4. U-9 class
U-9 through U-12 were the Imperial Yard's equivalents to the similarly-sized U-5 type; they were also ordered in 1908 and delivered in 1910. They were faster on the surface (14kts), but slower submerged (8kts) and otherwise similar. Like the U-5 class, they were armed with four 450mm TT (two fore, two aft), but no gun. U-11 went MIA in 1914 before any modifications could be implemented.
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The other three received a 50mm gun in 1915. In this guise, U-12 was sunk in 1915. U-9 was the top scorer against enemy warships in the Imperial Navy; she sank the British armoured cruisers Aboukir, Cressy and Hogue, the British large protected cruiser Hawke and a Russian minesweeper.
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U-9 and U-10 were upgunned with an 88mm gun in 1916; U-10 went MIA soon afterwards. U-9 was relegated to training duties in 1916, survived the war and was scrapped. Between them, the four boats sank six enemy warships and 21 merchants.
[ img ]

1.5. U-13 class
The next four boats U-13 through U-16 were again built by the Imperial Yard (ordered 1909, completed 1911/12); they combined the improved surface speed of U-9 and the high underwater speed of U-5, but were otherwise the same.
[ img ]

U-15 was the first German submarine to be lost in the war (rammed by HMS Birmingham), and U-13 went MIA only a few days later. The other two received a 50mm gun in 1915. U-14 was lost soon afterwards (gunfire by several British trawlers), U-16 survived the war and was scrapped. She alone scored against enemy merchant shipping and is credited with ten kills; she was used for training after 1916.
[ img ]

1.6. U-17 class
This Imperial Yard built duo was ordered 1910 and commissioned 1912. They were easily identifiable by the placement of their CTs very far aft. Speed, range and armament were the same as on previous boats, although they were a bit larger at 560/690 tons.
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U-18 was an early war loss and failed to score against enemy shipping. U-17 received a 50mm gun in 1915 and sank or captured 13 enemy merchants. She scored the very first kill of the German submarine arm and also was the first German sub to sink a merchant without warning. She was relegated to training roles after 1916 and was scrapped after the war.
[ img ]

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Garlicdesign
Post subject: Re: Willie's WolvesPosted: June 3rd, 2017, 8:28 pm
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And on it goes:

2. Pre-war oceangoing submarines.

2.1. U 19 class
U-19 through U-22, built between 1910 and 1912/13 at the Imperial Yard in Danzig, were the first German submarines with diesels, resulting in significant improvements in range, reliability and maneuverability (they could increase or decrease revs faster than the previously used Kerosene engines); their exhaust fumes also were much less visible. At 650/870 tons, they were again much larger (and thus more habitable) than their predecessors. Speed was 15/9,5 knots, as in the predecessors. Range had increased from 6.500 nm to nearly 9.000 nm at 8 knots. Armament was improved by increasing torpedo caliber to 500mm; like all pre-war U-boats, they were completed without guns.
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An 88mm gun was fitted to all of them in 1914/5.
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In 1916, a second one was added to all.
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U19 landed both 88mm guns in 1917 and received a single 105mm; the others did not have their armament changed again.
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This was definitely the luckiest class of German submarines, and also one of the most successful ones. Although U-22 struck a mine in 1916 and U-20 stranded in the same year and had to be blown up, U-22 could be salvaged and repaired, and neither appear to have suffered personnel losses. U-19, 21 and 22 served operationally throughout the whole war, survived and were scrapped in 1919-20. U-21 was the second most successful German sub against enemy warships and contributed significantly to the outcome of the Gallipoli-campaign by sinking the battleships HMS Triumph and HMS Majestic; she had previously sunk the scout cruiser HMS Pathfinder and would later proceed to sink the old French armoured cruiser Amiral Charner. Between them, the boats of this class also sank or captured 171 enemy (or neutral) merchant vessels, the most famous of them being RMS Lusitania, which fell prey to U-20.

2.2. U-23/27 classes
The 1911 estimates included four more U-boats from Krupp's and four from the Imperial Yard (U-27-class). They had similar technical features and looked similar, too. In terms of size and performance, they resembled the successful U-19 type, but surface speed was increased to 16,5 knot. For some reasons, the Krupp boats had 2.000 nm less range than the Imperial Yard boats. An important improvement was the relocation of the rudder further aft for increased maneuverability. As completed, they had no guns.
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Beginning in late 1914 through 1915, 88mm guns were fitted to all except U-29 which was an early war loss (becoming the sole kill of HMS Dreadnought, which unceremoniously ran over her and cut her in half). U-23 and U-26 were lost in this guise in 1915; U-28 also remained in this state and was lost in 1917.
[ img ]

A second 88mm gun was added in 1915/6 to U-25, U-27 and U-30 only. Although U-27 was reported lost in 1915, she seems to have received the second gun beforehand.
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U-24, U-25 and U-30 lost her 88mm guns in 1918 in exchange for a single 105mm gun. They survived the war and were scrapped afterwards.
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Between them, the eight boats of this type sank 142 merchants. U-26 also sank the Russian armoured cruiser Pallada and a minelayer, while U-27 sank a British seaplane tender and a submarine.

2.3. U-31 class
The 1912 estimates included fourteen U-Boats, eleven by Krupp, two by the Imperial Yard and one by Fiat (see below). The Krupp boats were slightly larger than the 1911 boats at 680/880 tons and had similar performance data; range was slightly less than 9.000 nm at 8 knots. They were built when initial experience with the U-19 type was already available, and the fact that the basic concept remained unchanged speaks volumes; the Imperial Navy obviously had every reason to be fully content with them. They were the last German submarine type which was completed without guns; all eleven joined the fleet after the war had already begun, between September 1914 and February 1915.
[ img ]

All except U-31, which struck a mine in January 1915, were fitted with 88mm guns during 1915. U-32, U-36 and U-37 received two each.
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All others received only one. U-36, U-37, U-40 and U-41 were lost before 1915 was over.
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The six boats who had survived the year 1915 landed their 88mm guns in 1916/7 and received a single 105mm. The only additional war loss was U-32, which looked like this when she sank in 1918.
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The others survived the war and were scrapped by the British and French, who had taken them as prizes after the armistice.
[ img ]

With an added-up tally of 795 merchant ships, this was the third most successful German submarine class, topped only by the UC-II minelayers (a class with eight times as many boats) and the UB-II type of 30 units. In addition, U32 sank the British battleship HMS Cornwallis, U-35 two British sloops, U-39 one British sloop, and U-38 a French one. U35 remains the worldwide all-time record scorer with 226 ships of all sizes sunk (including sailing ships, fishery vessels and barges), most of them in the Mediterranean, which seems to have been a ridiculously target-rich environment with minimal enemy interference; her most famous skipper Lothar Arnault von Perriere, who is responsible for 189 of her kills, claims to have observed the prize law in every single engagement (a claim which, though hardly believable, is not being contested in any source I have seen).

2.4. U-42
In an attempt to gain insights in foreign design practice, one of the 1913 submarines was ordered at Fiat's. The sub was based on the Guglielmo Pacinotti then under construction of the Italian navy, but with a prominent forecastle not found on any other Italian submarine. Size, speed and armament were identical to the German-built boats of the 1913 programme, but range was barely half of what the German-built boats attained; there were two mounts which could take 88mm guns, although it is not mentioned whether U-42 was to be delivered with or without guns.
[ img ]

She was still uncomplete when the war started, and with Italy remaining neutral, delivery to Germany was out of the question. When the Italians joined the Entente in 1915, the submarine was incorporated into their fleet under the name Balilla and fitted with two 76mm guns and Italian w/t gear. She was sunk in 1916 by two Austrian torpedo boats.
[ img ]

2.5. U-43 class
The final two U-boats of the 1913 programme - U-43 and U-44 - were built by the Imperial Yard in Danzig. At 725/940 tons, they were marginally larger than the Krupp boats, and they carried a heavier torpedo battery; six 500mm tubes were provided, two forward and two aft, and they were the first U-boats who had guns from the beginning, one 88mm in their case. They also had a most impressive range of over 11.000 nm at 8 knots. These improvements were not balanced by any drawbacks; only surface speed was slightly lower at 15 knots. They also had a rather unique CT design with only a single periscope (all other large German submarines had two); this feature seems to have been a failure and was not repeated. Although they were ugly customers, they had pretty much the best paper performance of all German oceangoing submarine types. They joined the fleet in 1915.
[ img ]

Both received a second 88mm gun in 1916. U-44 was lost in 1917.
[ img ]

U43 ended the war with a single 105mm, fitted in 1917 or 1918 in lieu of the 88mm armament. She was scrapped after the war.
[ img ]

Six more boats of this type were approved in the 1914 programme; according to Gröner, all 1914 boats were called Ms-(Mobilization)-Type, indicating that there was no regular 1914 peacetime submarine programme. The 1914 units were slightly larger and had a somewhat different bow shape; otherwise they were identical. U-45 and U-46 were completed in 1915, U-47 through U-50 in 1916.
[ img ]

They were upgunned the same way as U-43 and U-44.
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None were lost before 1917; in this year, U-45, U-48, U-49 and U-50 were destroyed. U-47 was scuttled at Pola in 1918 and U-46 became a Japanese prize. She carried a single 105mm gun in 1918 and was briefly used for trials by the Japanese under the name O-2 before being scrapped in 1922.
[ img ]

Between them, these eight U-Boats sank 253 merchantmen, including the Laconia (by U-50); no sunk enemy warships are on record for this class.

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Garlicdesign
Post subject: Re: Willie's WolvesPosted: June 3rd, 2017, 8:54 pm
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Next part:

3. Wartime oceangoing submarines

3.1. U-51 class
Six boats - U-51 through U-56 - were ordered from Krupp in 1914; they also were called Ms-boats, meaning they were ordered under the war emergency programme. They displaced 715/905 ts and made 17/9 knots, but had only two bow torpedo tubes and a somewhat shorter range of 9.000 nm than the U-43 class (which still was easily twice the range of any contemporary allied submarine). Otherwise, they much resembled the U-31 class, although with an important improvement: They were the first German boats with the aft depth rudders placed immediately behind the screws (they were above the screws on all previous boats); this resulted in better underwater maneuverability and faster crash-dives. All were completed in 1916 with two 88mm guns.
[ img ]

U-51 and U-56 were lost in 1916. The others were rearmed with a single 105mm forward in 1916 or 1917. U-52 landed both 88mm guns at that time; she was lost by accident in 1917.
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The other three (U-53, U-54 and U-55) retained the aft 88mm gun and survived the war. U-55 was briefly commissioned by the Japanese as O-3 and used for trials before being scrapped in 1922. The other three were scrapped straight away.
[ img ]

The six boats of this type sank a total of 204 merchant ships, including the Carpathia by U-55 (which had saved the Titanic survivors). They also scored against warships: U-52 sank the French battleship Suffren, the British light cruiser HMS Nottingham, the British sloop HMS Heather and the British submarine C34. U-53 sank an US destroyer and U-54 a British sloop. Wilhelm Werner, one of U-55's skippers, acquired particular notoriety for war crimes; on three separate occasions he ordered the survivors of sunk merchants lined up on his boat's upper deck, had them stripped of their survival vests and crash dived his boat (87 dead prisoners in total). Not surprisingly, this cute fellow joined the NSDAP in 1930 and the SS in 1931, where he eventually attained the rank of Brigadier.

3.2. U-57 class
These six units were the first U-boats ordered from another yard than Krupp or the Imperial Yard, who had built all previous ones. They were built at the AG Weser in Bremen between 1914 and 1916 and turned out very well. They displaced 785/955 tons and had the same gun and torpedo armament as the U-51 type. They made the usual 16,5 knots above water, but only 8,5 knots below the surface, a tendency typical for all later German subs, probably due to an increasing shortage in electric engine production capacity. Range was 11.400 nm at 8 knots, an excellent figure even by the high standards of German subs. The first three were initially fitted with weaker diesels and could make only 14 knots surfaced; for some reason, they also had 4.000 nm less range. Sources are unclear as to whether they were late re-engined.
[ img ]

The last two, U-61 and U-62, were completed with a single 105mm gun instead of the two 88mm pieces of the other four; U-57 received the same armament in 1917. U-57 and U-62 survived the war and were scrapped afterwards; U-61 was lost in 1918.
[ img ]

U-58, U-59 and U-60 replaced their forward 88mm guns with 105mm pieces in 1917 and retained the aft 88mm. U-58 and U-59 were lost soon thereafter, U-60 survived the war and was scrapped.
[ img ]

Six repeat boats - U-99 through U-104 - were ordered in 1916 and commissioned in 1917; they differed only in minor details from U-60 through U-62. As usual, gun armament was more or less subject to availability. U-99 and U-100 were completed with a single 100mm gun. U-99 was lost in this state.
[ img ]

The other four - U-101 through U-104 - had two 88mm guns.
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U-101 through U-104 replaced their forward 88mm with a 105mm in 1918, retaining the other two; U-100 was retrofitted in 1918 to the same standard. U-100 and U-101 were the only survivors of this group, were ceded to Britain after the war and scrapped; U-102, U-103 and U-104 were sunk in 1918.
[ img ]

Between them, the twelve U-boats of this class destroyed at least 262 merchantmen, 211 of which were credited to the first six. U-57 also sank a British sloop, U-62 the French armoured cruiser Dupetit-Thouars and U-99 a British destroyer.

3.3. U-63 class
These three vessels, ordered under the war emergency programme, were a Krupp design experiment for a simplified hull better suited to mass production; they were built around available diesels which had been originally ordered by the Russians for Bars-class boats. At 810/925 tons, they were slightly larger than the other 1914 boats; speed was pretty much the same at 16/9 knots, and range exceeded 9.000 nm at 8 knots. All were completed early in 1916 with two 88mm guns.
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As usual with early German subs, the forward 88mm was replaced with a 105mm gun in 1917/8 in all three. U-64 was lost in 1918, U-63 and U-65 survived the war and were scrapped afterwards.
[ img ]

Between them, these three submarines sank 163 allied and neutral merchants. U-63 also sank the light cruiser HMS Falmouth and U-64 the French battleship Danton, that being the largest allied warship to be lost to an U-boat torpedo.

3.4. U-81 class
Laid down in 1915 at the Krupp Germania yard in Kiel and all completed during 1916, these six boats (U-81 through U-86) were the mass-production version of the U-63 type with newly built engines; although their flooding arrangements were reworked, giving them a distinctly different look that would become typical for large German submarines of later series, their hulls very much resembled U-63. They were initially designed with rounded stems, all received shark-nose bows before completion, which also became standard for later boats. Range was increased to over 11.000 nm, speed also was slightly better at 17/9 knots. On the minus side, these boats were the last German oceangoing subs with only two bow torpedo tubes. Gun armament varied: U-81 through U-83 were completed with a single 105mm gun; all three retained this armament throughout the war. U-81 and U-83 were lost in 1917; U-82 was ceded to Britain and scrapped after the war.
[ img ]

U-84 through U-86 had two 88mm guns when completed. U-84 and U-85 were lost in 1918 and 1917, respectively, in this guise.
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U-86 replaced the forward 88mm gun with a 105mm gun in 1918 and survived the war; she foundered on her way to the breakers in 1919.
[ img ]

Between them these six boats sank 137 merchants; this figure, which is significantly lower than for previous classes, indicates that the job for the U-boats became increasingly harder after 1916. Only U-84 also sank a warship, the sloop HMS Bergamot.

3.5. U-87 class
These six boats (U-87 through U-92) were built by the Imperial Yard at Danzig between 1915 and 1917 and very much resembled the U-43 type, although with an altered CT that more resembled the type preferred by the private yards. Like their predecessors, they had excellent range (over 11.000 nm at 8 knots), but were a tad slower than the Krupp boat (15,5/8,5 knots). From this class onwards, a forward torpedo battery of four tubes became standard for large German U-Boats. U-87 through U-89 were completed with a 105mm gun forward and an 88mm gun aft.
[ img ]

U-90 through U-92 only had the 105mm gun.
[ img ]

None of the class were ever rearmed. U-87 and U-88 were lost in 1917, U-89 and U-92 in 1918. U-90 and U-91 became allied prizes and were broken up. All six together sank 104 merchants and one AMC.

Two improved repeats named U-158 and U-159 were laid down in 1917 on the Imperial Yard at Danzig. They had a considerably lengthened bow with a sharknose shape and a modified CT, resulting in increased displacement (810/1035 tons) and significantly better looks. Armament was six 500mm TTs and one 105mm gun. With a speed of 16/9 knots and a range of nearly 12.500 nm at 8 knots, they would have been excellent performers. Both were virtually complete when the war was over, but none of the pair was commissioned.
[ img ]

3.6. U-93 class
With these boats, Krupp finally adopted the increased forward torpedo battery of four tubes which had been standard for Imperial Yard-built subs since 1913. The increased armament resulted in slightly larger size (840/1.000 ts) and shorter range (about 9.000 nm at 8 knots). Speed was 16,5/8,5 knots, again showing the decrease of average submerged speed of wartime U-boats. With this type, Krupp had reached the end of the tech tree during World War I; it became by far the largest class of oceangoing submarines in the German Navy. A total of 41 were laid down between 1916 and 1918, and another 32 of a stretched, longer-ranged, but otherwise identical variant were on order in 1918, although none of these were begun.

U-93 through U-95 were laid down in 1915; U-96 through U-98 and U-105 through U-114 were laid down in 1916. The first twelve were completed in 1917. Gun fit varied among the units of the class, but apparently was not modified during the war. U-93 through U-95 only had a single 88mm mounted when commissioned. Only U-96 survived the war and was scrapped in Great Britain; U-93 and U-95 were lost in 1918.
[ img ]

U-96 through U-98 had a single 105mm gun forward. All three survived and were ceded to Britain after the war; two were scrapped, one foundered on its way to the breakers.
[ img ]

U-105 through U-110 had a 105mm forward and an 88mm aft. U-106 was lost in 1917, U-109 and U-110 in 1918.
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The other three were ceded to the Allies. Britain had U-107 broken up, but France commissioned U-105 as Jean Autric and U-108 as Leon Mignot. Both served till 1935 under French colours without any visible modifications.
[ img ]

All sixteen units were built by Krupp Germania, but the hulls of U-111 through U-114 were subcontracted to the Bremer Vulkan, resulting in a longer buliding period and a slightly different appearance of hull and CT; these did not enter service before 1918. Again, there were variations in gun armament: U-111 and U-113 had a 105mm gun forward and an 88mm gun aft.
[ img ]

U-112 and U-114 had only a 105mm gun. All four survived the war and were broken up afterwards.
[ img ]

A third group of thirteen boats identical to U-111 was ordered in 1917 from the Vulkan Yard in Bremen. The yard proved that they had learned quickly and managed to deliver the first six (U-160 through U-165) to the navy before the war was over. Two more were complete and ready for delivery in 1918, and only the last five (U-168 through U-162) remained uncomplete and were broken up on stocks in 1919. The same goes for another twelve (U-201 through U-212) which were ordered in 1918; the first nine were laid down, but not completed, the last three were not even begun. Among the completed units, U-160 was unique in having two 105mm guns.
[ img ]

All others had only one and looked exactly as U-112 and U-114. Of the U-160 group, only U-165 was lost (to an accident immediately after the armistice); the other five commissioned boats and the two completed, but not delivered ones were ceded to the Allies in 1918. Only the French commissioned their share; U-162 became Jean Roulier and U-166 became Pierre Marast (U-160 also became a French prize, but was cannibalized and never entered service).
[ img ]

The 1918 building programme included further repeat orders of 34 U-boats of a slightly modified type which was 2,45 meters longer and had a range of 11.500 nm. U-229 through U-246 were ordered from Krupp.
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U-247 through U-262 were ordered from the Vulkan Yard. None of either group of the 1918 programme was ever laid down.
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Between them, the 22 completed submarines of this type sank 146 merchants; only 18 of the type ever went on patrol. U-94 also sank a British sloop and U-106 the destroyer HMS Contest.

3.7. U-115 class
Another newbie to the submarine building business was the Schichau Yard in Danzig, which usually specialized in destroyers. When submarine construction was made top priority after Jutland, Schichau also received orders: Two in 1916 (U-115 and U-116) and 14 under the 1918 programme (U-263 through U-276). At 880/1030 tons, they were the largest variant of the Ms-boat; with a speed of 16/9 kts and a range of 11.500 nm at 8 knots, they easily measured up to the Imperial Yard boats performance-wise. The first two were completed just before the armistice, but not commissioned by the navy. They remained at the Schichau Yard and were broken up. The 14 later units - unlike the 1918 versions of the Krupp and Vulkan boats, they were identical with the 1916 boats and not stretched - were never begun.
[ img ]

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Garlicdesign
Post subject: Re: Willie's WolvesPosted: June 3rd, 2017, 8:59 pm
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Last one for today:

4. Foreign orders taken over in 1914

4.1. U-A
The last of five A-class submarines ordered by the Royal Norwegian Navy was under construction at Krupp Germania in Kiel when the war started. She was confiscated and commissioned into the German fleet as U-A, but no operational sorties or successes are on record. She appears to have been used as a training vessel during most of the war.
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In 1917, she was fitted with an 88mm gun.
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U-A survived the war, but foundered in tow on her way to England after the war.

4.2. U-66 class
Five large, powerful oceangoing submarines were ordered in 1913 for the Austro-Hungarian Fleet at Krupp's as U-7 through U-11. At 790/930 ts, they had the same size as their German contemporaries, and at 17/10 kts were quite fast. They had the largest battery capacity of all German large submarines, with about twice the underwater range of contemporary subs of the Imperial Navy. Their armament on the other hand was substandard; they had five 450mm TTs, four forward and one aft, and a single 88mm gun. All five were still on stocks when the war started; the Austrians resold them to Germany, who introduced them in their war emergency programme as U-66 through U-70. All five were completed in 1915; U-68 was already lost early in 1916.
[ img ]

U-69 added a second 88mm gun in 1916.
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All four survivors were refitted with a single 105mm gun in 1917.
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U-66 and U-69 were lost in that year. The other two were ceded to Britain in 1918 and scrapped. 126 merchant ships were sunk or captured by the five boats of this class; U-70 also sank a British sloop.

Tomorrow: Coastal submarines, Minelayers and Cruiser submarines.

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darthpanda
Post subject: Re: Willie's WolvesPosted: June 3rd, 2017, 9:30 pm
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Great! Great! Great!

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Colombamike
Post subject: Re: Willie's WolvesPosted: June 3rd, 2017, 9:53 pm
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Outstanding work :shock: :o Garlic
Well-done :)
Looking forward to see more ships & subs draws


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BB1987
Post subject: Re: Willie's WolvesPosted: June 3rd, 2017, 10:13 pm
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Excellent!

extra trivia:
U-103 was scuttled after being rammed by RMS Olympic (Titanic's sister)

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DG_Alpha
Post subject: Re: Willie's WolvesPosted: June 3rd, 2017, 11:14 pm
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Fantastic new series!

another extra trivia:
For sinking the three armoured cruisers, U-9 was awarded an iron cross in the same fashion like the cruiser SMS Emden. The iron cross then had been carried by the two later U-9s that followed in the 20th century.

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Rodondo
Post subject: Re: Willie's WolvesPosted: June 3rd, 2017, 11:21 pm
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Fantastic!! You can clearly see the design evolution

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Miscellaneous|Victorian Colonial Navy|Murray Riverboats|Colony of Victoria AU|Project Sail-fixing SB's sail shortage
How to mentally pronounce my usernameRow-(as in a boat)Don-(as in the short form of Donald)Dough-(bread)
"Loitering on the High Seas" (Named after the good ship Rodondo)

There's no such thing as "nothing left to draw" If you can down 10 pints and draw, you're doing alright by my standards


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emperor_andreas
Post subject: Re: Willie's WolvesPosted: June 3rd, 2017, 11:37 pm
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Posts: 3863
Joined: November 17th, 2010, 8:03 am
Location: Corinth, MS USA
Contact: YouTube
AWESOME job!!! I don't suppose you're planning a similar odyssey for WWII German DDs? :)

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MS State Guard - 08 March 2014 - 28 January 2023

The Official IJN Ships & Planes List

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