U-boat, German U-boot, abbreviation of Unterseeboot, (“undersea boat”), a German submarine.
Why did Germany Call U-boats?
Why were German submarines in WWII called ‘U-boats’? U-boat is an abbreviation of the German word ”Unterseeboot” (meaning ”submarine” or ”under the sea boat”). The German navy launched large-scale submarine offensives in both World Wars. The letter ”U” inU-boats is from the German ”unter”, meaning ”under”.
Why are German submarines called U-boats?
These U-boats (an abbreviation of Unterseeboot, the German word for “undersea boat”) prowled the oceans in search of prey and could attack ships 20 times their size from both above and below the surface with their deck guns and torpedoes.
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 World War I and World War II, only four U-boats remain intact today. (Others rest on the ocean floor.)
What does U-boat mean in German? – Related Questions
Was Hitler’s U-boat ever found?
In 2014, researchers found the remains of U-576 off the coast of North Carolina, and just last year, the notorious German World War I U-boat UB-29 was found off the coast of Belgian.
Has U 47 been found?
U-47 ranks as one of the most successful German U-boats of World War II. In 2016, one of the faulty torpedoes shot at HMS Royal Oak was found and identified.
German submarine U-47 (1938)
| History |
| Nazi Germany |
| Fate |
Missing 7 March 1941, in the North Atlantic near the Rockall Bank and Trough. |
| General characteristics |
| Class and type |
Type VIIB U-boat |
How many ww2 U-boats are still missing?
A U-boat of this type, listed for decades as being sunk off Gibraltar, was found on the sea bottom about 60 miles off the coast of New Jersey in 1991. According to the definitive website Uboat.org, a total of 50 German U-boats remained unaccounted for after the end of World War II.
What happened to German U-boats after the war?
Of the 156 U-boats that surrendered to the allies at the end of the war, 116 were scuttled as part of Operation Deadlight. The Royal Navy carried out the operation, and planned to tow the submarines to three areas about 100 miles (160 km) north-west of Ireland and sink them.
What was the most successful German U-boat?
By 1 August 1941, U-48, the most successful boat of the Second World War, had sunk 56 merchant ships of 322,478 gross tons and one corvette. She was then transferred to the Baltic as a training boat. Schultze became commander of operation 3 U-Flotilla and later was appointed commander, II/Naval College Schleswig.
How long could German U-boats stay submerged?
The typical U-boat was 214 feet long, carried 35 men and 12 torpedoes, and could travel underwater for two hours at a time.
Did German U-boats have showers?
Washing and showering was not permitted, and no change of clothes. In such a confined space, with little hygiene, deodorant was used to control body odour. There was no privacy, and all space was filled – crew members even slept in the loading torpedo room.
Did U-boats have air conditioning?
It was only in the Type XXI U-Boats, built at the end of the war, that there was a refrigerator, air conditioning, and a decent air filtration system.
What fuel did U-boats use?
Type IXC boats otherwise only carried 12 weeks of food supplies, and Type VIIC U-boat carried about 114 tons of diesel fuel.
How did the toilets work on U-boats?
While Allied subs piped their sewage into onboard septic tanks, German U-boats saved precious weight and space by discharging waste directly into the sea. But pulling off this latter operation posed unique challenges. The system only worked when the submarine floated near the surface, where the water pressure was low.
How deep could a ww2 U-boat dive?
The boat was capable of operating at depths of up to 230 metres (750 ft). The submarine had a maximum surface speed of 17.7 knots (32.8 km/h; 20.4 mph) and a maximum submerged speed of 7.6 knots (14.1 km/h; 8.7 mph).
How often did U-boats have to surface?
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.
How long can a U.S. submarine stay underwater?
The Submarine Force is often called “The Silent Service” because of how it operates. Submarines can submerge more than 600 feet below the ocean’s surface for up to four months at a time, constantly patrolling and working classified missions.
Who had the best submarines in WWII?
It is widely regarded that during World War 2 that the Germans had the best submarines, with one of their best regarded as the Type XXI submarine.
How many German submariners died in ww2?
In the end, the U-boat fleet suffered extremely heavy casualties, losing 793 U-boats and about 28,000 submariners (a 75% casualty rate, the highest of all German forces during the war).
What was life like on a German U-boat?
Life on Board
U-boat submariners had a 75% casualty rate, the highest of all German forces during the war. The U-505 had two bathrooms, one of which was used to store food for the first part of the voyage. For the entire two months at sea, the crew never bathed and instead cleaned themselves by swabbing with alcohol.