GERMAN SUBMARINE U-BOAT TYPE IIB (1943)

The Type II U-boats were German submarines whose construction was initiated in 1934. Depending on the sub-type, Type II units were in length from 41 m to 44 m, width from 4.08 m to 4.92 m, and underwater displacement - from 303 tons to 364 tons. The maximum surface speed of Type II U-boats was approximately 13 knots, and the maximum underwater speed was approximately 7 knots. The main armament was 3 533 mm torpedo tubes - all in the bow, with a total of 5 torpedoes or 18 mines carried on board the ship. Secondary armament is 1 20mm AA cannon. This type of ships was built mainly in the shipyards in Kiel and Lübeck. The Type II U-boats were the first submarines built for the German Navy after 1918. In its general assumptions, it was very clearly modeled on the ship built for Finland called "Vessiko". They were fully consciously treated as ships that were to give the German shipbuilding industry the appropriate qualifications for the large-scale production of new types of submarines with greater combat capabilities. Hence, the Type II U-boats were intended for training and coastal defense tasks. They also had many disadvantages: a very limited range of operation, a slow descent process and a low underwater speed. During World War II, they were used primarily in the Baltic and the North Sea, and to a small extent - after flipping the Danube - also in the Black Sea.