The VIIC Type U-Boot

The VIIC Type U-Boot
Author: Waldemar Góralski
Publisher: Super Drawings in 3D
Total Pages: 0
Release: 2011-03
Genre: Submarines (Ships)
ISBN: 9788361220770

The type VIIC was a slightly modified version of the successful VIIB. They had basically the same engine layout and power, but were slightly larger and heavier which made them not quite as fast as the VIIB. 5 torpedo tubes (4 at the bow and one at the stern) were installed in all but the following boats; only two bow tubes (U-72, U-78, U-80, U-554 and U-555) and no stern tube (U-203, U-331, U-351, U-401, U-431 and U-651). The VIIC was the workhorse of the German U-boat force in World War Two from 1941 onwards and boats of this type were being built throughout the war. The first VIIC boat being commissioned was the U-69 in 1940. The VIIC was an effective fighting machine and was seen in almost all areas where the U-boat force operated although their range was not as great as the one of the larger IX types. The VIIC came into service as the "Happy Days" were almost over and it was this boat that faced the final defeat to the Allied anti-submarine campaign in late 1943 and 1944. Perhaps the most famous VIIC boat was the U-96 which is featured in the movie Das Boot, other noticeable boats were the U-flak boats. Many of these boats were fitted with the Schnorkel in 1944-1945. This design saw one more improvement in the type VIIC/41 boat. The larger mine-laying type VIID was a direct variant of the VIIC.

Type VII U-Boats

Type VII U-Boats
Author: Roger Chesneau
Publisher: Seaforth Publishing
Total Pages: 67
Release: 2012-01-20
Genre: History
ISBN: 1848321236

The ‘ShipCraft’ series provides in-depth information about building and modifying model kits of famous warship types. Lavishly illustrated, each book takes the modeller through a brief history of the subject class, highlighting differences between sister-ships and changes in their appearance over their careers. This includes paint schemes and camouflage, featuring colour profiles and highly-detailed line drawings and scale plans. The modelling section reviews the strengths and weaknesses of available kits, lists commercial accessory sets for super-detailing of the ships, and provides hints on modifying and improving the basic kit. This is followed by an extensive photographic gallery of selected high-quality models in a variety of scales, and the book concludes with a section on research references – books, monographs, large-scale plans and websites. This volume is devoted to the largest class of submarines ever built, the Type VII, which formed the backbone of the German effort in the critical Battle of the Atlantic. A pre-war design, the Type VII was developed as the campaign progressed and was still in frontline service in 1945. All the major variants, as well as minor changes to equipment, are covered here. With its unparalleled level of visual information – paint schemes, models, line drawings and photographs – it is simply the best reference for any modelmaker setting out to build one of these famous boats.

U-Boat 1936-45 (Type VIIA, B, C and Type VIIC/41)

U-Boat 1936-45 (Type VIIA, B, C and Type VIIC/41)
Author: Alan Gallop
Publisher: Haynes Publishing UK
Total Pages: 0
Release: 2014-11-01
Genre: History
ISBN: 9780857334046

An insight into the design, construction and operation of the feared World War 2 German Type VIIC U-boat. The German Type VIIC U-boat, scourge of Allied shipping convoys during the Second World War, was the workhorse of the German U-boat force. With some 568 Type VIIs in use between 1940 and 1945 it was a potent fighting vessel that could hunt for long periods in the far reaches of the western and southern Atlantic. Centerpiece of the Haynes U-boat Owners' Workshop Manual is the sole surviving example of a Type VIIC U-boat, U-995, which is on display at the German Naval Memorial near Kiel in northern Germany.

Type VII

Type VII
Author: Marek Krzysztalowicz
Publisher: Pen and Sword
Total Pages: 446
Release: 2012-05-02
Genre: History
ISBN: 1473819997

“Describ[es] the Type VII and its place in the history of warfare . . . probably the finest book on German submarines of WWII available in print.”—Firetrench First conceived in the mid–1930s, the Type VII was still in production in the closing stages of the Second World War a decade later. Subject to continuous improvement through six major variants and with around 650 completed, it was built in larger numbers than any other submarine design in history. It formed the backbone of the Kriegsmarine’s campaign against merchant shipping for the whole of the war, and in terms of tonnage sunk was by far the most successful U-boat type. This encyclopedic work combines a technical description of the type in all its variations with a history of its development and an overview of its most significant operations—especially those convoy battles that were to have a crucial impact on the evolution of the design and its equipment. A particular attraction of the book is the comprehensive visual coverage—photographs of virtually every aspect of design, construction, fittings and shipboard life; highly detailed general arrangement plans and close-up scale drawings; and, with modelmakers in mind, a stunning collection of full-color three-dimensional illustrations of every external feature and variant of the boats. There have been many books on U-boats reflecting an enduring public interest so any new offering has to be special. With its unique concentration of information and illustrative reference, Type VII is unrivalled. “A comprehensive history of the Kriegsmarine’s most potent weapon . . . includes detailed modelmakers’ plans together with over 320 photographs.”—Maritime Advisor

The Type VII U-boat

The Type VII U-boat
Author: David Westwood
Publisher: US Naval Institute Press
Total Pages: 0
Release: 2003
Genre: Submarines (Ships)
ISBN: 9781591148869

The U-Boat War

The U-Boat War
Author: Lawrence Paterson
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
Total Pages: 337
Release: 2022-04-14
Genre: History
ISBN: 1472848276

The accepted historical narrative of the Second World War predominantly assigns U-boats to the so-called 'Battle of the Atlantic', almost as if the struggle over convoys between the new world and the old can be viewed in isolation from simultaneous events on land and in the air. This has become an almost accepted error. The U-boats war did not exist solely between 1940 and 1943, nor did the Atlantic battle occur in seclusion from other theatres of action. The story of Germany's second U-boat war began on the first day of hostilities with Britain and France and ended with the final torpedo sinking on 7 May 1945. U-boats were active in nearly every theatre of operation in which the Wehrmacht served, and within all but the Southern Ocean. Moreover, these deployments were not undertaken in isolation from one another; instead they were frequently interconnected in what became an increasingly inefficient German naval strategy. This fascinating new book places each theatre of action in which U-boats were deployed into the broader context of the Second World War in its entirety while also studying the interdependence of the various geographic deployments. It illustrates the U-boats' often direct relationship with land, sea and aerial campaigns of both the Allied and Axis powers, dispels certain accepted mythologies, and reveals how the ultimate failure of the U-boats stemmed as much from chaotic German military and industrial mismanagement as it did from Allied advances in code-breaking and weaponry.

German submarine U-1105 'Black Panther'

German submarine U-1105 'Black Panther'
Author: Aaron Stephan Hamilton
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
Total Pages: 138
Release: 2019-06-27
Genre: History
ISBN: 1472835808

Now in its final resting place at the bottom of the Potomac River in Maryland, the U-Boat U-1105 is unique among German World War II submarines. Technologically innovative, it was the only U-Boat to conduct a wartime patrol while equipped with the snorkel, GHG Balkon passive sonar and a rubberized coating known as Alberich designed to reduce its acoustic signature and hide from Allied sonar. After the end of World War II, it was the subject of instense testing and evaluation by the Allies, before finally being sunk to the bottom of the Potomac River. This highly illustrated book uses many new and previously unpublished images to tell the full story of this remarkable U-Boat, evaluating the effectiveness of its late war technologies, document its extensive postwar testing and detail all the features still present on the wreck site today.

Kriegsmarine U-boats 1939–45 (1)

Kriegsmarine U-boats 1939–45 (1)
Author: Gordon Williamson
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
Total Pages: 77
Release: 2012-04-20
Genre: History
ISBN: 1780966148

This, the first of two volumes on Germany's World War II U-boats, traces their development from the early U-boats of the Kaiser's Navy, the prohibition on Germany having U-boats following the Armistice in 1918 and the subsequent Treaty of Versailles, the secret development of U-boats using a 'cover-firm' in Holland, culminating in the formation of the 1st U-boat Flotilla in 1935 with the modern Type II. The operational history section includes examples from the Classes Type VIIA, Type VIIB, VIID, VIIE and VIIF before concentrating on the mainstay of the U-boat arm, the Type VIIC. Comparisons are also made with the standard allied submarines, their strengths, weaknesses and U-boat tactics.

U-Boat Ace

U-Boat Ace
Author: Jordan Vause
Publisher: Naval Institute Press
Total Pages: 224
Release: 2001-11-02
Genre: History
ISBN: 1612513808

An exceptional figure in the history of the German Navy, Wolfgang Luth was one of only seven men in the Wehrmacht to win Germany's highest combat decoration, the Knight's Cross with Oak Leaves, Swords, and Diamonds. At one time or another he operated in almost every theater of the undersea war, from Norway to the Indian Ocean, and became the second most successful German U-boat ace in World War II, sinking more than 220,000 tons of merchant shipping. A master in the art of military leadership, Luth was the youngest man to be appointed to the rank of captain and the youngest to become commandant of the German Naval Academy. Nevertheless, his accomplishments were overshadowed by those of other great aces, such as Prien, Kretschmer, and Topp. The publication of this book in hardcover in 1990 marked the first comprehensive study of Luth's life. Jordan Vause corrects the long neglect by providing an entertaining and authoritative biography that places the ace in the context of the war at sea. This new paperback edition includes corrections and additional information collected by the author over the past decade.

U-Boat Bases and Bunkers 1941–45

U-Boat Bases and Bunkers 1941–45
Author: Gordon Williamson
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
Total Pages: 66
Release: 2012-06-20
Genre: History
ISBN: 184908002X

Few of the massive military structures built by Germany during World War II are as impressive as the U-Boat bases and bunkers in Germany, Norway and France. This title takes a close look at the formidable edifices on the French coast (Brest, Lorient, St Nazaire, La Pallice, Bordeaux) in Norway (Bergen, Trondheim) and Germany (Keil, Hamburg, Helgoland) and also focuses on the huge 'Valentin' factory complex at Bremen, which manufactured the new type XXI electro-boats. Bunker protective systems, such as camouflage, light and heavy flak installations and nearby air cover, are also examined as well as resident flotillas and the fate of the bases at war's end.