Type XXIII submarines were small, fast coastal craft, capable of remaining underwater indefinitely, fuel permitting, while at sea. This made them extremely dangerous to allied shipping and much better protected against allied counter-measures. Their main drawback was that they carried only two torpedoes, which severely limited their combat effectiveness. These boats appeared in the last two months of 1944 onward and were too late to have a major effect on the Second World War.
Due to their late arrival, the majority of these coastal submarines were never used in combat, and were scuttled either in Germany or in Operation Deadlight following the end of the war. These boats are listed below with construction and destruction information.
Boat | Construction | Commanders | Fate | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Laid down | Launched | Commissioned | Shipyard | |||
U-2321 | 10 March 1944 | 17 April 1944 | 12 June 1944 | Deutsche Werft, Hamburg | Hans-Heinrich Barschkis | Performed one operational patrol, sinking the British merchant ship Gasray, before surrendering to the Allies. Sunk on 27 November 1945 in Operation Deadlight. [1] |
U-2322 | 22 March 1944 | 30 April 1944 | 1 July 1944 | Deutsche Werft, Hamburg | Fridtjof Heckel | Performed two operational patrols, sinking the British merchantman Egholm, before surrendering to the Allies. Sunk on 27 November 1945 in Operation Deadlight. [2] |
U-2323 | 11 April 1944 | 31 May 1944 | 18 July 1944 | Deutsche Werft, Hamburg | Walter Angermann | Sunk by a naval mine on 26 July 1944. [3] |
U-2324 | 21 April 1944 | 16 June 1944 | 25 July 1944 | Deutsche Werft, Hamburg | Hans-Heinrich Haß Konstantin von Rappard | Performed two operational patrols before surrendering to the Allies. Sunk on 27 November 1945 in Operation Deadlight. [4] |
U-2325 | 29 April 1944 | 13 July 1944 | 3 August 1944 | Deutsche Werft, Hamburg | Wolf-Harald Schüler Kurt Eckel | Surrendered to the Allies at Kristiansand and disposed of in Operation Deadlight on 28 November 1945. [5] |
U-2326 | 8 May 1944 | 17 July 1944 | 10 August 1944 | Deutsche Werft, Hamburg | Karl Jobst | Performed two operational patrols before surrendering to the Allies, and was taken over by the British as N 35, before being transferred to France in 1946. Lost in an accident on 6 December 1946 at Toulon. [6] |
U-2327 | 16 May 1944 | 29 July 1944 | 19 August 1944 | Deutsche Werft, Hamburg | Heinrich Mürl Werner Müller Hans-Walter Pahl Hermann Schulz | Scuttled in Hamburg-Finkenwerder docks on 2 May 1945. [7] |
U-2328 | 19 May 1944 | 7 August 1944 | 25 August 1944 | Deutsche Werft, Hamburg | Hans-Ulrich Scholle Peter Lawrence | Surrendered to the Allies at Bergen, Norway and foundered during Operation Deadlight on 27 November 1945. [8] |
U-2329 | 2 June 1944 | 11 August 1944 | 1 September 1944 | Deutsche Werft, Hamburg | Heinrich Schlott | Performed one operational patrol before surrendering to the Allies. Sunk on 28 November 1945 in Operation Deadlight. [9] |
U-2330 | 12 June 1944 | 19 August 1944 | 7 September 1944 | Deutsche Werft, Hamburg | Hans Beckmann | Scuttled in Kiel harbour on 3 May 1945. [10] |
U-2331 | 30 June 1944 | 22 August 1944 | 12 September 1944 | Deutsche Werft, Hamburg | Hans-Walter Pahl | Sunk in a training accident on 10 October 1944. [11] |
U-2332 | 20 September 1944 | 18 October 1944 | 13 November 1944 | Germaniawerft, Kiel | Dieter Bornkessel | Scuttled in Hamburg docks on 3 May 1945. [12] |
U-2333 | 27 September 1944 | 16 November 1944 | 18 December 1944 | Germaniawerft, Kiel | Heinz Baumann | Scuttled in Geltinger Bay on 5 May 1945. [13] |
U-2334 | 14 July 1944 | 26 August 1944 | 21 September 1944 | Deutsche Werft, Hamburg | Walter Angermann | Surrendered at Kristiansand and disposed of in Operation Deadlight on 28 November 1945. [14] |
U-2335 | 20 July 1944 | 31 August 1944 | 27 September 1944 | Deutsche Werft, Hamburg | Karl-Dietrich Benthin | Badly damaged by air attack on 19 April 1945, U-2335 surrendered at Kristiansand and was disposed of in Operation Deadlight on 28 November 1945. [15] |
U-2336 | 27 July 1944 | 10 September 1944 | 30 September 1944 | Deutsche Werft, Hamburg | Jürgen Vockel Emil Klusmeier | Performed one operational patrol before surrendering to the Allies. On 7 May 1945 it sank two Allied merchant ships (Avondale Park and Sneland I) in the Firth of Forth. These were the last ships lost to German submarines in World War II. Surrendered at Wilhelmshaven, Germany. Taken to Lisahally on 21 June 1945 for Operation Deadlight. Sunk on 3 January 1946. [16] |
U-2337 | 2 August 1944 | 15 September 1944 | 4 October 1944 | Deutsche Werft, Hamburg | Günther Behnisch | Surrendered at Kristiansand and disposed of in Operation Deadlight on 28 November 1945. [17] |
U-2338 | 10 August 1944 | 18 September 1944 | 9 October 1944 | Deutsche Werft, Hamburg | Hans-Dietrich Kaiser | Sunk by British Beaufighter aircraft during training mission on 4 May 1945. [18] |
U-2339 | 15 August 1944 | 22 September 1944 | 16 November 1944 | Deutsche Werft, Hamburg | Germanus Woermann | Inoperable following unknown damage in port in December 1944. Scuttled in Gelting Bay on 5 May 1945. [19] |
U-2340 | 18 August 1944 | 28 September 1944 | 16 October 1944 | Deutsche Werft, Hamburg | Emil Klusmeier | Destroyed in Royal Air Force bombing raid on 30 March 1945. [20] |
U-2341 | 23 August 1944 | 3 October 1944 | 21 October 1944 | Deutsche Werft, Hamburg | Hermann Boehm | Surrendered at Cuxhaven and disposed of in Operation Deadlight on 31 December 1945. [21] |
U-2342 | 29 August 1944 | 13 October 1944 | 1 November 1944 | Deutsche Werft, Hamburg | Berthold Schad von Mittelbiberach | Destroyed by naval mine during convoy operation on 26 December 1944. [22] |
U-2343 | 31 August 1944 | 18 October 1944 | 6 November 1944 | Deutsche Werft, Hamburg | Harald Fuhlendorf Hans-Ludwig Gaude | Scuttled in Gelting Bay on 5 May 1945. [23] |
U-2344 | 4 September 1944 | 24 October 1944 | 10 November 1944 | Deutsche Werft, Hamburg | Hermann Ellerlage | Sunk after collision with U-2336 during a training operation on 18 February 1945. Wreck raised in June 1956, and broken up at Rostock in 1958. [24] |
U-2345 | 7 September 1944 | 28 October 1944 | 15 November 1944 | Deutsche Werft, Hamburg | Karl Steffen | Surrendered at Stavanger and disposed of in Operation Deadlight on 27 November 1945. [25] |
U-2346 | 14 September 1944 | 31 October 1944 | 20 November 1944 | Deutsche Werft, Hamburg | Hermann von der Höh | Scuttled in Gelting Bay on 5 May 1945. [26] |
U-2347 | 19 September 1944 | 6 November 1944 | 2 December 1944 | Deutsche Werft, Hamburg | Willibald Ulbing | Scuttled in Gelting Bay on 5 May 1945. [27] |
U-2348 | 22 September 1944 | 11 November 1944 | 4 December 1944 | Deutsche Werft, Hamburg | Georg Goschzik | Surrendered at Stavanger and docked in Belfast. Scrapped in April 1949. [28] |
U-2349 | 25 September 1944 | 20 November 1944 | 11 December 1944 | Deutsche Werft, Hamburg | Hans-Georg Müller | Scuttled in Gelting Bay on 5 May 1945. [29] |
U-2350 | 28 September 1944 | 22 November 1944 | 23 December 1944 | Deutsche Werft, Hamburg | Werner Schauer | Surrendered at Kristiansand and disposed of in Operation Deadlight on 28 November 1945. [30] |
U-2351 | 3 October 1944 | 25 November 1944 | 30 December 1944 | Deutsche Werft, Hamburg | Werner Brückner | Inoperable following damage from bombing raids, surrendered in Kiel and disposed of in Operation Deadlight on 3 January 1946. [31] |
U-2352 | 9 October 1944 | 5 December 1944 | 11 January 1945 | Deutsche Werft, Hamburg | Sigmund Budzyn | Scuttled at Hörup Haff on 5 May 1945. [32] |
U-2353 | 10 October 1944 | 6 December 1944 | 9 January 1945 | Deutsche Werft, Hamburg | Jürgen Hillmann | Surrendered at Kristiansand and was taken over by the British as N 37. Transferred to the USSR in 1945. Broken up in 1963. [33] |
U-2354 | 14 October 1944 | 10 December 1944 | 11 January 1945 | Deutsche Werft, Hamburg | Hans-Dieter Wex | Surrendered at Kristiansand and disposed of in Operation Deadlight on 22 December 1945. [34] |
U-2355 | 18 October 1944 | 13 December 1944 | 12 January 1945 | Deutsche Werft, Hamburg | Hans-Heino Franke | Scuttled in the Kieler Förde, near Laboe on 3 May 1945. [35] |
U-2356 | 21 October 1944 | 19 December 1944 | 12 January 1945 | Deutsche Werft, Hamburg | Friedrich Hartel | Surrendered at Wilhelmshaven and disposed of in Operation Deadlight on 6 January 1946. [36] |
U-2357 | 21 October 1944 | 20 December 1944 | 13 January 1945 | Deutsche Werft, Hamburg | Erwin Heinrich | Scuttled at Gelting Bay on 5 May 1945. [37] |
U-2358 | 1 November 1944 | 22 December 1944 | 16 January 1945 | Deutsche Werft, Hamburg | Gerhard Breun | Scuttled at Gelting Bay on 5 May 1945. [38] |
U-2359 | 3 November 1944 | 23 December 1944 | 16 January 1945 | Deutsche Werft, Hamburg | Gustav Bischoff | Sunk by Allied air attack on a transport mission on 2 May 1945. [39] Found in October 2007 off the island of Læsø in Denmark. [40] |
U-2360 | 7 November 1944 | 29 December 1944 | 23 January 1945 | Deutsche Werft, Hamburg | Kurt Schrobach | Scuttled in Gelting Bay on 5 May 1945. [41] |
U-2361 | 12 November 1944 | 3 January 1945 | 3 February 1945 | Deutsche Werft, Hamburg | Heinz von Henning | Surrendered at Kristiansand and disposed of in Operation Deadlight on 27 November 1945. [42] |
U-2362 | 22 November 1944 | 11 January 1945 | 5 February 1945 | Deutsche Werft, Hamburg | Martin Czekowski | Scuttled in Gelting Bay on 5 May 1945. [43] |
U-2363 | 22 November 1944 | 18 January 1945 | 5 February 1945 | Deutsche Werft, Hamburg | Karl Frahm | Surrendered at Kristiansand and disposed of in Operation Deadlight on 28 November 1945. [44] |
U-2364 | 27 November 1944 | 23 January 1945 | 14 February 1945 | Deutsche Werft, Hamburg | Dieter Hengen Gerhard Remus | Scuttled in Gelting Bay on 5 May 1945. [45] |
U-2365 | 6 December 1944 | 26 January 1945 | 2 March 1945 | Deutsche Werft, Hamburg | Fritz-Otto Korfmann Uwe Christiansen | Scuttled in the Kattegat following an air attack on 8 May 1945, later raised and commissioned as Hai in post-war Bundesmarine on 15 August 1957. Sunk in North Sea on 14 September 1966. Raised on 19 September 1966 and broken up. [46] |
U-2366 | 6 December 1944 | 17 February 1945 | 10 March 1945 | Deutsche Werft, Hamburg | Kurt Jäckel | Scuttled in Gelting Bay on 5 May 1945. [47] |
U-2367 | 11 December 1944 | 23 February 1945 | 17 March 1945 | Deutsche Werft, Hamburg | Heinrich Schröder | Sunk after collision with an unidentified German U-boat near Schleimünde on 5 May 1945. Raised in August 1956 and commissioned into the Bundesmarine as Hecht on 1 October 1957. Stricken on 30 September 1968 and broken up at Kiel in 1969. [48] |
U-2368 | 15 December 1944 | 19 March 1945 | 11 April 1945 | Deutsche Werft, Hamburg | Fritz Ufermann | Scuttled in Gelting Bay on 5 May 1945. [49] |
U-2369 | 20 December 1944 | 24 March 1945 | 18 April 1945 | Deutsche Werft, Hamburg | Hermann Schulz Hans-Walter Pahl | Scuttled in Gelting Bay on 5 May 1945. [50] |
U-2371 | 19 January 1945 | 18 April 1945 | 24 April 1945 | Deutsche Werft, Hamburg | Johannes Kühne | Scuttled in Hamburg-Finkwerder on 3 May 1945. [51] |
U-4701 | 19 October 1944 | 14 December 1944 | 10 January 1945 | Germaniawerft, Kiel | Arnold Wiechmann | Scuttled in Hörop Haff off Flensburg on 5 May 1945. [52] |
U-4702 | 28 October 1944 | 20 December 1944 | 12 January 1945 | Germaniawerft, Kiel | Edgar Seeliger | Scuttled in Gelting Bay on 5 May 1945. [53] |
U-4703 | 1 November 1944 | 3 January 1945 | 21 January 1945 | Germaniawerft, Kiel | Hans-Ulrich Scholz | Scuttled in Geltinger Bay on 5 May 1945 . [54] |
U-4704 | 9 November 1944 | 13 February 1945 | 14 March 1945 | Germaniawerft, Kiel | Gerhard Franceschi | Scuttled in Hörop Haff off Flensburg on 5 May 1945. [55] |
U-4705 | 10 November 1944 | 11 January 1945 | 2 February 1945 | Germaniawerft, Kiel | Martin Landt-Hayen | Scuttled in Kiel harbour on 3 May 1945. [56] |
U-4706 | 14 November 1944 | 19 January 1945 | 7 February 1945 | Germaniawerft, Kiel | Manfred Schneider | Surrendered at Kristiansand. Transferred to the Royal Norwegian Navy in October 1948 and commissioned as HNoMS Knerter. Used for storage by the Royal Norwegian Yacht Club from 14 April 1950. Stricken in 1954 and broken up. [57] |
U-4707 | 5 December 1944 | 25 January 1945 | 20 February 1945 | Germaniawerft, Kiel | Joachim Leder | Scuttled in Geltinger Bay on 5 May 1945. [58] |
U-4709 | 1 December 1944 | 8 February 1945 | 3 March 1945 | Germaniawerft, Kiel | Paul Berkemann | Scuttled in the Germaniawerft dock in Kiel on 4 May 1945. [59] |
U-4710 | 1 March 1945 | 14 April 1945 | 1 May 1945 | Germaniawerft, Kiel | Ludwig-Ferdinand von Friedeburg | Scuttled in Geltinger Bay on 5 May 1945. [60] |
U-4711 | 1 December 1944 | 21 February 1945 | 21 March 1945 | Germaniawerft, Kiel | Siegfried Endler | Scuttled in the Germaniawerft dock in Kiel on 4 May 1945. [61] |
U-4712 | 3 January 1945 | 1 March 1945 | 3 April 1945 | Germaniawerft, Kiel | Karl-Heinz Rohlfing | Scuttled in the Germaniawerft dock in Kiel on 3 May 1945. [62] |
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German submarine U-2321 was the first of the highly advanced Type XXIII U-boats built for Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine in 1944 and 1945. As the first of this class, U-2321 was one of a handful of such boats to undertake an operational patrol, in March 1945. She was successful in this operation, and sank a British freighter, one of just five ships sunk by the new fully submarine boats.
German submarine U-2322 was a highly advanced Type XXIII U-boat built for Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine in 1944. U-2322 was one of just a few such boats to undertake an operational patrol, and one of only three to undergo two. During these patrols, she succeeded in sinking a single British freighter, one of five ships sunk by this submarine class.
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German submarine U-37 was a Type IXA U-boat of the German Navy (Kriegsmarine) during World War II. The submarine was laid down on 15 March 1937 at the DeSchiMAG AG Weser yard in Bremen, launched on 14 May 1938, and commissioned on 4 August 1938 under the command of Kapitänleutnant Heinrich Schuch as part of the 6th U-boat Flotilla.
German submarine U-481 was a Type VIIC U-boat of Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine during World War II. The submarine was laid down on 6 February 1943 at the Deutsche Werke yard in Kiel, launched on 25 September 1943, and commissioned on 10 November 1943 under the command of Oberleutnant zur See Ewald Pick.
German submarine U-438 was a Type VIIC U-boat of Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine during World War II.
German submarine U-759 was a Type VIIC U-boat of Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine during World War II. The submarine was laid down on 15 November 1940 at the Kriegsmarinewerft yard at Wilhelmshaven, launched on 30 May 1942, and commissioned on 15 August 1942 under the command of Oberleutnant zur See Rudolf Friedrich.
German submarine U-1021 was a Type VIIC/41 U-boat of Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine during World War II.
German submarine U-66 was a Type IXC U-boat of Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine during World War II. The submarine was laid down on 20 March 1940 at the AG Weser yard at Bremen, launched on 10 October and commissioned on 2 January 1941 under the command of Kapitänleutnant Richard Zapp as part of the 2nd U-boat Flotilla.
German submarine U-376 was a Type VIIC U-boat of Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine during World War II.
German submarine U-652 was a Type VIIC U-boat of Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine during World War II. The submarine was laid down on 5 February 1940 at the Howaldtswerke yard at Hamburg, launched on 7 February 1941, and commissioned on 3 April 1941 under the command of Oberleutnant zur See Georg-Werner Fraatz.
German submarine U-2336 was a Type XXIII U-boat of Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine during World War II.
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The German Type IXB submarine was a sub-class of the German Type IX submarine built for Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine between 1938 and 1940. The U-boats themselves were designed to be fairly large ocean-going submarines. The inspiration for the Type IXB submarine came from the earlier original Type IX submarine, the Type IXA submarine. The design of the IXA was developed to give an increased range, a change which resulted in a slightly heavier overall tonnage. This design was improved even further in the later Type IXC submarines.
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