Type II submarine

Type II submarine
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Name	Type II submarine
Builder	Germaniawerft, AG Weser, Blohm & Voss
Country	Nazi Germany
Commission	1935–1945
Decommission	1945
Displacement	250–500 t (surfaced)
Type	Coastal U-boat
Armament	torpedoes, deck gun

Type II submarine The Type II submarine was a class of coastal U-boats deployed by Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine in the 1930s and during World War II. Designed for short-range patrols, the class served in training, reconnaissance, and early offensive operations in the North Sea, Baltic Sea, and along the coasts of Norway and the United Kingdom. These small boats influenced subsequent submarine design and saw action in notable operations involving figures and institutions such as Karl Dönitz, Oberkommando der Marine, and the Battle of the Atlantic.

Design and specifications

The Type II series was characterized by compact dimensions and coastal endurance, with variations in displacement and propulsion across subtypes II-A, II-B, II-C, and II-D. Designers at yards including Deutsche Werke, AG Weser, and Friedrich Krupp Germaniawerft optimized hull form for operations from bases like Kiel, Wilhelmshaven, and Bergen. Surface propulsion used diesel engines from firms such as MAN SE paired with electric motors by Siemens-Schuckert, enabling limited submerged speed suited to patrols off Heligoland and the Skagerrak. Armament typically comprised torpedo tubes and a light deck gun for engagements near coastal batteries and convoy escorts originating in ports like Stettin and Hamburg. Crew complements operated under command structures influenced by personnel policies shaped at institutions such as the German Naval Academy Mürwik.

Development and variants

Initial procurement followed constraints of the Treaty of Versailles and rearmament policies under the Nazi Party, leading to small coastal types before larger oceangoing boats were produced. The early II-A boats were prototypes derived from foreign designs and influenced by work at the Naval Technical Commission (MTK). Subsequent II-B and II-C models incorporated improvements in range and torpedo capacity responding to lessons from operations near Poland in 1939 and exercises with the Baltic Fleet. The II-D introduced further enhancements to sensors and batteries, reflecting technological contributions from firms such as Askania Werke and research at Kiel Institute for the World Economy. Many boats were completed at shipyards including Blohm & Voss and Vulcan Stettin, while overhaul and refit cycles were conducted at facilities like Wilhelmshaven Navy Yard.

Operational history

Type II submarines entered service with flotillas such as the 1st U-boat Flotilla, 3rd U-boat Flotilla, and training units in the 3rd Flotilla (Kriegsmarine). Early wartime patrols targeted shipping lanes off Scotland, the Norwegian Campaign, and the approaches to Liverpool during the opening months of World War II. Their limited endurance relegated many boats to secondary roles as training platforms at schools like the U-Bootschule and as support craft for operations tied to the Operation Weserübung invasion. Commanding officers credited with early successes included veterans who later served with larger types, often referenced in memoirs alongside contemporaries such as Erich Raeder and Günther Prien.

Notable engagements and incidents

Type II boats participated in early-war sinkings and encounters with Allied forces including the Royal Navy, Royal Air Force, and later United States Navy anti-submarine units. Incidents involved engagements near the Dogger Bank, losses during mines laid by HMS Arethusa-class cruisers, and convoy battles in which they attacked ships associated with convoys like HX convoys and SC convoys. Some boats were damaged by depth charges from destroyers such as those of the Town-class destroyer group and by aircraft like the Supermarine Spitfire-escorted patrols. Individual episodes appear in accounts of operations connected to commanders who later rose to prominence during the Battle of the Atlantic.

Survivors and preservation

Few Type II hulls survived intact after Capitulation of Germany in 1945; several were scuttled under orders similar to those at Operation Regenbogen or surrendered to Allied powers including the United Kingdom, Soviet Union, and France. A small number were examined and partially preserved in naval museums such as the Deutsches Schiffahrtsmuseum and at maritime collections in Liverpool and Rosyth. Remnants influenced postwar assessments by commissions including the Tripartite Naval Commission and featured in exhibitions dealing with submarine development at institutions like the Imperial War Museum.

Influence and legacy

The Type II design informed postwar coastal and training submarine concepts in navies such as the Bundesmarine and influenced Cold War developments by shipbuilders with ties to former yards like Howaldtswerke-Deutsche Werft. Naval architects referenced Type II hull form and systems in analyses at establishments like the Royal Naval College, Greenwich and the Soviet Navy studied captured examples. The class remains discussed in historical works about figures including Karl Dönitz, events such as the Norwegian Campaign, and in assessments of the early Battle of the Atlantic where small coastal boats shaped tactics and training doctrine for subsequent submarine warfare.

Category:Submarines of Germany Category:World War II submarines of Germany