 Type XVIIB submarineU-1406, partially dismantled shortly after the end of World War II | |
| Class overview | |
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| Preceded by | |
| Succeeded by | Type XXIII (conventional coastal submarine) |
| Built | 1942 – 1945 |
| In commission | 1943 – 1949 |
| Planned | 16 |
| Completed | 7 |
| Cancelled | 9 |
| General characteristics[1][2][3] | |
| Type | Coastal submarine |
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TheType XVII U-boats were smallcoastal submarines that used ahigh-test peroxide propulsion system, which offered a combination ofair-independent propulsion and high submerged speeds.
In the early 1930sHellmuth Walter had designed a small, high-speed submarine with a streamlined form propelled by high-test peroxide (HTP) and in 1939 he was awarded a contract to build an experimental vessel, the 80 tonV-80, which achieved an underwater speed of 28.1 knots (52.0 km/h; 32.3 mph) during trials in 1940. On 14 November 1941 AdmiralsErich Raeder and Werner Fuchs (head of theKriegsmarine's Construction Office) witnessed a demonstration of theV-80;[4] Raeder was impressed, but Fuchs was slow to approve further tests.
Following the success of theV-80's trials, Walter contactedKarl Dönitz in January 1942, who enthusiastically embraced the idea and requested that these submarines be developed as quickly as possible. An initial order was placed in summer 1942 for four Type XVIIA development submarines.
Of these,U-792 andU-793, designatedWa 201, were built byBlohm + Voss, achieved 20.25 kn (37.50 km/h; 23.30 mph) submerged. The other pair of Type XVIIA submarines,U-794 andU-795, designatedWk 202, were constructed byFriedrich Krupp Germaniawerft,Kiel.[5]
TheU-793 achieved a submerged speed of 22 kn (41 km/h; 25 mph) in March 1944 with Admiral Dönitz aboard. In June 1944U-792 achieved 25 kn (46 km/h; 29 mph) over a measured mile.[6]
The Type XVIIA submarines were found to be very hard to handle at high speed, and were plagued by numerous mechanical problems, low efficiency, and the fact that a significant amount of power was lost due to increased back pressure on the exhaust at depth. Also, the length to beam ratio was too low, resulting in an unnecessarily high drag.[6]
Admiral Fuchs argued that introducing a new type of U-boat would hinder current production efforts, but Dönitz argued the case for them and on 4 January 1943 theKriegsmarine ordered 24 Type XVII submarines.[7]
Construction of operational Type XVII submarines – the Type XVIIB – was begun at the Blohm + Voss yard inHamburg. The Type XVIIB, unlike the XVIIA, had only a single turbine. The initial order was for 12 submarines,U-1405 throughU-1416.[8] However, Blohm + Voss were already struggling to cope with orders for Type XXI submarines and theKriegsmarine reduced the order to six.
Twelve Type XVIIG of slightly improved design,U-1081 throughU-1092, were at the same time ordered from Germaniawerft.[8]
A projected Type XVIIK would have abandoned the Walter system forclosed-cycleDiesel engines using pure oxygen from onboard tanks. The only boat,U-798, was still unfinished at the Krupp Germaniawerft at the end of the war.
Three Type XVIIB boats were completed by Blohm + Voss ofHamburg between 1943 and 1945:U-1405,U-1406 andU-1407.U-1405 was completed in December 1944,U-1406 in February 1945, andU-1407 in March 1945.[9]
A further three boats (U-1408 toU-1410) were under construction, but were not complete when the war ended. Another six Type XVIIB's (U-1411 toU-1416) were cancelled during the war in favour of theType XXI submarine.[2]
All three completed Type XVIIB boats were scuttled by their crews at the end ofWorld War II,U-1405 at Flensburg, andU-1406 andU-1407 atCuxhaven, all in theBritish Zone of Occupation.[9]U-1406 andU-1407 were scuttled on 7 May 1945 byOberleutnant zur See Gerhard Grumpelt, even though a superior officer,Kapitän zur SeeKurt Thoma, had prohibited such actions. Grumpelt was subsequently sentenced to seven years imprisonment by a British military court.[10]
At thePotsdam Conference in July 1945U-1406 was allocated to the United States andU-1407 to Britain, and both were soon salvaged. The uncompletedU-1408 andU-1410 were discovered by British forces at the Blohm + Voss yard in Hamburg.[9]
The United States Navy did not repair and operateU-1406 as it had with the twoType XXI submarines it had captured. She travelled to the United States as deck cargo, having been stripped after being damaged by fire and twice flooded.Portsmouth Naval Shipyard estimated it would cost $1 million to put her into service, but plans to do so were rejected due to the perceived fire hazard and high cost of HTP, and she was broken up in New York harbour some time after 18 May 1948.[11]
The Royal Navy repairedU-1407 and recommissioned her on 25 September 1945 asHMS Meteorite. She served as the model for two further HTP boats, theExplorer-classsubmarines,HMS Explorer andHMS Excalibur.
Type XVIIA
Wa 201 — Blohm + Voss, Hamburg
Wk 202 — Germaniawerft, Kiel
Type XVIIB — Blohm + Voss, Hamburg
