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Can U-boats go underwater?
The Germans’ most formidable naval weapon was the U-boat, a submarine far more sophisticated than those built by other nations at the time. The typical U-boat was 214 feet long, carried 35 men and 12 torpedoes, and could travel underwater for two hours at a time.
Does U-boat mean underwater boat?
U-boat, German U-boot, abbreviation of Unterseeboot, (“undersea boat”), a German submarine. The destruction of enemy shipping by German U-boats was a spectacular feature of both World Wars I and II.
How long did U-boats stay at sea?
Concluding its fourth patrol, U-576 reached its home port in St. Lazare, France, in May 1942, after a long 49 days out at sea.
How long could a Type VII U-boat stay underwater?
It was less for most of the German U-boats, especially the most common one, the Type VII. The Type VII was the smallest German U-boat and could normally only stay down about 14 hours. . It was always a race as to what would run out first, the electrical power, or the air.
What is the difference between a U-boat and a submarine?
The term is an anglicised version of the German word U-Boot [ˈuːboːt] ( listen), a shortening of Unterseeboot (‘under-sea-boat’), though the German term refers to any submarine. Austro-Hungarian Navy submarines were also known as U-boats.
How long could ww2 Subs stay under?
Model of the USS Balao (SS-285) Fleet Submarine Two 126-cell battery groups gave her a submerged top speed of 8.75 knots (16.2 km/hr); holding her speed to 2 knots (4 km/hr), she could remain submerged for 48 hours.
Did U boats have to surface to fire?
And it must have done so on the surface of the water, where it was able to travel at a faster speed than the ships it pursued. By approaching from astern, where the lookouts rarely checked, the U-boat would be able to slip inside the convoy undetected, fire at close range, then submerge in order to get away.
How deep did submarines go in ww2?
World War II German U-boats generally had collapse depths in the range of 200 to 280 metres (660 to 920 feet). Modern nuclear attack submarines like the American Seawolf class are estimated to have a test depth of 490 m (1,600 ft), which would imply (see above) a collapse depth of 730 m (2,400 ft).