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What was special about the U boat?
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.
Why were the German U-boats es so important?
The formidable U-boats (unterseeboots) prowled the Atlantic armed with torpedoes. They were Germany’s only weapon of advantage as Britain effectively blocked German ports to supplies. The goal was to starve Britain before the British blockade defeated Germany.
Why was the submarine important in ww2?
In World War 2, as they did in World War 1, submarines were widely used by both sides as the ultimate weapon of naval blockade, sinking large numbers of both merchant ships and warships, resulting in either paralyzing the enemy’s military industry and war effort by causing severe shortages of war materials and products …
What happened to the German U-boat U-3523?
The collapsing Nazi government ordered all U-boats in German ports to make their way to their bases in Norway on May 2, 1945. Two days later, the recently commissioned U-3523 joined the mission as one of the most advanced boats in the fleet.
What should we do with the U-boat wreck?
With the U-boat’s identity correctly established, we now know that it is the grave site of its crew of 58 German servicemen. As such, the wreck should either be left in peace or, more implausibly, recovered and the men buried on land. Germany lost over 800 submarines at sea during the two world wars and many have been found in recent years.
What happened to World War I U-boat UB-29?
In 2014, researchers found the remains of U-576 off the coast of North Carolina, and just last year, the notorious German World War I U-boat UB-29 was found off the coast of Belgian. Jason Daley is a Madison, Wisconsin-based writer specializing in natural history, science, travel, and the environment.
How did the U-boats get to Norway?
But to reach their destination, the submarines had to pass through the bottleneck of the Skagerrak – the strait between Norway and Denmark – and the UK’s Royal Air Force was waiting for them. Several U-boats were sunk and U-3523 was destroyed in an air attack by a Liberator bomber.