ARCHIVE FEATURE
July 1945 – German U-boat
After almost a decade in which, presumably
for reasons of national security, The Engineer
studiously avoided discussing the technological
advances made during the Second World War, the
publication was fi nally free to look back at some of
the engineering strides taken during the confl ict.
And it’s notable that one of the fi rst developments to
catch its eye was not one of the many technical advances
that swung hostilities in the Allies favour, but a marvel of
German engineering: the U-boat.
After stepping aboard a captured U-3008 – one of
the most advanced versions of the Type 21 U-boat – The
Engineer didn’t hold back in its praise of a boat that it
described as “revolutionary in many points of design and
performance”, and bristling with features that “would
make the mouths of British submarine offi cers water”.
Indeed, so advanced did The Engineer consider the
vessel that it was moved to reference science fi ction.
“Some of the capabilities of the U-boats of this type are
almost reminiscent of the fancies of Jules Verne: nine
months below the surface, capable of 16 knots under water
in emergency and safe at a depth of 900ft.”
The article goes on to discuss some of the key technical
innovations of the vessel, and begins by commenting on
its “phenomenal” speed. Interestingly, the boat’s surface
speed was slow by comparison with British and US subs.
But, remarked The Engineer, “this submarine was not
designed to come to the surface except when entering or
leaving harbour” and its submerged speed was a groundbreaking
16 knots, around twice the top speed of existing
submarines. The article puts this down to the number of
ba eries on board and the grouping of the cells.
The article also comments on the boat’s ability to
rapidly accelerate and decelerate without altering its
depth. Typically, with existing submarines, a sudden
increase in speed would cause the bows to rise, largely
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due to increased pressure above the line of thrust of the
propellers caused by the conning tower and the bridge.
This didn’t seem to be a problem for the Type 21 as the
engineers had cleverly found a way to automatically
adjust the hydroplanes when acceleration began to
take eff ect.
immensely strong, reported
ofeight
also The vessel was fi gure-thanks largely to an innovative article, amidships consists
the hull design. “The section of the usual circular section pressure hull, with
beneath it another smaller circular section
pressure hull,” wrote The Engineer. “These two
circular section hulls are not separate, and, in
eff ect, they form part of the same ‘fi gure-of-eight’
sectioned pressure hull. Each part is not only
immensely strong in itself; they are joined by
very strong plating which is worked on a curve
so that there is no weakness at the junction of
the two parts of the hull.”
Finally, the article spares a thought for the mariners
who lived and worked on the vessel, and remarks that
they actually enjoyed relatively spacious and comfortable
quarters. “If a submarine is designed to remain at sea
and submerged for very long periods, one of the primary
considerations must be habitability and in the U-3008
there is a comfortable sprung bunk for every member
of the crew, and every bunk is provided with a fi ed
ma ress.”
The Engineer was impressed, but also keen to stress the
achievements of Germany’s submarine builders shouldn’t
refl ect badly on British engineers.
“Nobody can visit the German ports without realising
that a very high proportion of the whole war potential
of the country was devoted to the production of U-boats,
and that designers and constructors had been given a far
greater degree of freedom than has ever been accorded to
July 1945
Stepping aboard a
captured German U-boat
The Engineer didn’t hold back on its praise for a German U-boat at
the end of the Second World War
written by jon excell
/wwwwww.t.thheeeennggiinneeeerr.c.coo.u.uk