How many ww2 U-boats are still missing?
According to the definitive website Uboat.org, a total of 50 German U-boats remained unaccounted for after the end of World War II.
Are there any surviving U-boats?
Despite their prevalence during WWI and WWII, only four U-boats exist today. Preserved as museum vessels, these “undersea boats” are the last reminders of the Battle of the Atlantic, and the thousands of men who died in these “Iron Coffins.”
What was life like on a German U-boat?
Life on Board U-boat submariners had a 75% casualty rate, the highest of all German forces during the war. The U-505 had two bathrooms, one of which was used to store food for the first part of the voyage. For the entire two months at sea, the crew never bathed and instead cleaned themselves by swabbing with alcohol.
How many U-boats did the Royal Navy sink?
| Battle of the Atlantic | |
|---|---|
| Casualties and losses | |
| 36,200 killed (naval) 36,000 killed (merchant marine) 3,500 merchant vessels 175 warships 741 RAF Coastal Command Aircraft lost in anti-submarine sorties | ~30,000 U-boat sailors killed 783 submarines lost 47 other warships lost ~500 killed 17 submarines lost |
How deep could a ww2 U-boat dive?
All modern German submarines are tested for a depth of 197 feet, but for short periods they can go deeper. Cases are known of boats having dived to 250 to 300 feet without injury….
| INDEX. | |
|---|---|
| Question No. | |
| Depth charges, effect of | 49 |
| Depth, maximum | 18 |
| Depths when submerged | 17 |
What happened to all the German U-boats?
In World War II Germany built 1,162 U-boats, of which 785 were destroyed and the remainder surrendered (or were scuttled to avoid surrender) at the capitulation. Of the 632 U-boats sunk at sea, Allied surface ships and shore-based aircraft accounted for the great majority (246 and 245 respectively).
How long would a German U-boat stay at sea?
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.
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.
Did they shower on U-boats?
A U-boat war patrol could take anywhere between three weeks to six months, depending on their deployment location and mission objectives. During this time, U-boat crews were not able to fully bathe, shave or even change their clothes – for a crew set constantly on high-alert, life was unpleasant.
What did they eat on U-boats?
Lunch would be soup, potatoes, cooked meat and vegetables, and fruit. Dinner included sausages or canned fish, cheese, bread, and coffee, tea or chocolate. The galley was located on the starboard side, between the chiefs’ quarters and the wardroom, and was made up of three hotplates and two small electric ovens.
What country sank the most U-boats?
How long did it take to cross the Atlantic in ww2?
Convoy steaming time across the Atlantic would vary with the speed of the slowest ship. At just over Eight knots that would take around 17 days. Hope that helps.