Kriegsmarine Type XB U-Boot Type XB boats were laid down as ocean-going submersibles, mine-laying, designed in 1938. They could carry up to 66 SMA mines in 30 mine shafts and up to 15 torpedoes. The XB class was special for that they only had two torpedo tubes at the stern. As transport boats they carried freight containers in the mine shafts or had the freight containers welded on top of the lateral shafts, preventing their use for mines. At 2,710 tons submerged and fully loaded they were the largest German U-boats ever built and they paid a penalty in diving speed and agility. Out of eight boats built during the war six were sunk. Specifications, Type XB: Displacement (srf/sub tons): 1,763/2,177             Dimensions (L*B*D meter): 84.80*9.20*4.71 Propulsion: diesel-electric 2*2,100hp supercharged Germaniawerft, 9 cylinder, F46A 9PU diesels , 2*287hp AEG GU 770/8 electric motors, 2*124 AFA type 33 MAK 800 battery cells, 2 shaft Speed (srf/sub knots): 17/7 Range (srf/sub n/miles@knots): 18,450@10/93@4 Diving depth (meter): 110 (crush depth 220) Complement: 5 officers and up to 54 enlisted Torpedo: 2*21"(533 mm) stern torpedo tubes, total of 15 torpedoes Mines: 66*SMA-two groups of 12 mineshafts on each side of outer-hull carrying 48 SMA, six mineshafts in forward outer-hull carrying 18 SMA mines Armament: Utof 105/L45mm main deck gun, 1*37mm AA gun, 1*20mm AA gun (during 1943-44 the 105mm deck gun was removed and a second 20mm AA gun was added) Construction A total of 8 boats were built in this class, all by Germaniawerft, Kiel; U-116 to U-119 from 1939 to 1941; U-219,220 from 1940 to 1943 and U-233,235 from 1940 to 1944. Back to History Index