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Kriegsmarine U- Boat Type VIIA
 If any submarine type could be considered the best fighting submarine, it has to be the German Type VII. This type had very limited crew comforts, was built strictly to hunt and kill, and there were more Type VII German U-boats built than any other type of any navy.
Type VII boats, designed in 1933-1934, were the first of a new generation of German attack U-boats, they were popular with their crews and very agile on the surface. They also had a much more powerful striking power than the smaller Type II`s. They had 5 torpedo tubes (4 at the bow) and would carry 11 torpedoes onboard or 22 TMA mines. They also had the effective 88mm fast-firing deck gun with about 160 rounds of ammunition.
Specifications, Type VIIA:
The type was designed along the lines of the Finnish Navy submarine Vetehinin.
Displacement (srf/sub tons): 626/745
Dimensions (L*B*D meter): 64.51*5.85*4.37
Propulsion: diesel-electric 2*1,150hp MAN,6 cylinder, M6V 40/46 diesels , 2*325hp BBC GG UB 720/8 electric motors, 2*62 AFA type 27 MAK 740 or type 33 MAL 740 battery cells, 2 shaft
Speed (srf/sub knots): 17/8
Range (srf/sub n/miles@knots): 6,200@10/94@4
Diving depth (meter): 100(crush depth 200)
Complement: 4 officers and up to 42 enlisted
Torpedo: 4*21"(533 mm) bow torpedo tubes, 1*21" stern torpedo tubes, total of 11 torpedoes
Mines: 22*TMA or 33*TMB in lieu of torpedoes
Armament: 88/L45mm main deck gun, 1*20/C30mm AA gun
Construction
A total of 10 boats were built in this class;
U-27-32, 6 hulls by AG Weser, Bremen 1935 to 1937
U-33-36, 4 hulls by Germaniawerft, Kiel 1935 to 1936
The biggest single difference between the VIIA and all other variants of the Type VII is that torpedo tube No.5, the stern tube, is above the waterline on the VIIA, but below the waterline on all other variants.
Back to History Index
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Bhutan |
1989 |
German U-Boat type VII 1942 |
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Malawi |
2010 |
U-boat type VII (German type VIIA, Wold War II era, 1936) |
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Malawi |
2010 |
2 type VII U-boas (German type VIIA, Wold War II era, 1936) |
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