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German Type 201/205
 In the immediate post war period Germany was forbidden to build submarines. Subsequently an upper limit of 350 tons was placed on submarine construction, and only conventional diesel-electric propulsion was permitted. These constrains taxed to the full the ingenuity of the German designers. As the new submarines were primarily for operation in the Baltic, endurance assumed a low priority. Moreover, acoustic conditions in these shallow waters were poor. High-powered long range sensors were therefore of limited value. What was needed was a small, agile submarine capable of operating comfortably at periscope depth for long periods, and with a powerful battery of torpedo tubes to cope with multiple targets.
The earliest attack submarine design, the Type 201, quickly ran into problems when it was found that the anti-magnetic steel employed in the construction of the first three boats was subjected to serious corrosion. The last nine boats of the class were built as the Type 205.
Specifications, Type 201/205:
The Type 201/5 is a costal submarine SSC, diesel-powered. The hull design is based on that of the war time Type XXIII. The need to keep displacement to a minimum necessitated a single-hull construction, with the main ballast tanks at the fore and after end of the submarine.
Displacement (srf/sub tons): 419/450
Dimensions (L*B*D feet): 144`0*15`1*14`1
Propulsion: diesel-electric 2*MTU 12V 493 AZ80 GA 31L diesels 1,200hp, 2*Siemens alternators 810KW, 1*Siemens electric motors 1,800hp, Hagen/Varta battery cells,1 shaft
Speed (srf/sub knots): 10/17
Range (srf/sub n/miles@knots): un known
Diving depth (feet): 490
Complement: 4 officers 18 enlisted
Missile: none
Torpedo: 8*21" (533 mm) bow torpedo tubes, total of 8 torpedoes-no reloads
Mines: none
Armament: none
Construction:
Thefirst submarine to be design and built by Germany after WW-II. A total of 12 units were built during the years 1967-69, three type 201 and nine 205s. Two more units were built under license by Denmark, RND Dockyard, Copenhagen in 1968-69, known as Harhvalen class.
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