Explorations with Infographics - Uboats

U-BOATS OF THE KRIEGSMARINE FROM THE START OF WWII TILL THE DAY GERMANY SURRENDERED, OVER 30,000 GERMAN SAILORS LOST THEIR LIVES ON U-BOATS, OUT OF 39,000. U-BOATS HAD ONE OF THE HIGHEST CASUALTY RATES IN WI. GERMANY'S U-BOAT FLOTILLAS WERE COMPRISED OF 4 MAIN TYPES, DURING THE WAR, 742 U-BOATS WERE SUNK OR CAPTURED OF A TOTAL OF 1155. THE REST SURRENDERED OR SCUTTLED AT THE END OF THE WAR. 254 Tonnes 43 Metres Long Type I| 50 Vessels 769 Tonnes 67 Metres Long Type VII 703 Vessels 1032 Tonnes 76 Metres Long Type IX 283 Vessels 1610 Tonnes 78 Metres Long Type XXI 119 Vessels ANNUAL U-BOAT STRENGTH (NET), PRODUCTION AND LOSSES. IMPROVED ANTI-SUBMARINE TECHNOLOGY HAD A DRASTIC AFFECT ON U-BOAT NUMBERS FROM 1942 ONWARDS. 500 475 450 "43 77, 425 400 42 "45 375 350 325 300 275 250 1'7, 225 200 175 150 125 100 75 07, "39 50 25 -25 -50 -75 -100 -125 -150 -175 -200 -225 -250 -275 -300 U-boats Lost U-boats commissioned Total U-boat Numbers MERCHANT TONNAGE SUNK PER YEAR BY U-BOATS. DESPITE HIGHER U-BOAT NUMBERS IN 1943, THE 'HAPPY TIME' OF 1942 WAS LOST. 1944 1945 1939 1940 1939 600,000 GRT 1943 1940 2,300,000 GRT 1941 2,200,000 GRT 1942 5,800,000 GRT -1941 1943 2,200,000 GRT 1944 600,000 GRT 1945 200,000 GRT 1942 OCTOBER 14TH 1939. U-47 SNEAKS INTO SCAPA FLOW UNDER THE COVER OF NIGHT AT HIGH TIDE, AND SINKS HMS ROYAL OAK WITH TWO TORPEDOES. THE FIRST BRITISH BATTLESHIP TO BE LOST IN THE WAR. HMS ROYAL OAK WEIGHED 31,000 TONS, AND WAS A BIG BLOW TO BRITISH MORALE. THE SECOND BATTLESHIP TO BE SUNK BY A U-BOAT CAME IN 1941, WHEN U-331 STUMBLED ACROSS HMS BARHAM IN THE MEDITERRANEAN. FIRING 4 TORPEDOES, U-331 FLED THE SCENE TO AVOID THE DESTROYER ESCORT AND BARHAM'S SINKING REMAINED SECRET UNTIL 1942, IT WAS THE HEAVIEST WARSHIP SUNK BY U-BOAT, AT 36,000 TONS. U-427 ONLY WENT ON TWO PATROLS, AND NEVER SUNK ANY SHIPS. HOWEVER, IT IS RENOWNED FOR SURVIVING THE MOST DEPTH-CHARGES OF ANY U-BOAT IN A SINGLE ENCOUNTER, ENDURING 678 CHARGES. OODbood 00000000000 00000000 000000 00000000000000000000000000000000