The Type 201 was Germany's first U-boat class built after World War II.

Class overview
BuildersHowaldtswerke, Kiel, Germany
Operators
Preceded byType XXIII U-boat
Succeeded byType 205 U-boat
Built1960–1962
In commission1962–1967
Planned12
Completed3
Cancelled9
Active0
Retired3
General characteristics
TypeCoastal U-boat
Displacement
  • 395 t (389 long tons) surfaced
  • 433 t (426 long tons) submerged
Length42.40 m (139 ft 1 in)
Beam4.60 m (15 ft 1 in)
Draft3.80 m (12 ft 6 in)
Installed power880 kilowatts (1,180 hp) diesel generator
Propulsion1,100 kilowatts (1,500 hp) electric motor
Speed
  • 10.7 knots (19.8 km/h; 12.3 mph), surfaced;
  • 17.5 knots (32.4 km/h; 20.1 mph), submerged
Range
  • 3,800 nautical miles (7,000 km; 4,400 mi), surfaced;
  • 270 nautical miles (500 km; 310 mi) at 3 knots (5.6 km/h; 3.5 mph), submerged
Test depth100 metres (330 ft)
Complement21
Sensors and
processing systems
sonar, radar, periscope, GHG
Armament

Design

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They were built out of amagnetic steel to counter the threat of magnetic naval mines, but the material had been insufficiently tested and proved to be problematic in service with the Bundesmarine. Microscopic cracks in the pressure hull forced the cancellation of nine of the twelve ordered submarines and the rebuilding of the first two boats as Type 205 submarines. Responsible for the design and construction was the Ingenieurkontor Lübeck (IKL) headed by Ulrich Gabler.

List of boats

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Pennant
number
Name Shipyard Laid down Launched Com-
missioned
Decom-
missioned
fate
S180 U-1 Howaldtswerke 8 June 1960 2 October 1961 20 March 1962 22 June 1963 scrapped 1967
S181 U-2 Howaldtswerke 1 September 1960 25 January 1962 3 May 1962 15 August 1963 scrapped 1967
S182 U-3 Howaldtswerke 12 October 1960 7 May 1962 20 June 1964 15 September 1967 intentionally destroyed in trials in high pressure chamber "Dock C" (Marinearsenal Kiel 1971), scrapped

U-3 was loaned to the Royal Norwegian Navy and served under the name Kobben from 1962 to 1964 before being commissioned in the German Navy.

References

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  • Karr, Hans (2014). Deutsche Uboote seit 1956 (in German). Stuttgart: Motorbuch. ISBN 9783613037083.
  • Taucher.net (in German)