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U-Boot Type XXI in Detail
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Overall view of the
Bremerhaven harbour area where Wilhelm Bauer is displayed. Looking
from the distance against the backdrop of a large office complex,
the U-2540 looks small. This is deceptive - she ranks
as the largest submarine in service with the post-war German Navy.
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Here she is in all her
glory. Type XII introduced streamlining in U-Boat design, resulting
in
a
quantum leap in underwater performance. All submarines before this one were basically designed to submerge and stay under the
surface in
one place (sans minor pedestrian manoeuvres using electric power).
Type XXI could easily steam in circles around any Allied convoy -
all under water.
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The boat's pointed
stern. Today the ship rides much higher in the water than she used to. The
colour division line on top of the hull is more representative of
the waterline level in operational conditions.
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The entrance to the
museum is adorned by two propellers, one of which is shown
here. I'm quite certain that these are the original propellers of
this U-boat.
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Rear top decking of
the hull.
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Details of the boat's sail with
periscopes (two narrow tubes) and snorkel (the thick tube with
spherical top valve). The gun turret facing towards the camera is
the rear twin-20mm anti-aircraft gun.
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View alongside the
rear hull showing the structure of the welded steel plating.
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Waterline level marks
were welded on rather than painted.
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Detail of flooding
slits. Visible inside is the contour of the internal pressure hull
and the ribs holding the two hulls together.
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