Technologies

The Electroboats

The origins and development of the wonder U-boat


Type XXI Elektro boats after the surrender.

In the very last moments of the Second World War new U-boats, based on a completely new concept, saw action. Had they arrived earlier, they might have changed the outcome of the Battle of the Atlantic and more. The concept itself inspired the submarine design for the next two decades. Even more, the hull design of one of the Electroboats was adopted and used in the development of the first nuclear submarine. 

The pages below try to explain what led to the revolutionary design, what was the development progress and why Electroboats arrived so late.

Written by Marcin Jedrzejewski

1.Origins

The origins of the design and their links to the development of Walter U-boats.

2. Development

Without a prototype the design went into mass-production and proved its quality.

3. Getting ready

The process of preparing Electroboats for combat and the reasons for delays.

4. Summary and aftermath

What happened to Electroboats after the war and what could have happened, had the war finished later ...

5. Sources


Technologies