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The Schnorchel
U-boats fitted out with Schnorchel
On this page I'll attempt to list the boats fitted out with the Schnorchel breathing device. This listing does not include boats that were built with the device from the start such as the Elektro boats of types XXI and XXIII and later model VIIC/41 boats.
U-58 was the first one to be fitted out, she participated in Schnorchel experiments during August of 1943. Over 200 traditional U-boats (non Elektro boats) were fitted out with the equipment before the war ended, probably more.
The first U-boat to leave for combat patrol was the U-539 when she departed France on Jan 2, 1944. Many sources say this boat was the U-264 but she sailed a month later on Feb 2.
Germany had at least 35 Schnorchel- equipped boats before the Normandy invasion took place on June 6, 1944. Still roughly half of the operational boats in France did not have this vital equipment at the time.
U-boats fitted with Schnorchel in 1943
August 1943
November 1943
December 1943
U-boats fitted with Schnorchel in 1944
February 1944
March 1944
U-212, U-243, U-667, U-764, U-953, U-984, U-1051, U-1053, U-1054 (9)
April 1944
U-180, U-245, U-247, U-309, U-390, U-490, U-621, U-671, U-719, U-763, U-767, U-971, U-1000, U-1191, U-1225 (15)
May 1944
U-214, U-218, U-396, U-477, U-480, U-741, U-821, U-998, U-862 (9)
U-boats that sailed with Schnorchel in May 1944 and were thus fitted earlier:
U-107
June 1944
U-248, U-256, U-398, U-478, U-482, U-672, U-802, U-985, U-998, U-1004, U-1020, U-1021, U-1022 (13)
June 1944
U-boats that sailed with Schnorchel in June 1944 and were thus fitted earlier:
U-715
July 1944
U-285, U-296, U-680, U-743, U-758, U-853, U-865, U-963 (8)
U-boats that sailed with Schnorchel in July 1944 and were thus fitted earlier:
U-300,
U-518,
U-855 (3)
August 1944
U-483, U-484, U-673, U-867, U-991 (5)
U-boats that sailed with Schnorchel in August 1944 and were thus fitted earlier:
U-92,
U-155,
U-190,
U-228,
U-260,
U-262,
U-267,
U-275,
U-385,
U-413,
U-445,
U-534,
U-547,
U-548,
U-650,
U-714,
U-736,
U-772,
U-925,
U-979,
U-993 (21)
September 1944
U-255, U-721, U-806, U-857, U-870 (5)
U-boats that sailed with Schnorchel in September 1944 and were thus fitted earlier:
U-1199,
U-1227,
U-1228 (3)
October 1944
U-278, U-281, U-322, U-325, U-382, U-400, U-437, U-485, U-486, U-739, U-804, U-864, U-869, U-989 (14)
U-boats that sailed with Schnorchel in October 1944 and were thus fitted earlier:
U-246,
U-722,
U-773,
U-978,
U-1003,
U-1006,
U-1200,
U-1202 (8)
November 1944
U-234, U-244, U-312, U-541, U-825, U-868, U-905, U-907, U-1055 (9)
U-boats that sailed with Schnorchel in November 1944 and were thus fitted earlier:
U-297,
U-775,
U-877,
U-1009,
U-1209 (5)
December 1944
U-249, U-313, U-399, U-425, U-873, U-878, U-879, U-880 (8)
U-boats that sailed with Schnorchel in December 1944 and were thus fitted earlier:
U-315,
U-1017,
U-1172 (3)
At least 145 U-boats had been fitted with the Schnorchel at the end of 1944. This figure does not include boats built with the equipment from the start.
U-boats fitted with Schnorchel in 1945
January 1945
U-321, U-328, U-778, U-805, U-826, U-881, U-889 (7)
U-boats that sailed with Schnorchel in January 1945 and were thus fitted earlier:
U-327,
U-927,
U-1014,
U-1018,
U-1058,
U-1104,
U-1203,
U-1208,
U-1276,
U-1279 (10)
February 1945
U-324, U-481, U-977, U-1001 (4)
U-boats that sailed with Schnorchel in February 1945 and were thus fitted earlier:
U-681,
U-683,
U-965,
U-1002,
U-1005,
U-1019,
U-1064,
U-1169,
U-1195,
U-1273,
U-1278,
U-1302 (12)
March 1945
U-boats that sailed with Schnorchel in March 1945 and were thus fitted earlier:
U-242,
U-293,
U-326,
U-636,
U-774,
U-776,
U-956,
U-1023,
U-1024,
U-1063,
U-1106,
U-1107,
U-1109 (13)
April 1945
U-boats that sailed with Schnorchel in April 1945 and were thus fitted earlier:
U-251,
U-516,
U-637,
U-901,
U-975,
U-1010,
U-1057,
U-1065,
U-1105,
U-1165,
U-1206,
U-1274,
U-1277,
U-1305 (14)
May 1945
U-boats that sailed with Schnorchel in May 1945 and were thus fitted earlier:
U-320
Unknown fitting dates
The following boats were equipped with Schnorchel but I do not know when they were fitted out.
U-241, U-530, U-539, U-575, U-596, U-711, U-992, U-1198, U-1226 (9)
All known Schnorchel-equipped U-boats
U-58, U-92, U-107, U-155, U-180, U-190, U-211, U-212, U-214,
U-218, U-228, U-234, U-241, U-242, U-243, U-244, U-245, U-246,
U-247, U-248, U-249, U-251, U-255, U-256, U-260, U-262, U-264,
U-267, U-275, U-278, U-281, U-285, U-293, U-296, U-297, U-300,
U-309, U-312, U-313, U-315, U-320, U-321, U-322, U-324, U-325,
U-326, U-327, U-328, U-382, U-385, U-390, U-396, U-398, U-399,
U-400, U-413, U-425, U-427, U-437, U-445, U-477, U-478, U-480,
U-481, U-482, U-483, U-484, U-485, U-486, U-490, U-516, U-518,
U-530, U-534, U-539, U-541, U-543, U-547, U-548, U-575, U-596,
U-621, U-636, U-637, U-650, U-667, U-671, U-672, U-673, U-680,
U-681, U-683, U-711, U-714, U-715, U-719, U-721, U-722, U-736,
U-739, U-741, U-743, U-758, U-763, U-764, U-767, U-772, U-773,
U-774, U-775, U-776, U-778, U-802, U-804, U-805, U-806, U-821,
U-825, U-826, U-853, U-855, U-857, U-859, U-862, U-864, U-865,
U-867, U-868, U-869, U-870, U-873, U-877, U-878, U-879, U-880,
U-881, U-889, U-901, U-905, U-907, U-925, U-927, U-953, U-956,
U-963, U-965, U-971, U-975, U-977, U-978, U-979, U-984, U-985,
U-989, U-991, U-992, U-993, U-997, U-998, U-998, U-1000,
U-1001, U-1002, U-1003, U-1004, U-1005, U-1006, U-1009, U-1010,
U-1014, U-1017, U-1018, U-1019, U-1020, U-1021, U-1022, U-1023,
U-1024, U-1051, U-1053, U-1054, U-1055, U-1057, U-1058, U-1063,
U-1064, U-1065, U-1104, U-1105, U-1106, U-1107, U-1109, U-1165,
U-1169, U-1172, U-1191, U-1195, U-1198, U-1199, U-1200, U-1202,
U-1203, U-1206, U-1208, U-1209, U-1225, U-1226, U-1227, U-1228,
U-1273, U-1274, U-1276, U-1277, U-1278, U-1279, U-1302, U-1305 (217)
Sources
Blair, Clay. (1988). Hitler's U-boat War, vol 2, The Hunted 1942-1945
Wynn, Kenneth. (1988). U-boat Operations of the Second World War (vol 1)
Wynn, Kenneth. (1988). U-boat Operations of the Second World War (vol 2)
uboat.net databases