German U-boats (submarines)

German U-boats were submarines used by Germany during World War I and II. "U-boat" is short for the German word Unterseeboot, which means "undersea boat". 

Germany was the first country to use submarines as military vessels, with electronics and propulsion systems more advanced than the Allies, they represented a new form of warfare. During World War I, Germany’s use of U-boats to attack Allied merchant ships ultimately led to the United States entering the war. When Germany surrendered at the end of World War I, their surviving U-boats were turned over to Allied forces, to be scraped or added to their navies.

In the early 1930s, Germany started building U-boats again, violating the terms of surrender from World War I. Since all their U-boats were taken by the Allies, Germany began numbering their subs from number 1. In 1935, Great Britain tried to control Germany’s production by creating a new agreement, instead, this resulted in the immediate resumption of U-boat construction, 36 U-boats within one year. Germany also changed the Navy’s name from Reichsmarine (Imperial Navy) to Kriegsmarine (War Navy), a not-so-subtle hint of their intentions. These U-boats were classified as Type I, Type II and Type VII U-boats.

In The Hesperus Prophecy, the top-secret US military report on the SS Valencia concludes that 3 Type VII U-boats sunk the vessel. This fits with Germany’s U-boat strategy, typically hunting in groups known as Wolf Packs so they could spot ship convoys, overwhelm them, and pick off the slowest ships.

German U-boats also show up in Mary Elizabeth’s dreams. When Declan finds himself aboard the sinking La Bourgogne, the lifeboat carrying the Powells and Hesperus is discovered by a submarine flying the Reichsmarine flag.

This U-boat Type VII is now a museum

German U-boat Type VII plans

German U-boat Type VII leaving port

This German U-boat VII captain is wondering why they signed up for a sailing regatta