Type XXIII U-Boat

The History of Type XXIII Submarines

The Kriegsmarine Type XXIII was developed as a smaller coastal submarine for operation in shallow waters between England and France and in the Mediterranean. The boats were part of an entirely new electric boat design developed by the Germans in the final stages of the war.

These boats are intentionally designed to operate almost entirely underwater without having to unfavorably surface. This is achieved through the extensive use of high-capacity batteries and snorkels to provide air to the diesel engines when the craft is submerged.

The Model XXIII was developed in conjunction with the larger Model XXI electric boats and is intended to be used where the larger Model XXI cannot be used.

The XXIII was inherently small, with a crew of 14 to 18 and two torpedoes. Both systems were developed in common with the Model XXI, sharing common components and operating concepts. 2 x facing 21" (533 mm) torpedo tubes were a required part of the design, no surface deck guns were included. The Type XXIII was designed in 1942, built in 1943, and first launched in 1944.

Another similarity to the XXI is that the XXIII was built as major parts (four for the XXIII, eight for the XXI) in different locations and assembled together in only one major shipyard.

Propulsion comes from a diesel engine (surfaced) and two electric motors (surfaced). The diesel engine consists of a 6-cylinder RS134S engine from MWM with about 575 hp. While diving, the submarine can fly fully underwater using its AEG GU4463-8 double-acting electric motor (producing up to 572 hp). When quietness matters, crews can turn on their BBC CCR188 electric crawler motor, a system that produces 35 horsepower at the expense of quietness.

The boat has a top speed of 9.7 knots on the water, but improves to an impressive 12.5 knots when submerged. Depth up to 590 feet. Surface range is centered around 1,500 miles, while underwater is severely limitedlimited to 202 miles at 4 knots.

Once in the water, the Type XXIII proved to be a robust construction and demonstrated responsive handling in all areas of submarine activity. Low reserve buoyancy and not having most of the enclosure means the system can submerge in seconds, just 9 or 10 seconds according to some sources.

Its size, power, and limited attack depth force the vehicle to attack targets at close range. Instead, its size and maneuverability allow the ship to employ stealth practices to ensure it remains undetected until its payload is launched.

The XXIII was in service until the end of WWII, losing only 7 units in total, and these were lost in air strikes. In the months following the war, only three survived, the rest were either sunk by Allied-controlled fire after being captured or by their German crews.

Construction was carried out at the Deustche shipyard in Hamburg and the Germania shipyard in Kiel. 48 ships were built in Hamburg alone. Despite an initial order of 280, a small number of which were built and eventually entered active service, few actually saw combat action.

Specification

Basic

Roles

Dimensions

Weight

Performance

Performance

ARMAMENT

AIR WING