How long could a German U boat stay at sea?

The Germans’ most formidable naval weapon was the U-boat, a submarine far more sophisticated than those built by other nations at the time. The typical U-boat was 214 feet long, carried 35 men and 12 torpedoes, and could travel underwater for two hours at a time.

How close were German U-boats to the United States?

So the two Bremen submarines are united 3,000 miles away at one of the United States’ great forts of WWII. Their story is told to thousands of visitors to the Fort Miles museum as part of the German attack on the American homeland in World War II.

How did the Allies deal with the German U-boats?

After late 1942, when the Allies had learned to decrypt the signals, it meant they knew exactly where the U-boats were going. Central control went from being a benefit to a liability. Allied efforts to tackle the U-boats benefited hugely from the preparedness of the Royal Navy.

What was the average deployment time of a German U-boat?

The average deployment time of a U-boat mission could be anywhere from three months to six, and during this time the crew had to put up with extremely adverse conditions. German WWII U-Boat (Type VII) — Maritime Museum of the Atlantic Halifax (NS) September 2017 Photo by Ron Cogswell CC BY SA 2.0

Did you know there were U-boats in Florida in 1942?

German U-boat off the east coast of Florida, 1942-1943. Courtesy HSPBC. German submarines, or U-boats, aimed their torpedoes at tankers and freighters along the eastern coast of the United States to disrupt delivery of supplies as well as to lower morale; sinking ships burned within sight of American civilians.

Why didn’t Dönitz have more U-boats in 1939?

As a result, in 1939 Dönitz lacked the U-boats he needed to dominate the Atlantic and halt British shipping. Seamen raise the White Ensign over a captured German U-boat in World War II.