Type 206 A
12 U-boats of Type 206 were upgraded from 1988 to 1991, adding among other things a more efficient sonar, a newly designed fire control system for the new torpedoes and a newly designed periscope. These U-boats (U 15 to U 18 and U 22 to U 30 with exception of U 27), now redesignated Type 206A, formed the back bone of the German U-boat force for a long time.
The reorganization of the German Navy after 1990 due to the continuus reduction of the Bundeswehr´s size and the commissioning of the new U-boats of Type 212A led to a reduction of the number of units for this class: between 2004 and 2008 six U-boats of this Type were de-commissioned (U 22, U 25, U 26, U 28, U 29 and U 30), so that the German Navy´s U-boat force still consisted of 10 units together with the first four boats of Type 212A from 2008 on.
On 10 June 2010 decision was made to de-commission the last remaining 6 units of Type 206A (U-15, U-16, U-17, U-18, U 23 and U 24). On 30 October these last U-boats of Type 206A performed a ceremonial farewell naval review in the Eckernförde Bay and were all de-commissioned until 31 March 2011.
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U-boats |
U 15, U 16, U 17, U 18, U 22, U 23, U 24, U 25, U 26, U 28, U 29, U 30 |
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Shipyard |
see Type 206 |
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Commissioning |
see Type 206 |
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Reconstruction to 206A |
U 15=11/89-08/91, U 16=03/88-11/89, U 17=09/89-05/91, U 18=04/90-12/91, U 22=01/89-09/90, U 23=08/87-09/89, U 24=07/89-03/91, U 25=08/88-06/90, U 26=07/90-02/92, U 28= 04/89-12/90, U 29=06/87-07/89, U 30= 05/88-01/90 |
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De-commissioning |
U 22=18/12/2008/ U 25=31/01/2008/ U 26=09/11/2005/U 28=30/06/2004/ U 29=31/12/2006/ U 30=31/07/2007 |
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Displacement |
450 t / 498 t submerged |
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Length |
48.6 m |
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Beam |
4.6 m |
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Draught |
4.3 m |
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Engine power |
1,500 HP / 1,800 HP submerged |
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Speed |
10 kn/ 18 kn submerged |
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Range |
4,600 nmi at 6 kn |
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Armament |
8 bow torpedo tubes, mines |
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Complement |
22 |