Type VII C

Type VII C

The U-boat-Flotilla envisaged for the East German Navy was to receive initially the following U-boats, until the first own developments would be ready for commissioning

• 5 former Kriegsmarine Type VII C-U-boats taken over by the Soviet Navy
  
• 2 former Kriegsmarine-U-boats, still to be raised (Type VII C/41-U-boat U-1308 and Type XXIII-U-boat U 2344)
• 2 coastal submarines of Type “M/ Series XV” (Malyukti) of the Soviet Navy

Construction was planned of 14 new coastal U-boats to start in April 1954. Type VII C operated by the Soviet Navy In World War II a total of 659 U-boats of Type VII C were built.

The U-boat Type VII C was the main combat unit of the German U-boat Forces in World War II, carrying the bulk of operations and achieving most of the successes. It was employed mainly in the North Atlantic against Allied convoys. The U-boats built and commissioned at later stages had minor improvements not only in the shape of the hull, but also in the armament, in particular anti aircraft defence. There were forms of the conning tower with considerable variations, such as more and enlarged platforms for AA guns, accommodation of snorkels, etc.

After World War II the Soviet Union took as prize several Type VII C-U-boats plus a few other types (Type XXI and Type XXIII U-boats) and operated many of them for a number of years.

The Type VII C-U-boat U 1308, which was raised by East Germany in February 1953 off Warnemünde, was built at the Flensburg shipyard since 16th of February 1944 and was commissioned on 17th of January 1945. During its short period of active service, the U-Boat executed the mandatory combat training only. On 02 May 1945 the crew carried out self-sinking of its U-boat.