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U-boat U-25 (Type IA)

1936 WORLD WAR 2

History of Submarine U-25 (Type IA)

After the First World War (1914-1918), the 1919 Paris Peace Conference established the Treaty of Versailles, which formally limited the gross tonnage of the German naval fleet and banned the construction of new U-boats (as well as tanks and aircraft). The German government eventually devised various ways to circumvent the treaty restrictions, which led to the establishment of local offices within the borders of several neighboring but neutral countries; this opened offices in the Netherlands and Sweden to further develop submarine and torpedo technology has been proved. Therefore, even before the official start of World War II, Germany had developed a U-boat (U-boat) construction program and began to train new U-boats in dangerous vehicles. When these developments came to light, the German government responded to the world by labeling these projects as mere "experimental" enterprises (or just trying to disguise their war-planning efforts through various disguises).

Over time, the general lack of enforcement will only encourage the German war machine to continue building U-boats, warships, tanks and aircraft. Eventually, the Anglo-German Naval Agreement of 1935 was proposed, simply accepting a secret naval build-up and limiting the total number of German U-boats to what was then Britain.

One of the early submarine projects resulted in the "Type IA" submarine, the design of which was based on the proven qualities of earlier Finnish and Spanish designs. Type IAs are considered "seaworthy" submarines and do not restrict their deep-water operations (unlike "coastal" submarines).

Despite its modest weight compared to contemporaries elsewhere, it displaces 983 tons underwater and is classified as a "large" submarine by German Navy standards. In the end, only two IAs (U-25 and U-26) were built for this class, by A.G. Weser in Bremen, Germany. Officially entering service on April 6, 1936, the U-25 class proved to be a viable attack submarine, often resembling a basic World War I submarine design, with a flat deck and a slender profile. The bow is fitted with a large serrated cable cutter to clear obstacles, while the conning tower is mounted amidships.

A single-layer gun was installed in front of the conning tower for short-range surface attack, and a small-caliber gun was installed to defend against low-altitude aircraft. Only in the ship's internal design did the class show some notable advancements - an all-welded pressure hull and the option of a 21" (533mm) torpedo - the latter being the first instance of the international standard for 21" torpedoes by the German Navy.

Torpedoes are the main armament of the boat and have been proven to attack many types of surface ships. These early WWII German WWII torpedoes were simple "straight line" torpedoes, whereas later in the war, guided and mode-operated torpedoes were developed for increased accuracy.

They are also equipped with two types of triggers; a shock type that explodes on contact, and a magnetic type that explodes within a few meters of the target - after "sensing" a change in its magnetic field. The submarine can also carry mines for specialized "denial" missions.

The 105mm deck gun came into play to hit low-threat targets on the ground or on land.

The submarine is 72.4 meters long, 6.2 meters wide, and 4.3 meters high, and under ideal conditions can navigate the water for more than 18 knots (much less when submerged). She had 4 x 21" torpedo tubes installed in the bow and 2 x 21" torpedo tubes in the stern, allowing the crew to attack targets from front and rear, as was common on WWII submarines. The ship carries 14 torpedoes and 28 mines and 1 x 105 mm (10.5 cm) SKC/36 series deck gun. The cannon is on the deck in front of the conning tower.

The anti-aircraft defense took the form of a 1 x 2 cm / 30-37 (20 mm) cannon mounted on the actual conning tower.

The Type IA series can handle approximately 8,100 miles of fuel supply on the water when cruising at 10 knots (when the boat is submerged, the range is greatly reduced due to the need for more power). To defend against specialized submarine hunters such as destroyers, the Type IA can dive to a depth of 330 feet. The design also supports a crew of 43, including 4 officers. Propulsion comes from 2 x MAN 4-stroke diesel engines producing 3,080 hp while driving two screws.

2 BBC electric motors rated at 1,000 hp enable underwater operation. Because of the reliance on batteries to power various systems (including oxygen) while underwater, the class must periodically surface to recycle the oxygen supply and recharge the batteries - this always proves to be the most vulnerable period for submarines, and often at night hours were found.

With its experimental labels, the Type IA design eventually suffered from mechanical defects during its useful life, which proved to be generally unreliable.

Both the U-25 and U-26 entered service in 1936, initially as crew training ships. However, the ruling NSDAP did not shy away from showing the new U-boats in news reports to reinforce Germany's image of superiority in all respects.

When war finally broke out between Germany and Poland (Battle of Westerplatt) in September 1939, both Type 1A ships were commissioned, albeit with an "experimental" existence. These ships were placed in a formal combat role because the German Navy lacked many operational attack submarines at the outbreak of the war.

On October 31, 1939, the U-25 sank her first target, Baoule, France, with her 5,874 tons of cargo. Then, in January 1940, the U-25 completed her most successful mission in Atlantic waters, when she shot down four enemy merchant ships - the Norwegian Enid and Songa, the British Polzella and the Swedish Pajala - with a total loss of 15,353 tons. The U-25s are followed by Armanistan of Great Britain and Chastine Maersk of Denmark.

Her last "kill" was on 13 June 1940 on the HMS Royal Scots. She successfully destroyed the French Brumaire on June 19, 1940.

In August 1940, when U-25 was asked to take part in the German invasion of Norway, she was on a minelaying mission, but she herself fell victim to a mine. The damage proved so severe that the entire ship - 49 crew members and all - was lost at sea, ending the U-25's brief tenure. During her war service, she managed to sink eight enemy ships while damaging another (the aforementioned Brittle Moon).

The U-26 had a slightly better combat career, sinking some 11 enemy surface ships before sinking on July 1, 1940. Despite these achievements, the Type IA design is largely remembered for its poor offshore qualities, general unreliability, and inadequate handling at seaall unfavorable qualities for attack submarines, but Common for experimental submarines.

Nonetheless, the experience gained in the design and development of Class IA has served the upcoming Class VII and IX ships well.