Type XXIII scratch
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Following a longer break I did another scratch built 1/300 naval model. Well, home service safes me 80 minutes travelling time each day, so C. was the reason.
With the Allied control over the seas the classic Unterseeboot was no longer able to operate with success or even survive. The invention of the Snorkel gave the VII boats the option to run submerged with the Diesel. But the capacity of the batteries made them still vulnerable.
Type XXI and XXIII are designed in 1943 to replace them. Streamlining made them fast under water and they were able to remain submerged almost all of the time.
So surface speed was just 9,7 knots / 18 km/h but submerged 12,5 knots / 23 km/h. Snorkeling speed was 10.5 knots / 19.4 km/h.
The Type XXIII proved to have excellent handling characteristics, and was highly maneuverable both on the surface and underwater. Crash dive time was 9 seconds.
Range with Diesel was 4.800 kilometer at 8 knots. The batteries allowed a submerged range of 359 km at 4 knots.
The two torpedo tubes are the only weapons, no AA guns are added.Building was in sections, these got transported by railway to the assembly yard.
Fortunately for the Allies building and training was delayed. Germaniawerft was building 51 and Deutsche Werft 49. Of the 280 XXIII ordered, only 61 entered service, and only 6 ever carried out a war patrol.
First launch was U 2321 17 April 1944. The six boats that went into action sank or damaged five ships. None was sunk by enemy surface vessel action.
First war patrol was by U-2324 in January 1945, sinking nothing. U-2322 attacked in February 45 a Convoy and sank the coaster Egholm. U-2321 sank the coaster Gasray on 5 April 1945. U-2336 sank on 7 May 1945 the freighters Snelland and Avondale Park, less than an hour before the official German surrender.
The XXIII was relatively safe from classic submarine hunters but not from airplanes.
U-2338 was sunk 4 May 45 by a Beaufighter before she ever went on combat patrol.
U-2359 was sunk 2 May 1945 by Mosquitos with rockets in the Kattegat .
U-2323 was sunk 26 July 1944 by a mine and U-2342 on 26 December 1944 by another.U-2331 was lost in an accident on 10 October 1944. They tried to submerge whilst travelling in reverse, causing it to sink uncontrollably. Only the men on tower survived.
U-2334 was lost on 18 February 1945 after a collision with her sister U-2336.U-2367 was lost in collision with an unknown submarine 5 May 1945. August 1956
It was raised and became Hecht, one of the first Bundesmarine submarines.
Another, Hai, was lost in an accident, like one used by French navy.I will use it mainly as escort object with my Sperrbrecher and Minensucher vessels.
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