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Type IX submarine
German type of large ocean-going submarines From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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The Type IX U-boat was designed by Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine in 1935 and 1936 as a large ocean-going submarine for sustained operations far from the home support facilities. It was derived from the Type IA and appeared in various sub-types.[1][2][a]
Type IXs had six torpedo tubes; four at the bow and two at the stern. They carried six reloads internally and ten spare torpedoes externally in pressure-tight containers. Type IX boats could also be fitted for mine operations; as mine-layers they could carry 44 TMA or 60 TMB mines.[3]
Secondary armament was provided by one 10.5 cm (4.1 in) deck gun with 180 rounds. Anti-aircraft armament differed throughout the war.
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Design
The Anglo-German Naval Agreement of 1935 allowed Germany to build a U-Boat fleet of 22,050 t (21,700 long tons). Parts for two Type I, twenty-four Type II and ten Type VII U-boats had already been produced before the conclusion of the agreement and these thirty-six U-boats comprising 12,500 t (12,300 long tons) were built within the year. The German Navy wanted to spend the remaining 9,950 t (9,790 long tons) on a large 750 t (740 long tons) U-boat, capable of operating in the Mediterranean Sea. In order to speed up construction, the existing Type I design was modified to fulfill the extra requirements. To improve speed, a more powerful diesel engine was installed. The upper deck was widened so that ten spare torpedoes could be stored below in water-tight containers.[4]
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Subclasses
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Type IXA
The first four Type IX U-boats were ordered on 29 July 1936 from DeSchiMAG AG Weser in Bremen,[5] and on 21 November a further four were ordered from the same yard.[6] The eight U-boats were commissioned in 1938-39. Six were lost in action and two were scuttled at the end of the war.[7]
Type IXB
On 17 July 1937 the British amended the Anglo-German Naval Agreement for an expansion of their submarine fleet. As a consequence Germany was also allowed more tonnage for their U-boats and part of this tonnage was used to order two Type IXB on 21 July. The Type IXB was a identical to the Type IXA, except for a wider outer hull,[6] which increased fuel storage to 165 t (162 long tons).[8] In 1938 the Germans invoked an clausule of the Anglo-German Naval- Agreement which allowed them to build submarines in parity with the British. A further eight Type IXB were ordered on 24 May 1938 and a ninth was ordered on 9 Augustus.[9] A total of fourteen Type IXB was ordered from DeSchiMAG AG Weser in Bremen. These U-boats were commissioned in 1939-40. Thirteen were sunk in the course of the war, the remaining one was decommissioned and sabotaged when Lorient Submarine Base was evacuated in 1944.[10][11]
Type IXC
The Type IXC had again a wider outer hull, with storage for an additional 43 tonnes of fuel, increasing the boat's range. This series omitted the control room periscope leaving the boats with two tower scopes.[12] The 35 boats of U-162 through U-170 and U-505 through U-550 were not fitted for mine operations.[13]
The first ten Type IXC were ordered on 7 August 1939.[14] Three shipyards, DeSchiMAG AG Weser and Seebeckwerft of Bremen, and Deutsche Werft of Hamburg built 54 Type IXC submarines, which were commissioned in 1941-42. 49 Type IXC U-boats were lost. Two were decommissioned in French ports and could not be evacuated to Germany when the Allies overran France in 1944.[15] One was given to Japan as a gift from Hitler, one surrendered at the end of the war, and U-505 was captured at sea and survives at the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago.[16][15]
Type IXC/40
Type IXC/40 was an improved Type IXC with slightly increased range.[17] The 87 Type IXC/40 U-boats built at DeSchiMAG AG Weser and Seebeckwerft of Bremen, and Deutsche Werft of Hamburg were commissioned in 1942-44.[18] After the decision of Karl Dönitz on 13 August 1943 to focus on the construction of the new Elektroboote, on 30 September 1943, the outstanding order for 71 Type IXC/40 was cancelled.[19] 64 Type IXC/40 were lost in action, four were decommissioned before the end of the war, two were scuttled, one was transferred to the Japanese Navy and sixteen surrendered.[18] The Type IXC/40 U-534 was sunk on 5 May 1945, but raised and is on display at Woodside Ferry Terminal, Birkenhead.[20][21]
Type IXD1
After the cancelling of the Type XI U-cruisers at the beginning of the war which were intended for patrols against independently sailing vessels in remote areas, Dönitz sought a way to replace these U-cruisers with an existing design that could be modified without much impact on existing U-boat production. The solution was to adapt the Type IXC into two designs : a high-speed Type IXD1 and a long-range Type IXD2. On 28 May 1940 the first IXD U-boats were ordered.[22] Only two Type IXD1 U-boats were built,[23] U-180 was commissioned on 10 December 1941 and U-195 on 8 April 1942.[24]
The Type IXD1 was significantly longer and heavier than the IXC/40. It had three pairs of 20-Cylinder, four-stroke Daimler Benz MB501 diesels, which were also used for E-boats, with a total of 9,000 bhp (6,700 kW).[23] This installation was not succesfull: it produced too much exhaust smoke, and the heat in the engine room was unbearable because of defective cooling.[25][26] Since they not fit for war patrols, it was decided in the autumn of 1943 to convert the two Type IXD1 U-boats in transport U-boats. They had their torpedo tubes removed and the six diesel engines were replaced with two Type VIIC 3,200 bhp (2,400 kW) Germaniawerft F46 diesel engines.[27] As a consequence top speed dropped to 15.8 kn (29.3 km/h; 18.2 mph).[28] In their new role they could transport 252 tonnes of cargo.[27]
Type IXD2 and IXD/42
Apart from the two standard MAN M9V40/46 diesel engine totalling 4,400 hp (3,300 kW; 4,500 PS), the Type IXD2 had two extra six-cylinder, four-stroke MWM RS34S diesel generators totalling 1,000 hp (750 kW; 1,000 PS) for economical cruising.[29]The IXD2 had a range of 23,700 nautical miles (43,900 km; 27,300 mi) at 12 kn (22 km/h; 14 mph) [30] and 31,500 nautical miles (58,300 km; 36,200 mi) 10 kn (19 km/h; 12 mph). The IXD/42 was almost identical.[31] Most of the Type IXD2 were sent to patrols in the Indian Ocean as part of the Monsun Gruppe and were equipped with a Focke-Achgelis Fa 330 rotor kite which was stored in two watertight vertical canister behind the conning tower.[32]
The first two Type IXD2 U-boats were ordered on 15 August 1940.[17] DeSchiMAG AG Weser of Bremen built 28 Type IXD2 U-boats, which were commissioned in 1942-44.[29] Following the decision by Dönitz to stop building conventional U-boats, the orders for 22 Type IXD/42 U-boats was cancelled. Only two that were already under construction by DeSchiMAG AG Weser of Bremen, were continued. Only U-883 was launched on 28 April 1944 and commissioned 27 March 1945, and surrendered at the end of the war. The other Type IXD/42 U-884 was launched on 17 May 1944 but was badly damaged on 30 March 1945 by US bombs while still in the dockyard and never commissioned.[19][31]
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In foreign service
- U-123 had been scuttled in Lorient but was raised by the French after the war, repaired and recommissioned as Blaison.[10]
- U-510 was returning from the Far East to Saint-Nazaire submarine base when the war ended and was captured there by the French.[33] The U-boat was commissioned into the French Navy as Bouan.[34]
- U-511 was a gift from Hitler to Japan, she arrived on 16 September 1943 in Japan and was renamed Ro-500.[35]
- U-1224 was another gift from Hitler to Japan. A Japanese crew was brought to Germany to commission her on 14 February 1944.[36] She sailed for Japan on 30 March and was lost on her way.[37]
- U-181, U-862 and U-195 were in the Far East when Germany surrendered in May 1945, were captured by the Japanese and commissioned into the Imperial Japanese Navy as I-501, I-502 and I-506 respectively.[38]
- U-1231 surrendered at the end of the war and was given as a war prize to the Soviet Union. She was commissioned in the Soviet Navy as N.26.[39]
- U-190 and U-889 were on patrol in the North Atlantic when Germany surrendered. They put into a Canadian port and both were commissioned in the Royal Canadian Navy, but U-889 was later transfered to the United States Navy.[40][41]
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