Type VII-C42 German U-Boat
The Type VII-C42 was even more improved over the Type VII-C41/2 with the use of an even stronger pressure hull for deeper diving, conning towers were armored and there was more AA armament. There were many Type VII-C42 boats built. They were U-1091 through U-1100; U-1331 through U-1404; U-1417 through U-1500; U-1801 through U-2110 and U-2301 through U-2320.
Not all were built. Some were partially built and scrapped incomplete, others were merely contracted for at war’s end.
Displacement: 999/1,050 tons | Length: 225′ 6″ | Beam: 22′ 3″ | Draft: 16′ 3″ |
Power (diesel): 2,800 hp | Power (electric): 750 hp | Speed (diesel): 17 knots | Speed (electric): 7 knots |
Bunkers: 180 tons diesel fuel | Range (diesel): 10,000 miles @ 12 knots | Range (electric): 80 miles @ 4 knots | Crew: 45 men * |
Deck gun: none | AA guns: two single 20mm ** | Tubes (fwd): four | Tubes (aft): one |
The Type VII-C boat carried fourteen torpedoes or thirty-nine mines
* Crew complement varied up to perhaps 60 depending on the mission.
** AA capacity was increased in varying degrees from boat to boat.
Acknowledgements
Deepest thanks to our friends at the U-Bootskameradschaft Kiel for allowing us to bring their sacred book containing the names of all 28,863 U-Bootfahrer who were lost in action during World War II here to the USA where we carefully copied all the names of the fallen and list them here on our site. Ours is the only website in the world that lists all these names.
Many thanks to our good friend and Sharkhunters Member since 1987 GEORG HÖGEL (240-LIFE-1987)for all the conning tower emblems used in our monthly KTB Magazine and also here on the pages of our website. GEORG was Funkmaat (radioman) aboard U-30, the first boat into combat, the first to sink a ship (the liner ATHENIA) and the first into an occupied French port. When that Skipper (Lemp) took command of U-110, GEORG was one of the former crew to transfer to the new boat under Lemp. After the war, he was Professor of Art at a major German university. | GEORG HÖGEL |