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The German U-boat service remains one of the enduring images of the Second World War. Painted in an image of cunning brutality and cold-bloodedness, Germany's U-boats suffer the same kind of ill-informed prejudice that all ex-members of the Waffen SS labour under. However the myth and the reality are beginning to seperate now that time has helped to distance the German Armed Forces of World war Two from horrific images of crimes committed under the Nazi regime.

At the end of the First World War what little remained of the German Armed Forces was stripped to the bone. Submarines were forbidden and only the barest of surface strength permitted. Following the turbulent rise of Adolf Hitler to the pinnacle of power within Germany - the post of Führer of the Greater German Reich - the Reichsmarine (State Navy) received a new title. From 1935 onward it was to be known as the Kriegsmarine (Combat Navy). An essential component of this newly unveiled naval power was the tiny Unterseebootewaffe (U-boat Arm). Despite harsh terms of the Versailles Treaty forbidding a German submarine force, Germany had kept abreast of developments in underwater warfare systems even before Hitler's assumption of power.

As far back as 1922 Admiral Behnke - C-in-C of the Reichsmarine - had authorised covert construction of a new generation of German submarines.  Germany financed design work by thirty of their engineers, ostensibly from the Krupp armaments industry, and controlled by board members of three German shipbuilding yards. Under cover of a Dutch registered firm - Ingenieurskantoor voor Scheepsbouw (IVS) registered in The Hague - submarine design and construction was begun in Spain and Finland. Former Construction Head at the Germaniawerft shipyards, Doctor of Engineering Hans Techel, headed the company while Korvettenkapitän (ret.) Ulrich Blum held the post of Technical Director.

During 1925 Naval Ministry funds were put into IVS development and an order was also obtained from Turkey for two U-boats. In addition there was the tantalising prospect of undertaking a portion of Spain's new boat-building programme. Korvettenkapitän Wilhelm Canaris — sent by the Reichsmarine as an intermediary in Spanish armament deals — thus ordered the establishment of a dedicated submarine office under the nomenclature “Au” (Ausbildung - Training). In charge of this new German naval facility was Admiral Spindler. Prototype designs for three different submarine models were completed on paper: one small 250-ton vessel, one medium 500-ton vessel and a 750-ton large model. Three of the small types (Vessikos) and three mediums (Vetehinens) were constructed in Finland while a single large submarine (E1) and all initial torpedoes and torpedo tubes were built in Spain. After six years of this arrangement a new and more convenient cover firm was established in 1928, the Berlin based Ingeieurbüro für Wirtschaft und Technik GnbH (Igewit) Company. Under this guise the fledgling U-boat arm slowly began in earnest. Although shipbuilders in the host countries actually manufactured the products from these Reichsmarine design teams, the knowledge was German and experience in construction of modern designs invaluable for the future of Germany's submarine development.

Spindler also needed a combined team of active-service seamen and engineering officers to take part in the testing of the two German submarines built for the Turkish Navy. German Naval Command considered that for political reasons - namely the flagrant violation of Versailles Treaty terms - only retired military personnel should be involved, together with a small though highly experienced civilian staff. The connection with the Turkish Navy resulted in two of the retired German officers involved being asked to establish a U-boat training school for Turkish, and of course German, crews.

In Germany Spindler was actively establishing a training programme, and in conjunction with the Navy Arms Superintendent he managed to start a series of theoretical lectures on U-boats for senior Ensigns. These began in 1927 and were included during the Ensign's torpedo courses at the newly created “Torpedo and Radio School” in Flensburg-Mürwik. The training equipment used to introduce the principles of underwater warfare comprised film taken during The Great War aboard U35 and U139. On the engineering side, Spindler planned a training programme for future U-boat men to be introduced from 1927 onwards. Trainees were tested on ideas of how to both preserve and develop knowledge and experience gained during the Great War by the Kaiser's U-boat men.

The full training programme was finally initiated during the course for 60 naval Ensigns of the Class of 1925, which was given at the “Marine Artillery School”, Kiel, during the early part of 1929. Admiral Schottky, a former lecturer, replaced Spindler in the U-boat Office during the latter half of 1929. He made great efforts to implement simulator training for Ensigns. His ideas were not, however, adopted by the Naval Ministry, deemed logistically impractical. Despite this setback for U-boat training development, Schottky and a mixed group of serving officers, retired officers, civilian engineers and sundry officials managed to gain practical experience during the testing of the two now-completed Finnish boats Vetehinen “CV-702” and Vesihiisi “CV-703” during the summer of 1930 at the small port of Turku.

By 1931, despite certain construction difficulties, the Spanish Boat E1 was also finished. This large submarine had been launched on 22nd October the previous year, promptly running aground after hitting the water. E1 was to be studied by German designers as the possible prototype “backbone” for Germany's future submarine force (UA and the two Type IA boats were the result). Kapitänleutnant A.D. Bräutigam was head of the German testing team. For some years Bräutigam had been in charge of Japan's submarine construction, all of which was similarly based on German design work. Also among the assessment team were Papenburg - later head of U-boat construction - Leitender Ingeniur (Chief Engineer) and Hans-Rudolf Rösing from the Finnish design and testing team. E1 began her trails in Cadiz harbour, Spain.

During 1933 Reichswehrminister von Blomberg ordered the establishment of a fully-fledged submarine school in Kiel-Wik. Kapitänleutnant Slevogt was named as Commanding Officer, with Senior Lecturers Fürbringer and Hülsmann, and Junior Lecturers Rösing and Freiwald. On 25th June1933 the school's first course began.

The school's inaugural crew comprised eight officers, and 70-80 NCO's and seamen. The training establishment's official title was the “School of Anti-Submarine Warfare” (Unterseebootsabwehrschule or UAS), and technically was incorporated into, the Inspectorate of Torpedoes. Theoretical training included lessons in U-boat construction from the point of view of both sailor and engineer, instruction in maintaining stability, weight distribution and trim above and below water, during both peacetime and war conditions, and the use of escape apparatus. Men of the seamen branch received basic training in torpedo firing, and officers and senior ratings in the use of the periscope. Simultaneously, engineering personnel were taught the mechanics and theory of both diesel and electric propulsion units. Hardware used during the intensive courses included an electrically operated steering machine, as well as an electric periscope and gyro compass installation.

Practical training was carried out initially with the aid of primitive though ingenious simulators. These comprised elderly Minensuchboote (minesweepers) equipped with a periscope stub housed within a covered deck compartment. An engine installation comprising half of a Type II drive unit, complete with submarine steering equipment completed the simulation. Training took place aboard these minesweepers and aboard CV707 in Finland between May and August 1935. To participate in the Finnish exercises seven officers and six NCO's were sent to Finland thinly disguised as tourists and students.

'Four submarines were constructed in total at Turku, and a smaller one, Saukko, in Helsinki. Because of the peace treaty, they were sold to Belgium to be scrapped. Only one remains today, Vesikko, and it is serving now as a museum in front of Helsinki' (from Kristian Haapasalo).

By November 1934 foreign-based development of German submarine design had advanced to such a state that component frames of twelve U-boats had been constructed in the Ruhr. Copied directly from tried and tested designs developed by IVS they were transferred to Kiel in the utmost secrecy where they were stored in Germaniawerft and Deutschewerk warehouses during January 1935. The diesel and electric engines followed, and then torpedo tube armament. On Saturday 16th March 1935 Hitler decreed Germany's rearmament - Army conscription, the establishment of the Luftwaffe and new German battleships - formally abandoning the Versailles Treaty. On 15th June 1935 Deutschewerke shipyards at Kiel launched the small Type IIA coastal submarine U1, commanded by Kapitänleutnant Klaus Ewerth. The U-boat school flotilla (Unterseebootesschulflotille) later had an attached technical training unit (Schulverband der Unterseebootschule) counting six new Type II U-boats - the initial six to be launched by Germany from 1935 onwards, U1 to U6 (This training school moved to Neustadt in May 1937).

    In 1935 the Reichsmarine was renamed Kriegsmarine and rebuilding began in the open. Raeder wanted a navy capable of striking at the arteries of trade that its enemies (Britain and France) relied so heavily upon. In the last war Germany's High Seas Fleet had stayed impotently bottled inside Kiel's harbour apart from one or two forays into the North Sea. Raeder wanted no repeat of this. He wanted a fleet capable of holding its own in combat, but also one which avoid such a direct and prolonged clash with the Royal Navy - the most powerful navy in the world - which he believed would end in the inevitable destruction of the Kriegsmarine. Following Britain's appeasement policy a Naval Agreement was signed in London on 18th June 1935 which allowed a Kriegsmarine 35% the size of the Royal Navy, and a submarine arm 45% the size of England's - with a clause allowing up to 100% with "due notification". After the devastation caused at sea during World War One by the Imperial German Navy's introduction of unrestricted submarine warfare, the countries of the west were keen to limit the use of this powerful and effective weapon. England in particular pressed for an international treaty governing their use. It is fair to say that one of the prime motivations for this British insistence is that while they possessed the largest surface fleet in the world and could thus wage effective naval warfare above the waves, the submarine went far towards rectifying the balance of power. A further "Submarine Protocol" was signed by Germany's Foreign Minister Joachim Ribbentrop, proposing the outlawing of the submarine as a weapon of war, and pledging, "never again to resort to unrestricted submarine warfare". As well as the proposed future outlawing of the submarine as a weapon, the conditions of the treaty removed all of the advantages of surprise that made the submarine an effective weapon. It was illegal to sink any merchant shipping “engaged upon its lawful business”, and any ships deemed legitimate targets must be stopped, searched, the crew and passengers evacuated before being taken by a “prize crew” from the attacking vessel and sailed back to the victors harbour. Germany declared that it would never again resort to unrestricted submarine warfare. Eleven days later Kapitänleutnant Klaus Ewerth's U1 was launched at Kiel. By 27th September the 1st U boat Flotilla "Weddingen" was established at the port, under the command of Fregattenkapitän Karl Dönitz.

Ignoring the fact that Germany had obviously constructed U-boats while forbidden to do so by the Versailles Treaty, German submarine strength became subject to an Anglo-German agreement signed in London on 16th June 1935. Under this naval accord the German Navy's submarine fleet could be “60 per cent of Britain's and, if exceptional circumstances arose, might be 100 per cent”. The other major European naval powers France and Italy were not consulted. The brakes were off German U-boat production.  By 27th September the “Weddigen” Flotilla, first unit of the Kriegsmarine Unterseebootwaffe (U-boat arm) and equipped entirely with Type IIB boats, was established at the port of Kiel, ensconced in the city's Northern suburb of Wik, under the command of Fregattenkapitän Karl Dönitz.            

Dönitz himself fully understood the potential power of a revived U-boat arm. He had begun his naval career in the Kaiserliche Marine during April 1910. Initially his duty as an officer was aboard cruiser SMS Breslau operating in the Mediterranean, based largely in Istanbul (SMS Breslau and SMS Goeben were a constant presence in the Dardenelles area during the First World War, handed over to the Turks by Germany and crewed by men of both nations. They emerged from the Straits and headed for the Aegean on 20th January 1918 opposed by British destroyers and monitors. Both ships evaded the British but struck mines off Imbros, Breslau sinking immediately, Goeben badly holed beached herself in the Dardenelle Narrows). In October 1916 Dönitz transferred to U-boats. He served initially as I.Wachoffizier (First Watch Officer) aboard U39 (for five patrols), before rising to command UC25 (two patrols) and then UB68 (one patrol) with rank of Oberleutnant zur See. His latter command was sunk in 1918 following a catastrophic loss of longdtitudinal stability during an attack on British shipping in the Mediterranean. The stricken U-boat plunged out of control to 300ft before rocketing to the surface where it lay at the mercy of Allied guns (the sinking was attributed primarily to HMS Snapdragon). Six men were killed and the remainder, including the distraught commander, captured. After nine months in an English prison camp Dönitz was released after feigning illness and returned to a ruined Germany. Following a brief stint as a Torpedo Boat captain he was promoted to command the cruiser Emden, aboard which prospective naval officers received basic naval training during a year-long world cruise. In 1935 Kriegsmarine C-in-C Erich Raeder offered Dönitz command of the “Weddigen” Flotilla. Despite brief initial reservations regarding the offered posting he accepted, arrived in June 1935 primarily as commander of the tiny U-boat School at Neustadt. On 27th September 1935 Dönitz became commander of the three U-boats comprising “Weddigen” Flotilla officially formed that day – the kernel of the 1st U-boat Flotilla. This is where the real history of the Kriegsmarine's U-boats truly begins.

Statistics related to the Kriegsmarine Unterseebootwaffe.

According to Professor Jürgen Rowher, who has made exhaustive studies of the subject,  1 156 U-boats were constructed during the Second World War (this takes no account of 14 captured foreign submarines). Of these only 863 were in operational use. The remainder were either undergoing final fitting, in training or some form of transit to an active U-boat flotilla.

From the total number of U-boats the following statistics have been drawn regarding their fates.
663 lost in combat - 266 by enemy aircraft; 243 by enemy naval units; 46 by combined air and sea attacks; 28 for unknown  reasons; 24 by enemy submarines; 18 by mines; 12 scuttled as a direct result of combat damage; 10 scuttled due to the impossibility of regaining a friendly port; 9 sunk by collision; 6 captured for some length of time; 1 sunk by Italian Torpedoboat by mistake.

142 lost (not through combat) - 53 destroyed by bombing in Germany; 34 decommissioned in port before the war's end; 19 scuttled in France or Norway; 16 lost to training accidents; 9 to "friendly" mines; 7 in friendly waters through accidents; 2 handed over to the Japanese; 2 interned in Spain. 

Total percentage of U-boats lost: 65% of all boats lost while 77% of operational boats were lost in combat.

365 remaining on date of surrender 8th May 1945 - 201 scuttled in or near friendly port; 114 anchored in friendly port; 30 still at sea, made way to Allied port; 10 at sea returned to Germany; 4 scuttled at sea; 4 in Japanese ports; 2 sailed to Argentina and were interned.

Further to these figures are the interesting observations made by Jak-Mallmann Showell in his book "U-boats under the Swastika" (again based on Rohwer's statistics) that:

Given these figures, 73% of U-boats constructed during the Second World War (including all 1,170 U-boats - whether frontline or training machines) achieved no success against the enemy.