| U-Boot-Klasse IX Typ IX B | |
|---|---|
| |
| General information | |
| Place of origin | Germany |
| Category | Submarine |
| Sister ships | U-64 U-65 U-103 U-104 U-105 U-106 U-107 U-108 U-109 U-110 U-111 U-122 U-123 U-124 |
| Used by | Germany |
| Speed | 18.3 knots (33.9 km/h) surfaced 7.3 knots (13.5 km/h) submerged |
| Seat 1 | |
| Primary weapon | 4x 53.3 cm G7a T1 Toprdo Tubes |
| Secondary weapon | 2x 53.3 cm G7a T1 Toprdo Tubes |
| Seat 2 | |
| Primary weapon | 1x10.5 cm SK C/32 naval gun |
| Seat 3 | |
| Primary weapon | 1x 2 cm SKC/30 |
| Seat 4 | |
| Primary weapon | Passenger Seat |
| Seat 5 | |
| Primary weapon | Passenger Seat |
| Seat 6 | |
| Primary weapon | Passenger Seat |
| |
The Type IX was designed with two objectives in mind – to be the long range counterpart to the medium-range Type VII, and to serve as a tactical command boat for the leader of a wolf pack. After the fall of France, the second requirement became unnecessary as the powerful land based transmitters on the French coast meant that tactical command could be handled from shore.
This model was much bigger, longer and employed more powerful diesel engines. It used a supercharged 9-cylinder diesel instead of the standard 8-cylinder on the Type VIIs. To balance the much heavier weight, the engine room was located immediately rear of the control room. The Type IX had a full double hull, with the outer hull almost completely surrounding the pressure hull. The upper deck was wide and flat, which provided additional space to store ten torpedoes externally in watertight containers. When the war started, the standard gunnery of the Type IX was one 105mm deck gun, one 37mm flak and one C30 machine gun. It had four forward torpedo tubes and two backward tubes, with a total capacity of 22 torpedoes.
Together with the Type VII, the Type IX combined to form the backbone of the U-boat force, which had fought relentlessly for control of the shipping lanes of the Atlantic. More than 200 Type IXs were built in seven sub-classes: IXA, IXB, IXC, IXC/40, IXD1, IXD2, IXD/42.
In FHSW, all three boats (U-105,U-107,U-124) belong to IXB type (increased fuel capacity). 14 submarines of this subtype were built.
U-105[]
She was ordered in May 1938 as part of Germany's naval rearmament program. Her keel was laid down in Bremen in November 1938. After roughly seven months of construction, she was launched in June 1940 and formally commissioned into the Kriegsmarine in September 1940.
During her three-year career, U-105 sank 23 vessels for a total loss of 125,470 GRT before being sunk by the Free French Forces off the coast of Dakar (Senegal) in June 1943.
U-107[]
Between January 1941 and August 1944, it sailed on 16 active patrols at a time when a U-boat averaged a lifespan of seven to 10 patrols. During that time, U-107 sank 39 Allied ships, in addition to damaging another four ships. It was launched on 2 July 1940, based at the U-boat port of Lorient, with a crew of 53 under the initial command of Günther Hessler. It was later commanded, in order, by Harald Gelhaus, Valker Simmermacher and its final commander, Karl Heinz Fritz.
U-124[]
U-124 was launched on 9 March 1940. From June 1940 until September 1941, she was commanded Georg-Wilhelm Schulz; Johann Mohr then took over command for the remainder of her career.
U-124 left Wilhelmshaven on her first active patrol on 19 August 1940. During 11 patrols over the next two years and eight months, she would compile one of the most successful records of enemy vessels destroyed during World War II, sinking 48 Allied ships totaling 224,953 tonnes, severely damaging another four ships totaling 30,067 tonnes, and shooting down one aircraft.
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