116 SUBMARINES IN GENERAI^ 



Most of the "mittel U-boats" were fitted with four bow torpedo tubes and two 

 stern torpedo tubes. They carried either one or two 4.1 -inch guns. This type of 

 boat was considered the most successful of the German submarines, and many of 

 the German service consider that, if they had adhered to this type of vessel, they 

 would have been more successful in their submarine warfare. The Germans had 

 completed at the time of the armistice about no of these vessels; a large number 

 were also under construction in various parts of Germany. 



UE Class. — These were large ocean-going mine-laying cruisers of: — 



Surface displacement about 1,200 tons. 



Submerged displacement 1,520 tons. 



Length 275 feet. 



Beam 24 feet. 



Draught 13 feet. 



Designed surface speed, 14.7 knots. 



Designed submerged speed, 7.2 knots. 



Armament, 4 bow torpedo tubes ; 2 stern mine tubes, 39 inches in diameter. 



Stowage space was available for 42 mines and 24 torpedoes. It is doubtful whether 

 these vessels carried this number of spares. Their gun armament consisted of one 

 5.9-inch gun and one 4.1 -inch, although in some cases they may have carried two 5.9- 

 inch guns. Usually only one gun was carried. 



There were about 10 of this class completed and a large number building. 

 U-71-80 were small mine-laying submarines of this general type but of an earlier 

 design, and only displaced about 760 tons. They were not a successful design. 



Cruiser Class — UA Type. — Of the special cruiser class there appear to have 

 been completed only 2 boats — U-135 and 136. Their displacement is similar to the 

 mine-laying cruiser class, that is — 



Surface displacement 1,200 tons. 



Submerged displacement i,535 tons. 



Length 275 feet. 



Beam 24!/^ feet. 



Draught 13 feet. 



Designed surface speed 18 knots. 



Designed submerged speed 8.2 knots. 



They had 4 bow tubes and 2 stern tubes and carried one 5.9-inch gun. 



The large cruiser class consisted of vessels of the following characteristics : — 



Surface displacement about 2,000 tons. 



Submerged displacement 2,500 tons. 



Length 302 feet. 



Beam 29^ feet. 



Draught 17 feet. 



