"The Third Reich’s Giant Electric Submarine Fail" Topic

"On May 4, 1945 one of the most advanced submarines in the world crept up to a British Royal Navy cruiser. U-2511 was one of Germany's new Type XXI-class "wonder" submarines, and she was hunting for Allied ships.

She also represented one of the Third Reich's biggest failures.

More than 250 feet long and displacing 1,620 tons, the Type XXI packed six hydraulically-reloaded torpedo tubes capable of firing more than 23 stored torpedoes. This arsenal could turn a convoy into sinking, burning wreckage.

But the real improvement lay deep inside the U-boat's bowels. There rested an advanced electric-drive engine that allowed the submersible to travel underwater at significantly higher speeds—and for longer periods—than any submarine that came before…"
Full article here.
link

Amicalement
Armand

Not so much an epic fail – more (like a lot of the Nazi "wonder weapons") the wrong solution. Germany should never have got itself into a fighting war with a larger population (USSR) and a larger Industrial Capacity (USA). The combination could not be overwhelmed with technological improvements.

Take any possible "wonder weapon" through to full operational development, and they still will not turn the tide. Suppose the Germans had developed a Strategic bomber and raided New York. Germany would have been flattened in retaliation by the USAF. Or got themselves a couple of A-Bombs.

But what if Hitler had acquired the A-Bomb himself 20thmaine? If he had, do you think he would then have win the war?

Nope – he didn't have a delivery system.

Purely from a technology viewpoint I can understand why there's so muh attention on "wonder weapons" – but it's sad that it is always at the expense of where admiration should really fall.

If we want to talk war winning wonder weapons – then let's talk about radar, sonar, long range maritime patrol aircraft, the mosquito fighter-bomber, the USA's carrier fleet. Let's talk about the Dakota. The Glouster Meteor, the Spitfire PR IX. Let's talk about the Bletchley Park computers that allowed the enigma code to be broken. Or the B-24. Or the B-29. Or the P-47. The technology the Allies developed in an incredibly short space of time was simply amazing – and it rarely gets the credit it deserves. The V1 flying bomb was a nuisance – The Catalina actually achieved something.

(wow, where did that rant come from ?!?)

The German technology was impressive, and the Allies spent the next 20 years carrying the German prototypes and research forward. Even now, 70 years after the war, the partially developed German technology is still good for science fiction stories.

Still, I must agree with 20tmaine--it may be cool on the drawing board, but it only really counts if you can get it into the field in quantity and use it. The award winning rocket system is not the German V-2, though it later helped to put both Russians and Americans into space. The real winner is the US 2.35 inch rocket launcher. Mass produced, copied by others, its descendents still in the field today.

Grelber

It was a really good rant, so you got that going for ya.

The only way the Germans win is early knock out of Britain before the US gets involved and before they invade Russia.

After that, wonder weapons might be cool, but they won't over come the reasons listed above.

Considering that almost every submarine built since the XXI of any Nation has copied the design of it, I would not call the Sub a failure. Rather late to the starting line, yes, but in no way a failure.

Are you sure??? how do you think Nazi's got under the Ice pack to launch saucers to the Moon .

Nope – he didn't have a delivery system.

What about the V2? OK, it didn't have the range to threaten the Continental US, but it sure had the range to threaten us in Blighty!

I suspect they'd have struggled to get a viable payload into the V2's warhead volume – any experts out there ?

But – the outcome is the same – an A-Bomb on the UK would have had the USAF flatten / A-Bomb Germany. Hitler still loses.

One still survives and floats in Bremerhaven.Not bad for a 70 year old.

link

That's nothing macedon. HMS Caroline – veteran of the Battle of Jutland, is alive and well and living in Belfast!

She's about to be restored to the condition she was in when she was completed. Then she's to be a museum ship.

Not bad for a 100 year old.

WOW… look at that! I posted a link, and a photo of the old girl appeared?

That is one sexy lady!