Type XXI U-Boat (Electroboot) The story of the world's first true submarine capable of operating primarily submerged.

By Nitin Wasant Shirsekar

BOOK: PART ONE

The book describes the development of the High Test Peroxide HTP], H2O2 engine envisaged by Hellmuth Walter, as an Air Independent Propulsion (AIP) system to replace conventional lead acid batteries in existing Unterseeboote.

The pre-war design of the Type VII and Type IX Unterseeboote were by now obsolete and the boats were being severely mauled as they tried to penetrate the formidable allied anti-submarine screens. D nitz wagered on the 1,600-ton Type XVIII to tilt the balance in favor of Germany, by mating the 'High Test Peroxide' HTP] propulsion system to its streamlined 'wind tunnel' tested hull, that could theoretically triple underwater speed and endurance. He invested considerable time and resources in this effort, despite facing severe resource constraints and rebuffs by his malicious superiors, who sought to discredit him at every juncture, in his quest.

Part One of the book, describes these events up to the middle of 1943 - starting with the development of the HTP] Walter propulsion system - the development of the 'Versuchs' V-80 design that housed the revolutionary system - the initial successful trails of the V-80 as also the bigger 'Versuchs' V-300 design. A new 1,600-ton Type XVIII Unterseeboote ocean going design was therefore readied to house the new propulsion system in a combat environment. The HTP] Walter propulsion system however still remained hopelessly bug ridden. Time was running out for Germany, and the BdU engineers proposed installation of additional lead acid batteries, in the lower hull section of the Type XVIII coupled to a pair of heavy duty, silent running motors to achieve the 'magical quotient' of tripling existing underwater endurance and speed. The idea appealed to D nitz who approved the design changes and was thus born the 1,600 ton, Type XXI (Elektroboot)

The new Type XXI Elektroboot could theoretically, move swiftly and silently underwater without easy detection and strike decisive blows, without the need to surface rapidly for recharging its lead acid batteries. The Type XXI had the potential to once again transform D nitz's Unterseebootwaffe, into a feared force and had it been brought into quantitative and qualitative production earlier, could have turned around the undersea war, to the detriment of the Allied forces everywhere

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: B0C12HJC4D
• ISBN13: 9798378825240
• Release Date: April 2023
• Publisher: Independently Published
• Length: 194 Pages
• Weight: 0.64 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.5" x 6.0" x 9.0"