german submarine german submarine type boat kriegsmarine operated days world war ordered kriegsmarine july armament program germany illegal terms treaty versailles keel laid june commissioned december command september days began patrol attempted sink british aircraft carrier firing torpedoes immediately hunted british destroyers disabled depth charges subsequently sunk crew members survived captured german boat sunk world war design original german type submarines later designated displacement tonnes long tons surface tonnes long tons submerged boat total length pressure hull length beam height draught submarine powered man stroke cylinder diesel engines producing total metric horsepower shp use surfaced double acting electric motors producing total metric horsepower shp use submerged shafts propellers boat capable operating depths metres submarine maximum surface speed knots mph maximum submerged speed knots mph submerged boat operate nautical miles knots mph surfaced travel nautical miles knots mph fitted torpedo tubes fitted bow stern torpedoes naval gun rounds anti aircraft gun boat complement service history patrol sinking conducted war patrol entire career 6th boat flotilla left wilhelmshaven 6th flotilla august preparation beginning world war headed north_sea eventually british isles prior sinking attacked north_sea september route british isles depth charged unidentified british vessel forced dive meters feet escape attack september days sea fired torpedoes british aircraft carrier north west scotland spotted torpedo tracks turned attack reducing cross section causing torpedoes miss exploded short target following failed attack british destroyers vicinity detected destroyers depth charged boat seconds released depth charges surfaced closest boat picked crew members rescued saved remaining crewmen taken ashore scotland spent rest war prisoner war camps including tower london shipped canada boats sunk world war aftermath boats joined ill fated patrol according report september heading home port kiel remained operational area north british isles according plan kiel contact boat days lack response despite requests current location began fuel rumours sunk belief later confirmed british radio transmission detailing arrival german prisoners war members kriegsmarine london railway station days later
German submarine U-39 (1938)