Germany has commissioned over 1,500 U-boats (German: Unterseeboot) into its various navies from 1906 to the present day. The submarines have usually been designated with a U followed by a number, though World War I coastal submarines and coastal minelaying submarines used the UB and UC prefixes, respectively. When Germany resumed building submarines in the 1930s, the numbering of the submarines was restarted at 1. The renumbering was restarted 1 a third time, when Germany resumed building submarines in the 1960s.

World War I era U-boats

There were some 380 U-boats commissioned into the Kaiserliche Marine in the years before and during World War I. Although the first four German U-boats—U-1, U-2, U-3, U-4—were commissioned before 1910, all four served in a training capacity during the war. German U-boats used during World War I were divided into three series. The U designation was generally reserved for ocean-going attack torpedo U-boats. The UB designation was used for coastal attack U-boats, while the UC designation was reserved for coastal minelaying U-boats.

U-boats

U-boats designed primarily for deep water service were designated with a U prefix and numbered up to 167.

U-1 to U-100

U-101 to U-167

UB coastal U-boats

Coastal attack torpedo U-boats were smaller craft intended for operation closer to land. They were designated with a UB prefix and numbered up to 154.

UB-1 to UB-100

UB-101 to UB-154

UC coastal minelaying U-boats

Coastal minelaying U-boats were smaller boats intended to mine enemy harbors and approaches. They were designated with a UC prefix and numbered up to 105.

UC-1 to UC-105

World War II U-boats

Germany commissioned some 1,150 U-boats into the Reichsmarine and its successor, the Kriegsmarine, in the World War II era.

U-1 to U-100

U-101 to U-200

U-201 to U-300

U-301 to U-400

U-401 to U-500

U-501 to U-600

U-601 to U-700

U-701 to U-800

U-801 to U-900

U-901 to U-1000

U-1001 to U-2000

U-2001 to U-3000

U-3001 and up

Foreign U-Boats

Germany captured and commissioned 14 submarines from 6 countries into the Kriegsmarine during World War II.

Post-World War II U-boats

See also

• List of U-Boats never deployed
• List of naval ships of Germany
• Category:Type II U-boats
• Category:Type IX U-boats
• Category:Type VII U-boats
• Category:Type XIV U-boats
• Category:Type XXI U-boats

External links

• Shipwreck Central
• www.pbs.org -see nova
• List of U-boats at U-boat.net
• U-35, 1936-1939