Types of submarines of the German Navy

The construction of submarines in Germany began at the beginning of the 20th century. During the First World War, the fleet received 341 boats from shipyards, 138 more boats remained unfinished. The German fleet played a large role in the First World War, therefore, under the terms of the Versailles Peace Treaty, the construction of a surface fleet was severely limited (25% of the British tonnage, while limiting the maximum tonnage of the ship), the construction of a submarine fleet was completely prohibited.

In the mid-1930s, restrictions on the submarine fleet were practically lifted, in particular, the construction of submarines was allowed in Germany, but their total displacement was limited to the displacement of the British submarine fleet. This led to a decrease in the design dimensions of class VII boats in favor of increasing their number. In World War II, the emphasis in the development of the German fleet was placed on submarines, which was naturally expressed both in the post-war prohibition of the construction of a submarine fleet in Germany (in 1945-1960), and in the widespread copying of the German design and technical solutions in post-war submarine projects allied countries.

In the 21st century, Germany, although it does not have a nuclear submarine fleet, has a well-deserved authority in the field of underwater shipbuilding: German-built submarines are manufactured for export to many countries, and Project 212 with a non-volatile fuel cell engine was recognized as a new word in underwater shipbuilding.