Type | XXI | |||||||||
| Ordered | 6 Nov 1943 | |||||||||
| Laid down | 7 Jul 1944 | Blohm & Voss, Hamburg (werk 2511) | ||||||||
| Launched | 2 Sep 1944 | |||||||||
| Commissioned | 29 Sep 1944 | Korvkpt. Adalbert Schnee (Knights Cross) | ||||||||
| Commanders |
| |||||||||
| Career 1 patrol |
| |||||||||
| Successes | No ships sunk or damaged | |||||||||
| Fate | Surrendered on 9 May 1945 at Bergen, Norway (Waller & Niestlé, 2010). Transferred from Bergen, Norway to Lisahally, Northern Ireland on 14 June 1945 for Operation Deadlight. Operation Deadlight (post-war Allied operation, info) | |||||||||
Final fate
U-2511 left Bergen on 14 June, 1945 to be transferred to Lisahally, Northern Ireland, which she reached on 21 June. The boat's career ended on 7 January, 1946 at
1940hrs at position 55.33,08N, 07.38,07W, where she
was scuttled.
General notes on this boat
30 Jan 1945. U-2511 had completed the usual working-up exercises in the Bay of Danzig, as well as trials of new equipment. She left port on 30 January, 1945, with her crew and dozens of refugees — of the tens of thousands — who had crowded into Danzig in hopes of safe passage from the Russian incursion. Several hours into her journey, she surfaced near the Stolpe Banks in the Baltic off Leba. There the crew took on survivors from the wreck of the Wilhelm Gustloff, which had taken three torpedoes amidships from the Russian submarine S-13. The crew evaded mines, surface ships, and Allied submarines to reach the harbours of Sässnitz/Rügen islands, where their passengers disembarked for a refugee camp.
30 Apr 1945. The first type XXI goes out on patrol
U-2511 left the Bay of Danzig on 30 January, 1945, where she completed the usual training as well as many trials with the new equipment. She headed back to the shipyard so that some remaining work on the boat could be completed. On 16 March, U-2511 left Kiel as part of a Front-flottilla, the first Type XXI U-boat to make her maiden voyage. A few days later, she reached the base at Horten in Norway. There the boat underwent deep diving trials. On 18 April, U-2511 set out for Bergen, arriving on 21 April.
On the evening of 30 April, coinciding with Hitler's death in Berlin, U-2511 set out from Bergen for her first and last patrol. The crew served under very experienced U-boat officers like Korvkpt. Adalbert Schnee (Oak Leaves), the former very successful commander of U-201 and afterward for two years one of Dönitz's closest staff members. On board was also one of those rare LI's who had received the Knights Cross, Korvkpt. (Ing) Gerd Suhren, Teddy Suhren's brother.
The destination for that patrol was to be the Caribbean, where the boat would be tested under all conditions. On 1 May, U-2511 made first enemy contact. Three days later, on 4 May, Adalbert Schnee received the cease-fire order. A few hours later U-2511 made contact with the British cruiser HMS Norfolk among some other British warships. The boat approached to within 500 meters of the British warship without any sonar contact from the enemy destroyers.
Schnee had here the opportunity to make an absolutely deadly attack against the cruiser, but left the scene without attacking and headed back to base. U-2511 reached Bergen on 5 May, 1945. There the commander spoke with officers of the HMS Norfolk a few days later, and they found it unbelievable that U-2511 was able to get so close without any sonar contact.
Men lost from U-boats
Unlike many other U-boats, which during their service lost men due to accidents and various other causes, U-2511 did not suffer any casualties (we know of) until the time of her loss.
Buy this title at amazon.com See more sellers |
Books dealing with this subject include
|
