| Built By: | Fairfield (Clyde) |
| Build Group: | E3 |
| Fate: | Sold 6th September 1922. |
8th Flotilla. Harwich.
| Length overall | 181 ft |
| Beam | 15 ft |
| Displacement | 667 tons (surface) |
| 807 tons (submerged) | |
| Diving Depth | 200 ft |
| Speed | Surface 15.25 knots (design) |
| Surface: 1500 miles on full power or 3000 miles at 10 knots (service) | |
| Submerged: 99 miles at 3 knots (design) | |
| Submerged: 10 miles at 9 knots or 65 miles at 5 knots (service) | |
| No. of shafts | 2 |
| Propeller | 3 blades, 5 ft 7 inch diameter |
| Armament | 2 x 18 inch bow tubes |
| 2 x 18 inch beam tubes | |
| 1 x 18 inch stern tube | |
| (10 torpedoes carried) | |
| 1 x 2-pounder gun | |
| Endurance | Surface: 3000 miles at 10 knots (design) |
| Surface: 1500 miles on full power or 3000 miles at 10 knots (service) | |
| Submerged: 99 miles at 3 knots (design) | |
| Submerged: 10 miles at 9 knots or 65 miles at 5 knots (service) | |
| Complement | 3 Officers, 28 Ratings. |
Robert Aitken was the diver aboard X7 during Operation Source against the German Battleship Tirptiz. This is his story.
Hans Goebeler is known as the man who 'pulled the plug' on U-505 in 1944 to keep his beloved U-boat out of Allied hands. 'Steel Boat, Iron Hearts' is his no-holds-barred account of service aboard a combat U-boat. It is the only full-length memoir of its kind, and Goebeler was aboard for every one of U-505's war patrols.
Using his own experiences, log books, and correspondence with other U-boat crewmen, Goebeler offers rich and very personal details about what life was like in the German Navy under Hitler. Because his first and last posting was to U-505, Goebeler's perspective of the crew, commanders, and war patrols paints a vivid and complete portrait unlike any other to come out of the Kriegsmarine.
He witnessed it all: from deadly sabotage efforts that almost sunk the boat to the tragic suicide of the only U-boat commander who took his life during Wwii; from the terror and exhilaration of hunting the enemy, to the seedy brothels of France. The vivid, honest, and smooth-flowing prose calls it like it was and pulls no punches.
U-505 was captured by Captain Dan Gallery's Guadalcanal Task Group 22.3 on June 4, 1944. Trapped by this 'Hunter-Killer' group, U-505 was depth-charged to the surface, strafed by machine gun fire, and boarded. It was the first ship captured at sea since the War of 1812!
Today, hundreds of thousands of visitors tour U-505 each year at the Chicago Museum of Science and Industry. Included a special Introduction by Keith Gill, Curator of U-505, Museum of Science and Industry. A
uthor Hans Jacob Goebeler served as control room mate aboard U-505. He died in 1999, and author John P. Vanzo is a former defense program analyst. He teaches political science and geography at Bainbridge College in Georgia.
13 pages added or updated in the last 2 month
Please help to maintain this site by reporting any Errors, Broken Links, Information or Site Issues on this page using this button
If you find this site useful, please consider supporting my work with a small Donation.
Please Note: Donations made using this option go directly to the site owner and not to the Submariners Association.
Thankyou for your support.
| Length overall | 181 ft |
| Beam | 15 ft |
| Displacement | 667 tons (surface) |
| 807 tons (submerged) | |
| Diving Depth | 200 ft |
| Speed | Surface 15.25 knots (design) |
| Surface: 1500 miles on full power or 3000 miles at 10 knots (service) | |
| Submerged: 99 miles at 3 knots (design) | |
| Submerged: 10 miles at 9 knots or 65 miles at 5 knots (service) | |
| No. of shafts | 2 |
| Propeller | 3 blades, 5 ft 7 inch diameter |
| Armament | 2 x 18 inch bow tubes |
| 2 x 18 inch beam tubes | |
| 1 x 18 inch stern tube | |
| (10 torpedoes carried) | |
| 1 x 2-pounder gun | |
| Endurance | Surface: 3000 miles at 10 knots (design) |
| Surface: 1500 miles on full power or 3000 miles at 10 knots (service) | |
| Submerged: 99 miles at 3 knots (design) | |
| Submerged: 10 miles at 9 knots or 65 miles at 5 knots (service) | |
| Complement | 3 Officers, 28 Ratings. |
Robert Aitken was the diver aboard X7 during Operation Source against the German Battleship Tirptiz. This is his story.
Hans Goebeler is known as the man who 'pulled the plug' on U-505 in 1944 to keep his beloved U-boat out of Allied hands. 'Steel Boat, Iron Hearts' is his no-holds-barred account of service aboard a combat U-boat. It is the only full-length memoir of its kind, and Goebeler was aboard for every one of U-505's war patrols.
Using his own experiences, log books, and correspondence with other U-boat crewmen, Goebeler offers rich and very personal details about what life was like in the German Navy under Hitler. Because his first and last posting was to U-505, Goebeler's perspective of the crew, commanders, and war patrols paints a vivid and complete portrait unlike any other to come out of the Kriegsmarine.
He witnessed it all: from deadly sabotage efforts that almost sunk the boat to the tragic suicide of the only U-boat commander who took his life during Wwii; from the terror and exhilaration of hunting the enemy, to the seedy brothels of France. The vivid, honest, and smooth-flowing prose calls it like it was and pulls no punches.
U-505 was captured by Captain Dan Gallery's Guadalcanal Task Group 22.3 on June 4, 1944. Trapped by this 'Hunter-Killer' group, U-505 was depth-charged to the surface, strafed by machine gun fire, and boarded. It was the first ship captured at sea since the War of 1812!
Today, hundreds of thousands of visitors tour U-505 each year at the Chicago Museum of Science and Industry. Included a special Introduction by Keith Gill, Curator of U-505, Museum of Science and Industry. A
uthor Hans Jacob Goebeler served as control room mate aboard U-505. He died in 1999, and author John P. Vanzo is a former defense program analyst. He teaches political science and geography at Bainbridge College in Georgia.
13 pages added or updated in the last 2 month
Please help to maintain this site by reporting any Errors, Broken Links, Information or Site Issues on this page using this button
If you find this site useful, please consider supporting my work with a small Donation.
Please Note: Donations made using this option go directly to the site owner and not to the Submariners Association.
Thankyou for your support.

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