U-2511 (center) in Bergen, Norway |
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| Career | |
|---|---|
| Name: | U-2511 |
| Ordered: | 6 November 1943 |
| Builder: | Blohm & Voss, Hamburg |
| Yard number: | 2511 |
| Laid down: | 7 July 1944 |
| Launched: | 2 September 1944 |
| Commissioned: | 29 September 1944 |
| Fate: | Surrendered, 8 May 1945 Scuttled, 7 January 1946 |
| General characteristics | |
| Type: | Type XXI submarine |
| Displacement: | 1,621 t (1,595 long tons) surfaced 2,100 t (2,067 long tons) submerged |
| Length: | 76.7 m (251 ft 8 in) |
| Beam: | 8 m (26 ft 3 in) |
| Draught: | 5.3 m (17 ft 5 in) |
| Propulsion: | Diesel/Electric 2 × MAN M6V40/46KBB supercharged 6-cylinder diesel engines, 4,000 PS (2.9 MW) 2 × SSW GU365/30 double-acting electric motors, 5,000 PS (3.7 MW) 2 × SSW GV232/28 silent running electric motors, 226 PS (0.166 MW) |
| Speed: | Surfaced: 15.6 kn (28.9 km/h) (diesel) 17.9 kn (33.2 km/h) (electric) Submerged: 17.2 kn (31.9 km/h) (electric) 6.1 kn (11.3 km/h) (silent running motors) |
| Range: | 15,500 nmi (28,700 km) at 10 kn (19 km/h) surfaced 340 nmi (630 km) at 5 kn (9.3 km/h) submerged |
| Complement: | 57 officers and men |
| Armament: | • 6 × bow torpedo tubes • 23 × 533 mm (21 in) torpedoes (or 17 × torpedoes and 12 × mines) • 4 × 20 mm cannon |
| Service record[1][2] | |
| Part of: | 31st U-boat Flotilla (29 September 1944–14 March 1945) 11th U-boat Flotilla (15 March–8 May 1945) |
| Commanders: | KrvKpt. Adalbert Schnee (29 September 1944–8 May 1945) |
| Operations: | 1st patrol: 3–6 May 1945 |
| Victories: | None |
German submarine U-2511 was a Type XXI U-boat of the German Kriegsmarine during World War II. The Elektroboote submarine was laid down on 7 July 1944 at the Blohm & Voss yard at Hamburg, launched on 2 September 1944, and commissioned on 29 September 1944 under the command of Korvettenkapitän Adalbert Schnee.[1]
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After training with 31st U-boat Flotilla, U-2511 was transferred to 11th U-boat Flotilla at Bergen, Norway, for front-line service on 15 March 1945.[1]
According to the commander of U-977, Heinz Schaeffer, Captain Schnee was in port in Denmark taking on stores when he started bragging about the wonders of the boat. After an extended period, Cpt. Schaeffer lost his temper and bet him a cask of champagne that he would reach Norway before Schnee. The bet was taken, Schnee believing that he would win easily. On the way to Norway, U-977 was having trouble with their schnorkel while dived: the exhaust from the diesels kept filtering into the rest of the boat, the schnorkel head would shut as it dipped beneath the waves, and all the air would be sucked out of the boat. So the captain ordered the boat to surface. After airing it out, Schaeffer decided to continue to Norway on the surface. His reasoning was that no U-boats had been seen on the surface in those waters in some time, and he doubted the Allies would strain themselves carrying out extra checks now that the war was basically over. He beat Schnee by two days.
U-2511 conducted one patrol. On the evening of 30 April 1945 (coincidentally the date of Hitler's death), U-2511 set out from Bergen, Norway for the Caribbean, but on 4 May Schnee received the end-of-the-war cease-fire order.[1]
A few hours after receiving the cease-fire order, U-2511 spotted a group of British warships. Schnee approached to within 500 meters of the British cruiser HMS Norfolk without being detected.
Schnee had a U-boat commander's dream shot lined up, but left the scene without attacking and headed back to base. U-2511 reached Bergen on 5 May 1945 and surrendered as ordered. The commander spoke with officers of Norfolk a few days later, who found it unbelievable that U-2511 was able to get so close without any sonar contact.
Korvettenkapitän Schnee deposed to the Royal Navy Commission in Bergen aboard HMS Norfolk. During this deposition, he is said to have requested a comparison of Norfolk's Ship's Log to that of the U-2511. The comparison is said to have revealed that the cruiser indeed was at that position making the recorded speed as per U-2511's log.[3]
On 14 June 1945 U-2511 was transferred from Bergen, and arrived at Lisahally, Northern Ireland on 21 June for Operation Deadlight. The U-boat was scuttled on 7 January 1946 at 7:40 pm in position .[1] She was sunk by gunfire after her towing cable parted.
The wreck lies at a depth 69 metres (226 ft). She had been visited by divers at least twice, in 1999 and 2001, revealing she is largely intact except for a large blast hole caused by the shellfire that sank her.[4]
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