U-3523 has been found

[McBeck]

Sea War Museum Jutland has found the submarine.

https://uboat.net/boats/u3523.htm

https://www.seawarmuseum.dk/en

[McBeck]

Can someone help me clear up the understanding of how many XXI saw service?

Wiki states "U-2511 and U-3008 were the only Type XXIs to be used for war patrols," but 118 were build.

Whats the difference between "commissioned" and "War patrol" ?

[Eichhörnchen]

Very interesting, since it was a type XXI, to speculate on the destination and cargo

[Dowly]

Originally Posted by McBeck

Whats the difference between "commissioned" and "War patrol" ?

Commissioned submarines were in service but had not necessarely done any war patrols yet. For example in this case, the crew was still in training at the time it was sunk.

[Catfish]

^ After being commissioned the boat was substantially ready, assigned to the navy unit, and taken over by commander and crew.
Before being assigned for active duty or "war patrol" though, the boats then had to absolve several training units at the "AGruFront" (Ausbildungsgruppe Front, usually taking place in the baltic sea, with german convoys and destroyers for 'protection' or pushing back), to make the crew accustomed to "real" (simulated) attacks, the boats' behaviour under warlike condition and to sort out last mechanical problems.
Torpedos used had no warhead but a light to follow its course and hit point, and to find and pick it up again after the training manoeuvre.

When boat and crew had passed the tests it would be sent to its intended base at Norway or France, for war operations.


The commander had most probably heard of the news and was on the way to surrender. I have not read whether the boat was running surfaced, or at snorkel depth. If at sn. depth they may have been caught off-guard, but it is all speculation.

Looks like they had a bow hit with water coming in, then went down bow first; maybe with speed already built up for faster diving.
The situation may also indicate there was some air left in the aft compartment(s).

[Reece]

From U-Boat Operations Volume 2:

U3523 was outward bound from Kiel when she was attacked and sunk on 6.5.45 NNE of Skagen by a Liberator of 86 Squadron (F/Lt T H E Goldie).
The Commander (OL Willi Muller) and 56 men were lost.

[Jimbuna]

The German U-boat U-3523, which was sunk by depth bombs in Skagerrak by a British B24 Liberator aircraft on 6 May, 1945. The day before, the German forces in Denmark, Northwest Germany and the Netherlands had surrendered, and the U-boat was not on a war patrol, but probably on the run.

That is quite a find but sadly, the surrender notice had been served a day earlier and they were probably unaware unless they were enroute to a scuttling or surrender point.

[Aktungbby]

Sunk 6 May 1945 at 1839hrs by depth charges from a British

STILL DAYLIGHT AND 123 METERS DEEP .... THE ANGLE LOOKS LIKE A HIGHSPEED 'CRASH' INTO SOFT MUCK-THE LIBERATOR DEPTH CHARGES WOULD'VE BEEN SET SHALLOW SO IT'LL BE INTERESTING TO SEE IF THE SCHNORKEL HAD BEEN SET. GIVEN THE ABILITY TO USE CODE TO TRACK U-BOATS THE PROBABLE MK 24 'OSCAR' OR:

Their Liberators now carried sonobuoys, air-delivered sonar transmitters able to detect U-boats moving under water. Once the sub’s location was marked, PB4Y-1 crews could then drop a Zombie, also known as the Mk 24 acoustic homing torpedo, on their unsuspecting prey.

... OBLT MÜLLER, WITH NO COMBAT PATROLS TO HIS CREDIT IN U1000, DAMAGED BY AIR-DROPPED MINES, AND USED FOR PARTS OR HIS LAST COMMAND: U3523, CAN HARDLY HAVE BEEN EXPECTED TO SURVIVE HIS LAST SUNSET FROM A HIGH-TECH LIBERATOR VIII OF 224 SQUADRON COMIN' IN LOW FROM THE WESTERN SKY!

[Cybermat47]

I had no idea that any XXIs were destroyed in combat.

I suppose the wreck will be left alone, as it is a war grave.

Originally Posted by Jimbuna

That is quite a find but sadly, the surrender notice had been served a day earlier and they were probably unaware unless they were enroute to a scuttling or surrender point.

More pointless deaths

[Catfish]

Why were they attacked?

[Jimbuna]

Originally Posted by Catfish

Why were they attacked?

Good question and one to which I've no answer but it is possible all U-boats were ordered to stay in harbour and not make any attempts to escape capture maybe?

[Aktungbby]

https://theconversation.com/sunken-nazi-u-boat-discovered-why-archaeologists-like-me-should-leave-it-on-the-seabed-95492

The British cruiser HMS Exeter, which was sunk in the Java Sea on May 1, 1942, has been entirely removed from the seabed for scrap. And wrecks from the 1916 Battle of Jutland that also lie partly in Danish waters have seen industrial levels of metal theft. These examples serve as a warning that organised criminals will target shipwrecks of any age for the metals they contain.

https://theconversation.com/were-mapping-wartime-shipwrecks-to-explore-the-past-and-help-develop-green-energy-projects-93689 https://rcahmw.gov.uk/world-war-one-u-boat-partnership-project-gets-green-light-from-heritage-lottery-fund-for-wales-year-of-the-sea-2018/