Quote:
Originally Posted by jimbuna
Both boats share similar speed and diving characteristics but the XXI has more eels/reloads...the XXIII only have two and no reloads but better suited to attacking on the coastline on short patrols as opposed to deep sea/longer patrols like the XXI.
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That's exactly how they were used; V.E. Tarrant's
Last Year of the Kriegsmarine shows only 6 fully operational Type XXIII that conducted war patrols, most to the Firth of Forth or the mouth of the Thames. Boats involved were:
U-2324 sailed 29 Jan 45, RTB 24 Feb 45 - no sinkings;
U-2322 sailed 6 Feb 45, RTB 3 Mar 45 - 1 x 1317 GRT;
U-2321 sailed 12 Feb 45, RTB 13 Mar 45 - no sinkings;
U-2324 (again) sailed 3 Apr 45, RTB 25 Apr 45 - 1 x 1150 GRT;
U-2322 (again) sailed 5 Apr 45, RTB 5 May 45 - no sinkings;
U-2329 sailed 6 Apr 45, RTB 29 Apr 45 - no sinkings;
U-2326 sailed 19 Apr 45, RTB 28 Apr 45 - no sinkings;
Sailed again 3 May 45 and surrended at sea;
U-2336 sailed 1 May 45, RTB 14 May 45 - 2 x 4669 GRT.
Tarrant also shows
U-2321 as conducting a second unsuccessful patrol in April-May but the dates provided don't work so there may be a typo in the data.