Buchheim wrote 3 books about his, well, friendship, with Lehmann-Willenbrock.
1. Das Boot (patrol with U-96, but mixed with other experiences, so in a way, fiction.)
2. Die Festung (Last months in the fortress Brest, and how Buchheim escaped in a car, through France, while Lehmann-Willenbrock broke out of the siege with a snorkel-fitted U-boat to reach Norway - latter only reported, no details, but also very interesting)
3. Der Abschied (how they met again on the german nuclear merchant "Otto Hahn", long after the war; Willenbrock being Captain of said ship)
and three books with photos of Buchheim's time as a war reporter aboard U-96, others and harbours, with excellent pictures and explanations !
The non /41 /42 types were already able to go as deep as 300 meters, however the official "wharf guarantee" was at 120, later 160 meters.
The VIIC boat that torpedoed the Barham, sank to 338 meters (bow) after the attack while evading destroyers, when the crew realized the central depth gauge had blocked at 80 (they really tried to get the boat deeper by flooding more, but the boat did not react or so it seemed), and they received a nervous report from the bow, with its own depth gauge.
The hull had been twisted and torn by the pressure though, and both propshafts had become noisy in their misaligned rotary shaft seals.
I would say that almost every type VII-boat would have been able to go to 220 meters without problem, the very early VIIAs maybe a bit less.
Greetings,
Catfish
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