[Aktungbby]

Having visited the U-505 IX at Chicago and the USS Pampanito at Fishermans Wharf: the main difference is the VII was a submerged campground vs an actual submerged dwelling of the superior Gato or Baleo vessel. One overlooked aspect of the capture of the U-505 was the huge bucket in the engine room that everyone defecated in as the 2nd toilet opposite the cooks galley was used for food storage. I've seen the picture of a US sailor who bravely removed the bucket at the capture even as the scuttle charges were being neutralized, but cannot locate it. The engine room must have reeked!
Moreover, bathing aboard a U-boat was nil for a crew of 45+ due to poor desalinization equipment. The repair backlogs at German bases was miserable as opposed to US facilities at Peal, Midway, Australia thus negating the Nazi strategy of strangling Britain into submission while the Allied effort in the Pacific was what Doenitz could only dream of. The advent of Liberty and Victory cargo rapid production vessels further stymied the Kriegsmarine effort to a total of only 3-5% of Allied cargo vessels sunk overall; ie: a failure of the overall strategy concept largely borrowed from WWI's failure when Britain's Grand fleet did most of the starving of Germany into submission. Doenitz must have seen the light; he pulled all his subs from the Atlantic in 1943??!!