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Originally Posted by jimbuna
Only 6 Type XXIII were operational and carried only 2 eels......not much of an adventure awaiting there I'd have thought  |
Think about it, though: Those 6 boats went on (I believe) 10 operational patrols from January 1945 to May 1945.
I know some of the boats went on more than one patrol: U-2326 went on two: 19-27th of April 1945, and 4-14 May 1945. He had several destroyers and corvettes go right over top of him and not detect him.
U-2324, the first one to go on operational patrol, also managed two patrols, as did U-2322.
Collectively those 6 boats sank 5 ships altogether in 10 patrols, with no operational losses. That is quite a record considering the time period and the limitation of 2 torpedoes.
The first XXIII boat was launched in April of 1944. Certainly, that opens up the possibility of attacking the D-Day invasion fleet, and
surviving. I think I tried attacking them when I first got GWX, and I promptly had pieces of my stern handed back to me in a rather attractive gift-wrapped box, tied up with a fancy bow.
Let's compare the record of the XXI, on the other hand:
Only two went on war patrols, and they sank nothing. Schnee did set up on a task force, but he had already received the surrender message, and didn't attack.
Ideally, we should have both the XXI and the XXIII available for late war patrols, but if I had to give up one for the other, I'd give up the XXI for the XXIII.
Just my humble opinion, of course...