View source for Type X submarine

{{Short description|Submarine class}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2014}}
{|{{Infobox ship begin
}}
{{Infobox ship image
| Ship image = U234 KptLt Fehler USS Sutton.jpg
| Ship caption = ''U-234'' surrenders to {{USS|Sutton|DE-771|6}}, 1945
}}
{{Infobox ship class overview
| Name = 
| Builders = [[Germaniawerft]], [[Kiel]]
| Operators = *{{navy|Nazi Germany|name=''Kriegsmarine''}}
*{{navy|Empire of Japan}}
| Class before = [[Type IX submarine]]
| Class after = *[[Type XIV submarine]] (tanker submarine)
*[[Type XVII submarine]] (coastal submarine)
| Subclasses = 
| Cost = 
| Built range = 1939 -1944
| In service range = 
| In commission range = 1941 -1945
| Total ships building = 
| Total ships planned = 
| Total ships completed = 8
| Total ships cancelled = 
| Total ships active = 
| Total ships laid up = 
| Total ships lost = 6
| Total ships retired = 
| Total ships preserved = 
}}
{{Infobox ship characteristics
| Hide header = 
| Header caption = {{sfn|Gröner|1991|pp=76-77}}
| Ship class = [[Submarine]] [[minelayer]]
| Ship displacement = *{{convert|1763|t|LT|0|lk=on}} surfaced
*{{convert|2177|t|LT|0}} submerged
| Ship length = *{{convert|89.80|m|ftin|abbr=on}} [[o/a]]
*{{convert|70.90|m|ftin|abbr=on}} [[pressure hull]]
| Ship beam = *{{convert|9.20|m|ftin|abbr=on}} o/a
*{{convert|4.75|m|ftin|abbr=on}} pressure hull
| Ship height = {{convert|10.20|m|ftin|abbr=on}}
| Ship draught = {{convert|4.71|m|ftin|abbr=on}}
| Ship power = 
| Ship propulsion = *2 × [[supercharger|supercharged]] [[Germaniawerft|GW]] F&nbsp;46&nbsp;a&nbsp;9&nbsp;pu 9-cylinder, four-stroke [[diesel engine]]s, {{convert|4800|PS|bhp kW|abbr=on}}
*2 × [[AEG (German company)|AEG]]&nbsp;GU&nbsp;720/8-287 [[electric motor]]s, {{convert|1100|PS|shp kW|abbr=on}}
| Ship speed = *{{convert|16.4|-|17|kn|lk=in}} surfaced
*{{convert|7|kn}} submerged
| Ship range = *{{convert|18,450|nmi|lk=in}} at {{convert|10|kn}} surfaced
*{{convert|93|nmi|abbr=on}} at {{convert|4|kn}} submerged
| Ship test depth = [[Submarine depth ratings|Calculated crush depth]]: {{convert|220|m|ft|abbr=on}}
| Ship complement = 5 officers, 47 enlisted
| Ship sensors = 
| Ship EW = 
| Ship armament = *2 × {{convert|53.3|cm|in|0|abbr=on}} stern [[torpedo tube]]s
*15 × [[torpedo]]es
*66 × SMA [[Naval mine|mines]]
*1 × [[10.5 cm SK C/32 naval gun|{{convert|10.5|cm|in|abbr=on}} deck gun]]<ref>Campbell, John ''Naval Weapons of World War Two'' {{ISBN|0-87021-459-4}} pp.248&249</ref> (200 rounds)
| Ship notes = 
}}
|}

'''Type X (XB) U-boats''' were a special type of [[Nazi Germany|German]] [[submarine]] ([[U-boat]]). Although intended as long-range mine-layers, they were later used as long-range [[merchant submarine]]s, a task they shared with the [[Type IX submarine#Type IXD|Type IXD]] and Italian [[Italian R class submarine|''Romolo''-class submarines]].

==History==
The Type X was originally designed specifically to accommodate the newly developed ''Schachtmine A'' (SMA) [[Naval mine#Moored mines|moored mine]].<ref name="Williamson53">Williamson (2005), p. 53.</ref> The initial design provided dry storage for the mines, which needed their detonators to be individually adjusted before launch; this submarine was projected to have displaced up to 2,500 tonnes.<ref name="Rössler110">Rössler (2001), p. 110.</ref> A further variant, the Type XA was projected, which would have supplemented the main mine chamber with extra mine shafts in the saddle tanks. Neither type entered production.{{sfn|Williamson|Palmer|2002|p=53}}

A total of eight Type XB boats were produced, which replaced the mine chamber of the projected Type XA with six vertical wet storage shafts in the forward section of the hull.<ref name="Williamson54">Williamson (2005), p. 54.</ref> Up to 18 mines could be carried in these shafts, with an additional 48 mines in a series of 12 shafts set into the saddle tanks on each side. They only had two torpedo tubes, both at the stern.{{sfn|Gröner|1991|pp=76-77}} When used as cargo-carrying submarines they carried freight containers in the mine shafts (or had the freight containers welded on top of the lateral shafts, preventing their use for mines).

The first Type XB was launched in May 1941.{{sfn|Gröner|1991|pp=76-77}} At 2,710 tonnes submerged and fully loaded, they were the largest German U-boats ever built, and they had to sacrifice diving speed and agility.

==Service history==
Six of the eight boats built were sunk during the war (four with all hands) but two survived [[World War II]]. One survivor was {{GS|U-234||2}}, which surrendered to US Navy ships on 14 May 1945 while en route for Japan with a cargo that included 560&nbsp;kg [[uranium oxide]], two [[Messerschmitt Me 262|Me 262]] jet fighters, and 10 jet engines.

The other type XB to survive was {{GS|U-219||2}} which reached [[Jakarta|Batavia]] (present-day Jakarta) in December 1944 with a cargo including dismantled [[V-2 rocket]]s for Japan. Following Germany's surrender, ''U-219'' was seized by the Japanese at Batavia on 8 May 1945 and on 15 July 1945 was placed into service with the [[Imperial Japanese Navy]] as ''I-505''.

== List of Type X submarines ==
There were eight Type X submarines commissioned.

{{div col}}
* {{GS|U-116|1941|2}}
* {{GS|U-117|1941|2}} 
* {{GS|U-118|1941|2}}
* {{GS|U-119|1942|2}}
* {{GS|U-219||2}}
* {{GS|U-220||2}} 
* {{GS|U-233||2}}
* {{GS|U-234||2}} 
{{div col end}}

==Losses==
Six Type XBs were lost to various causes.
* {{GS|U-116|1941|2}} was last heard of on 6 October 1942 in the North Atlantic and was presumed sunk.
* {{GS|U-117|1941|2}} was sunk on 7 August 1943 in the North Atlantic by aircraft from {{USS|Card|CVE-11|6}}.{{sfn|Gröner|1991|pp=76-77}}
* {{GS|U-118|1941|2}} was sunk on 12 June 1943 near the [[Canary Islands]] by aircraft from {{USS|Bogue|CVE-9|6}}.{{sfn|Gröner|1991|pp=76-77}} Sixteen crew survived.
* {{GS|U-119|1942|2}} was sunk on 24 June 1943 in the [[Bay of Biscay]] by ramming and depth charges from {{HMS|Starling|U66|6}}.{{sfn|Gröner|1991|pp=76-77}}
*  {{GS|U-220||2}} was sunk on 28 October 1943 in the North Atlantic by aircraft from {{USS|Block Island|CVE-21|6}}.{{sfn|Gröner|1991|pp=76-77}}
* {{GS|U-233||2}} was sunk on 5 July 1944 southeast of [[City of Halifax|Halifax, Nova Scotia]] by [[destroyer escort]]s {{USS|Baker|DE-190|6}} and {{USS|Thomas|DE-102|6}}.{{sfn|Gröner|1991|pp=76-77}} There were 29 survivors.

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==Bibliography==
*{{cite book
|last1=Gröner
|first1=Erich
|last2=Jung
|first2=Dieter
|last3=Maass
|first3=Martin
|translator-last1=Thomas
|translator-first1=Keith
|translator-last2=Magowan
|translator-first2=Rachel
|year=1991
|title=German Warships 1815–1945, U-boats and Mine Warfare Vessels
|volume=2
|location=London
|publisher=Conway Maritime Press
|isbn=0-85177-593-4
|ref=CITEREFGröner1991
}}
*{{cite book |last=Rössler |first=Eberhard |date=2001 |title=The U-boat: The evolution and technical history of German submarines |location=London |publisher=Cassell & Co |isbn=0-304-36120-8}}
*{{cite book |last=Williamson |first=Gordon |date=2005 |title=Wolf Pack: The Story of the U-boat in World War II |location=Oxford |publisher=Osprey Publishing |isbn=1-84176-872-3}}
*{{cite book | last = Williamson | first = Gordon|author-link=Gordon Williamson (writer)| first2 = Ian |last2=Palmer | title = Kriegsmarine U-boats 1939-45: Vol 2 | publisher = Osprey Publishing | year = 2002 | isbn = 1-84176-364-0}}

==Further reading==
*{{cite book |last=Sharpe |first=Peter |date=1998 |title=U-Boat Fact File: Detailed Service Histories of the Submarines Operated by the Kriegsmarine 1935-1945 |location=Leicester |publisher=Midland Publishing |isbn=1-85780-072-9}}

== External links ==
*{{Commons category-inline|Type X submarines}}
*{{cite web
 |url=http://uboat.net/types/xb.htm
 |title=U-boat types: XB
 |last=Helgason
 |first=Guðmundur
 |website=German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net
}}

{{German Type X submarines}}
{{Uboat |state=collapsed}}
{{WWII German ships}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Type 010}}
[[Category:German Type X submarines| ]]
[[Category:Submarine classes]]
[[Category:World War II submarines of Germany]]
[[Category:Minelayers|German Type 010]]