U-551

[sanddjr]

My son and I have the Revell kit and we have decided to build U-551. We are wondering if any one have any photo's of her or can tell me where I can find any. This we appreciate might be a tad difficult as she wasn't around long before she was sunk.

The next question is did she have a breakwater or wind deflector fitted on her first and last patrol, we have so far only found the picture below and have assumed the net cutters were still on her when she left on her last patrol, can any one confirm this.

Are we correct in thinking she had the same vent patterns as her sister U-552 which was laid down in the same yard only a few weeks later.

[Siara]

Id say she had the same configuration as early U-552.

[Rokket]

Uboat encyclopaedia says U 551 had keel laid a few weeks before 552, and they were both launched on the same day. She is closer to 552 than any other boat (550 was actually built AFTER by different yard). 553 was laid on same day, but launched 2 months later than 552, so I would guess construction parallel with 552. But I suppose you could make a case that she's closer to 553. BUT, about 7 boats in that range, 551-558, were certainly very similar.

551 didn't get to do much, left for shipyard on 9 mar 41, got to Bergen 13th, left on 18th for patrol, yay! Then 23rd she was sunk by depth charge attack by anti sub trawler HMS Visenda off Iceland. No survivors.


"On 1st March 1941 the order to remove the net cutters was issued.  As a result, most of the net cutters were removed in March and April 1941.
However, the net cutters were not removed from all boats in this period...Opinions on whether the lower net cutter was removed at the same time as the upper net cutter vary."

Net cutters = nc, breakwaters = bw, wind deflector = wd
U 552 -    14th Sep 1940    nc-yes   bw-yes   wd-no
1941       nc-no   bw-yes   wd-no   
Later in 1941   nc-no   bw-no   wd-yes

[sanddjr]

Thanks for all the information all very useful, I know it's going off track slightly but can anyone tell me when the net cutters was removed from U-553?  we have ideas for building more than one Revell kit.

[Rokket]

Not specifically, you'll have to go by the rough chart

[Siara]

Looking at the patrol history:  http://www.uboat.net/boats/patrols/u553.html
...i doubt she was ever equiped with the netcutter.

Heres few shots of U-553 from subsim directory: http://www.subsim.com/radioroom/showthread.php?t=149950&page=23

[sanddjr]

The subsim thread is a very good one with some excellent pictures, very very interesting.

Re U-553 we assume she carried them as she was commisioned  in December 1940 but might have had them removed in Keil before she set off in April to Bergen. But until I see a picture I have toassume the net cutters were absent on her first patrol.

[Rokket]

Fair enough logic. There were many exceptions and odd things. Are you depicting a specific time, or just general?

[Rokket]

PS - great shots, thanks for the link Siara!

[sanddjr]

Hi Rokket,
Yes her first and only patrol in the case of U551 and in the case of U-553 also her first patrol, hence all the questions. my son and I are converting the kits to radio control and as usual with our builds we like to get our models as accurate as possible.

[Rokket]

That's wonderful, both RC and the accuracy! What I've found personally, and it may not apply to others, is that the research is not only interesting, but it adds so much, not just to the model, but to the HISTORY! It;s fun and interesting to learn more about something. We would all love to see Pictures!

I picked U 557 because I had read the book, and that was the author's first boat, but also, it was such a typical boat! It lasted a year with less than moderate success. My USN Gato is a parallel. An early boat, that lasted a long time and had later fame by default, but it was built a year lager than 557, took almost exactly as long, and had almost exactly a a similar history. 2 things make it special...it lasted a long, long time and became the oldest (or nearly so) Gato still operating, and my 2nd Dad was a young Lt aboard her in 1957. But really, the backbone of the whole affair. Memphis Belle was a great air ship, but there were so may that didn't last one mission, or had average results.

Keep us posted!

[sanddjr]

No problem I'll post pictures of our progress, I totally agree the research is just as enjoyable as the build and then there is the sailing afterwards. We often find in our research events and details which differ from soemof the mainstream books.

We allways try to make our models as accurate as possible as we only start when we feel we have exhausted all avenues of enquiry.

I'll start a thread when we begin to build which hopefully will be in a month or two depending on work commitments.

We appreciate all the help we are getting as this is our first foray into submarines after building surface boats.

[Rokket]

Onc you've built a sub, the surface ships are just "target" as they say...

[sanddjr]

We enjoy building all sorts of boats, tanks and aircraft. Our R/C fleet contains about 15 ships from Yachts, trawlers to warships.  keeps me off the streets!!!!

[Rokket]

Lovely to have variety, every subject has its own charms!

I remember seeing an awesome tugboat kit when I was 10, my Dad and I wanted to buy an build it, but it never happened.