German submarine U-2511


German submarine U-2511 was a Type XXI U-boat of Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine during World War II. The Elektroboot submarine was laid down on 7 July 1944 at the Blohm & Voss yard at Hamburg, launched on 2 September 1944, and commissioned on 29 September 1944 under the command of Korvettenkapitän Adalbert Schnee.

Design

Like all Type XXI U-boats, U-2511 had a displacement of when at the surface and while submerged. She had a total length of , a beam of, and a draught of. The submarine was powered by two MAN SE supercharged six-cylinder M6V40/46KBB diesel engines each providing, two Siemens-Schuckert GU365/30 double-acting electric motors each providing, and two Siemens-Schuckert silent running GV232/28 electric motors each providing.
The submarine had a maximum surface speed of and a submerged speed of. When running on silent motors the boat could operate at a speed of. When submerged, the boat could operate at for ; when surfaced, she could travel at. U-2511 was fitted with six torpedo tubes in the bow and four C/30 anti-aircraft guns. She could carry twenty-three torpedoes or seventeen torpedoes and twelve mines. The complement was five officers and fifty-two men.

Service history

After training with 31st U-boat Flotilla, U-2511 was transferred to 11th U-boat Flotilla at Bergen, Norway, for front-line service on 15 March 1945.
U-2511 conducted one patrol. On the evening of 30 April 1945, U-2511 set out from Bergen, Norway for the Caribbean, but on 4 May Schnee received the end-of-the-war cease-fire order. The commander of U-2511 claimed the U-boat had a British cruiser in her sights on 4 May when news of the German cease-fire was received. He further claimed she made a practice attack before leaving the scene undetected.

Fate

On 14 June 1945 U-2511 was transferred from Bergen, and arrived at Lisahally, Northern Ireland on 21 June for Operation Deadlight. The U-boat was scuttled on 7 January 1946 at 7:40 pm in position. She was sunk by gunfire after her towing cable parted.
The wreck lies at a depth. She had been visited by divers at least three times, in 1999 and 2001, and circa 2012 for 'Dig WW2 with Dan Snow', revealing she is largely intact except for a large blast hole caused by the shellfire that sank her.