U-boats

=U-Boats in World War One - Sean Howe=

**Overview**
U-Boats were first invented by the Germans for use in World War One (WWI), and have been used ever since. A U-Boat is another name for a submarine. The U in U-Boat means "unterseeboot" which translates to "undersea" in English, so by meaning, undersea boat (submarine). U-Boats were a significant use in the war because they were an advancement in technology of boats and were secretive in water, which made navies all the more stronger.

**Anatomy**
There are many different types of U-Boats. Because of the varying types, they all have different shapes and interior designs. As an overview of the anatomy, the generic U-Boat always has a closed exterior to prevent water from coming in when the boat submerges. It also has a control room and a system of weapons (usually torpedoes) to be protected. The size of the U-Boats was small, frail, and tiny so it gave the boat a look of vulnerability, which was bad because of the power and destruction it could cause all by itself.

**Torpedoes**
Every torpedo used in a U-Boat was/is 23 feet long and 21 inches in diameter. There are two variations or types, which are steam or electric. There is a three letter generic code for each torpedo. In WWII, the lettering always began with G. The second was a number signified by whether it was 5 or 7 meters long. Finally the third letter was either an "a" for steam or "e" for electric.
 * || Length (5) || Length (7) ||
 * Steam || G5a || G7a ||
 * Electric || G5e || G7e ||

**Uses**
The U-Boats had many uses in the war. They were used for torpedo attacks, minelaying (dropping mines on ocean and coastal floors), and when not in war, used for export and trading.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RCrzaC4aLPg

**Communication**
German U-Boats were able to communicate to each other between their specific U-Boat. Because they were sending messages, they did not want any enemies or anybody rather, to see their messages. From this, they came up with a secret code to transfer their messages. This code was called the "Enigma Code" (also known as the "German U-Boat Code"). Enigma means "a mystery", or "something that baffles understanding and cannot be explained" (www.princeton.edu). To transfer these codes, the Germans would use what is called an Enigma Machine. Basically you type in what you are actually saying (of course once the format is set), then it changes it and sends it in the changed code. This code was used for a while, but when the Enigma Code was finally cracked and solved, the system was useless. Below is a picture of the seven different codes that were ever used on an Enigma Machine. Also with the codes is a picture of an actual machine.

**Loss**
As heavy armored and strong as these boats were, they were still able to be destroyed. Many lives were lost in all sorts of battles and attacks against U-Boats or involving U-Boats, but the most famous sinking was the sinking of the Lusitania by German U-Boats.

**Gallery**
Here are some photos to enhance your understanding of what most U-Boats look like.

@http://www.uboat.net/forums/read.php?3,78865,78887

**Conclusion**
In conclusion, U-Boats were an amazing invention and technological advancement in World War One and then on. The system is powerful and has been used for many things. Especially now U-Boats are impressive because people copy the basic design of torpedoes and submarines in general and use them for newer, better and more excellent boat designs. The Enigma Code was an amazing idea as well and added a sense of superiority to the U-Boats because they had their own specific language.

**Credits**
This is a list of websites used.

http://www.uboat.net/wwi/types/

http://www.uboat.net/

http://www.uboatarchive.net/

http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-a-u-boat.htm

http://www.history.com/topics/u-boat

http://www.uboataces.com/history-gallery.shtml