One of the best known and most dread German U-Boat of WWII.  Her captain was the most successful Ace of the Deep. From September 1939 to 1941,  he sank 47 ships for a total of 274,333 tons.  For this the commander received the Knights Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords.

One of Model Ship Master's most accomplished and complicated model to date. 

I-400 was the world's largest submarine.  She was actually a submarine aircraft carrier that carried 3 torpedo bombers.  The I-400 could travel round-trip to anywhere in the world, although it was built with the intention to reach and destroy the strategic Panama Canal. 
 

USS Cavalla was called "The Luckiest Ship in the Submarine Service". She logged 90,000 miles, made 570 dives, and sank 34,180 tons of Japanese shipping.  Her greatest sinking, during six war patrols, was the aircraft carrier Shokaku that had participated in the attack on Pearl Harbor. She was present in Tokyo Bay in September 1945 for the Japanese surrender.
 

Croaker made six war patrols, and attacked and sank a cruiser, four tankers, two freighters, an ammunition ship, two escort craft, and a minesweeper.  With eleven sinkings, totaling 40,000 tons, Croaker's war career typifies the tremendous success of the submarine war against Japan. 
 

On 14 October 1939 Prien risked shallow water, unknown shoals, tricky currents and detection to penetrate the Royal Navy's primary base and sank the battleship Royal Oak.   He sank the British battleship HMS Royal Oak in the heavily defended British North Fleet main harbor at Scapa Flow.

U-48 was the most successful commissioned U-boat of the WWII. During her two years of active service, she undertook a total of 12 patrols and sank 53 ships with a combined total of 321,000 tons. She was very fast and agile, thanks to her dual rudders, and could patrol for approximately a month at a time, giving her a range comfortably across the North Atlantic.  
 

When it comes to anti-submarine warfare, no American submarine was more successful than the USS Batfish SS-310. USS Batfish earned nine battle stars for her World War II service in the Pacific. Over a period of three days in February 1945, she sank three Japanese submarines. For this feat, the "sub killer" was awarded the Presidential Unit Citation.

Pampanito earned six battle stars for her World War II service in the Pacific, sinking five vessels with a total tonnage of 27,332 tons. Her biggest day came on September 12, 1944, when she and two other submarines surprised an 11-ship convoy and sank seven.  Later, Pampanito rescued more than 73 Allied prisoners of war who had been carried aboard the enemy transports unbeknown to the submariners. USS Pampanito is one of the best restored WW II fleet boats.
 

USS Jimmy Carter (SSN-23) is the third and last Seawolf-class submarine.  Carter is 100 feet longer than the other two ships of her class due to the insertion of a section known as the Multi-Mission Platform (MMP), which allows launch and recovery of ROVs and Navy SEAL forces. The MMP may also be used as an underwater splicing chamber for tapping of undersea fiber optic cables. 
 

USS Los Angeles (SSN 688) is the lead ship of the largest class of high speed nuclear powered attack submarines in the US Navy's arsenal today. Her design combines unmatched endurance and speed with the ultimate in submarine "stealth; or quieting technology."  USS Los Angeles' Tomahawk cruise missiles can hit on target on 75 percent of the Earth's land surface. 

David Bushnell’s Turtle, the first American submarine. Built in 1775, its intended purpose was to break the British naval blockade of New York harbor during the American Revolution. With slight positive buoyancy, Turtle normally floated with approximately six inches of exposed surface. Turtle was powered by a hand-driven propeller. The operator would submerge under the target, and using a screw projecting from the top of Turtle, he would attach a clock-detonated explosive charge. This 1875 drawing by Lt. Francis Barber is the most familiar rendering of Turtle. However, it contains several errors, including internal ballast tanks and helical screw propellers.  
 

The Nautilus was described as "a masterpiece containing masterpieces." Much of the ship was decorated to standards of luxury that were unequalled in a seagoing vessel of the time.
 

HMS Astute represents the world's new generation of submarine.  The 310-foot nuclear-powered attack sub generates its own air and water. Perhaps the most extraordinary feature is that it never needs to be refueled throughout its 25-year lifespan, meaning it can sail round the world 40 times without surfacing.  The Astute weapons is 50% greater than the previous class.  A total of 38 weapons, including Spearfish torpedoes and Tomahawk cruise missiles, can be carried.  The HMS Astute costs $2.33 billion. The contractor, BAE Systems, in Barrow, says it learned a lot from US sub builder Electric Boat —namely to build sections of the sub vertically (hence the 12-story construction towers at the plant.) The Astute went for its test drive in October 2007.  Sign up for updates: Wish list or have it faster: commission it.
 

U-25 participated in five war cruises, sinking eight enemy ships. On August 3, 1940, while on a mine laying mission near Norway, U-25 struck a mine and sank with all hands on board.
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The US Navy towed the U-505t to Bermuda to study her military secrets. The trip would cover 2,500 nautical miles — the longest tow of the war.  The U-505 was full of seawater, her conning tower barely above the surface at times. Her rudder was stuck hard to starboard.  Sign up for updates: Wish list or have it faster: commission it.
 

Type XXI U-boats were the first submarines designed to operate entirely submerged, rather than as surface ships that only submerge as a temporary means to escape detection or launch an attack.  Sign up for updates: Wish list or have it faster: commission it.
 

Coastal U-boat



 

Being a smaller cousin of the Type XXI Elektroboat, type XXIII of coastal boat was one of the most advanced submarine designs of WWII.  It was the first submarine in the world to use a single hull design.  As the boat should have to operate in the Mediterranean and Black Sea theaters, it had had to be transportable by rail.  This meant that sectionalized parts of the hull were limited in size in order to fit into the standard rail car compartment.  By the end of the war, of the 61 Type XXIIIs completed, only six boats carried out war patrols.  The patrols were very successful, resulted in five Allied ships sunk with no loss to the attacking boats.  Sign up for updates: Wish list or have it faster: commission it.
 

The Type VIIC was the workhorse of the German U-boat force, with 568 commissioned from 1940 to 1945. The Type VIIC was an effective fighting machine and was seen almost everywhere U-boats operated. The VIIC saw the final defeat by the Allied anti-submarine campaign in late 1943 and 1944. Sign up for updates: Wish list or have it faster: commission it.
 

The Neger human torpedo was the brainchild of Richard Mohr, a naval engineer.  The sumarine consisted of two G7e torpedoes superimposed one on top of the other. The top torpedo was partially emptied and had its warhead removed to allow the installation of a basic cockpit and create enough buoyancy to carry the second torpedo. Sign up for updates: Wish list or have it faster: commission it.
 

A successor to the Neger was the Molch (Salamander). This was basically a slug-like craft which was a carrier for G7e torpedoes slung externally on either side. Sign up for updates: Wish list or have it faster: commission it.
 

6.5 ton one-man midget submarine which could carry two underslung torpedoes. They had the range of 130 miles at 6 knots surfaced and 8.6 miles at 5 knots submerged. This boat had the diving depth of 65 feet.  Sign up for updates: Wish list or have it faster: commission it.
 

The Seehund (seal) was the most successful of several Nazi attempts to perfect a midget submarine. Operated by two men and carrying two underslung torpedoes, the Seehund was used very effectively in the waning months of World War II, sinking over 120,000 tons of allied shipping. Their small size and rapid evasive action made them virtually undetectable and depth charges seemed to bounce off of their resilient hulls. Sign up for updates: Wish list or have it faster: commission it.
 

One of the top-scoring U.S. submarines of World War II, Bowfin is credited with sinking a record-high 16 Japanese vessels with a total tonnage of 67,882 tons.  On a noteworthy patrol in November 1943, Bowfin sank 12 vessels.  In recognition, Bowfin was awarded the Presidential Unit Citation. Bowfin was also awarded the Navy Unit Commendation and the Philippine Republic Presidential Unit Citation. She was the boat selected by Admiral Christie when he went on a war patrol, thus becoming the only U.S. Flag Officer to be aboard a submarine during combat. Sign up for updates: Wish list or have it faster: commission it.
 

Gato received the Presidential Unit Citation in recognition of daring exploits during war patrols four through eight and 13 battle stars for service in World War II. Sign up for updates: Wish list or have it faster: commission it.
 

USS Drum was among the first fleet boats in combat. On her first war patrol from Pearl Harbor in April 1942, she sank the Japanese Navy seaplane tender Mizuho and three merchantmen. She made two more patrols that year, sinking three and damaging three.  In 1943, Drum damaged the Japanese carrier Ryuho, sank three merchantmen and damaged another on her 4th through 8th patrols; receiving heavy damage from escort ships. On her 9th through 12th patrols in 1944, she sank four merchantmen. USS Drum earned 12 battle stars for her World War II service. Sign up for updates: Wish list or have it faster: commission it.
 

In 1986, Cod was designated a National Historic Landmark. The lowest numbered surviving fleet submarine, Cod is also the only example that has not been modified to provide easier access for visitors, who must still use the original vertical ladders in the forward and after torpedo rooms. Located on the Cleveland waterfront adjacent to Burke Lakefront Airport, Cod is open to the public seven days a week, from 10:00 am until 5:00 pm. Sign up for updates: Wish list or have it faster: commission it.
 

USS X 1, the U.S. Navy's only midget submarine, was built by the Engine Division of Fairfield Engine and Airplane Corporation. It was originally powered by a hydrogen peroxide/diesel engine and battery system. However, an explosion of its fuel supply in May 1957 resulted in its conversion to diesel-electric drive. Sign up for updates: Wish list or have it faster: commission it.
 

The USS Cusk made history as the world's first missile submarine. Sign up for updates: Wish list or have it faster: commission it.
 

USS Batfish carried Harpoon missile, Tomahawk cruise missile, and MK-48 and ADCAP torpedoes. The sail-mounted dive planes rotate to a vertical position for breaking through the ice when surfacing in Arctic regions.  Recently declassified missions showcase Submarine Force capabilities. On 17 March, Batfish detected a Navaga-class ballistic missile submarine (NATO reporting name "Yankee II") at the north end of the Norwegian Sea. She began tailing the enemy, collecting valuable information. During the next 50 days, the Yankee never detected Batfish, and Batfish lost the Yankee only twice. Both times the Soviet boat was quickly reacquired. The Soviets remained unaware that their boat had been followed until Warrant Officer John Anthony Walker sold them the information. (Walker pleaded guilty to espionage in 1985.)  Sign up for updates: Wish list or have it faster: commission it.

The largest and quite sub in the West.  A launch platform for 24 Trident ballistic missiles.  On November 11, 1981, Ohio was commissioned.  The principal speaker, The Honorable George H. W. Bush, Vice President of the United States, remarked to the 8,000 assembled guests that the ship introduced a "new dimension in our nation's strategic deterrence," and Admiral Hyman G. Rickover noted that the Ohio should "strike fear in the hearts of our enemies." Sign up for updates: Wish list or have it faster: commission it.
 

The USS Virginia incorporates several innovations. Instead of periscopes, the subs have a pair of extendable "photonics masts" outside the pressure hull. Each contains several high-resolution cameras with light-intensification and infrared sensors, an infrared laser rangefinder, and an integrated Electronic Support Measures array. Signals from the masts' sensors are transmitted through fiber optic data lines through signal processors to the control center. They also make use of pump-jet propulsors for quieter operations.  Sign up for updates: Wish list or have it faster: commission it.
 

Akula incorporates a double hull system that increases the strength reserve and is able to dive deeper than any other modern SSN. It is the quietest Russian nuclear attack submarine; the noise radiated by the Akula-II class is comparable to that of last versions of the American Improved Los Angeles class. Sign up for updates: Wish list or have it faster: commission it.

The Soviet UnionNavy Project 705 (Lira) was a submarine class of hunter/killer nuclear powered vessels.  The class is also known by the NATO reporting name of Alfa.  They were the fastest and one of the deepest diving military submarines built. Sign up for updates: Wish list or have it faster: commission it.
 

The new Sierra-class submarines were intended to be the primary Soviet attack submarine, incorporating a variety of new sensors, silencing equipment, command systems and countermeasures. The Project 945 was generally comparable in performance to early Los Angeles class, though with an arguably superior non-acoustic detection system and integrated acoustic countermeasures system.  Sign up for updates: Wish list or have it faster: commission it.
 

Typhoon-class submarines are the world's largest. They are quieter than their predecessors, largely due to their enormous size and improvements in quieting techniques. Despite their size, they are also more maneuverable than their predecessors. The main body of the sub contains two pressure hulls which lie parallel to each other and a third, which sits on top of them. This unique design increases the width and simplifies the internal arrangement of the sub. Sign up for updates: Wish list or have it faster: commission it.
 

In 1931, not to be outdone by the British or Americans, France fielded Surcouf, at 361 feet and 3,304 tons.  At the beginning of World War II, Surcouf was the largest submarine in the world.  Surcouf was armed with twin 8-inch guns and an airplane. Her short wartime career was marked with controversy and conspiracy theories.  Sign up for updates: Wish list or have it faster: commission it.
 

The first submarine was ever constructed by Cornelius Van Drebel, of Holland, in the service of King James I of England.  It was operated by 12 rowers and submerged to a depth of 12 feet.  This occurred in 1620.  Sign up for updates: Wish list or have it faster: commission it.
 

Brandtaucher was a submarine built the German Navy in 1850.  In January 1850 Bauer, a cavalryman during the German-Danish War, designed Brandtaucher as a way to end the Danish naval blockade of Germany.  Bauer's early sketch attracted the attention of the Minister of Marine, who allowed him to construct a 70 x 18 x 29 cm model. Its satisfactory performance led to the construction of a full-scale model. Brandtaucher was 8.07 m long, 2.02 m at maximum beam and had a draught of 2.63 m and could reach a speed of 3 knots.  Upon seeing the submarine the Danish Fleet decided to retreat, resulting in the first naval victory achieved by a submarine. Sign up for updates: Wish list or have it faster: commission it.
 

Plongeur (French for "Diver") was the first submarine in the world to be propelled by mechanical power. The submarine was propelled by stored compressed air powering a reciprocating engine. The compressed air could propel the submarine for 5 nautical miles, at a speed of 4 knots. The submarine was armed with a ram to hole the hull of enemy ships, and an electrically fired spar torpedo, fixed at the end of a pole. The submarine was 140 feet long. A support ship, the Cachalot, followed her in order to resupply the compressed air.  Sign up for updates: Wish list or have it faster: commission it.
 

The Ictineu II was the first successful combustion powered submarine. It had 14 meters length, 2 meters beam and 3 meters depth. It was built with olive tree wood with oak reinforcements and a 2 millimeter thick copper layer. On its upper side it had a deck of 1'30 meters wide and a hutch with three portholes with glasses of 10cm thick and 20cm diameter. From the conning tower the helm could be steered by means of an endless screw gear. The most important invention was the anaerobic engine of Ictineu II together with the solution to the problem of oxygen renovation in an hermetic container. The engine employed a chemical mix of manganese peroxide, zinc and potassium chlorate that reacted generating the temperature needed for the production of steam and gave as a gas product oxygen which, was collected in exhaust tanks and was used afterwards for breathing and illumination purpose. Sign up for updates: Wish list or have it faster: commission it.
 

Gymnote was the world's first electrical submarine, and is often considered as the world's first modern and fully functional submarine. Sign up for updates: Wish list or have it faster: commission it.
 

The Peral submarine pioneered new designs in the hull, control systems and air systems.  Its ability to fire torpedoes under water while maintaining full propulsive power and control has led some to call it the first U-boat. The submarine was invented by Isaac Peral, a Spanish scientist and a sailor. He intended to use the submarine for military use.  Sign up for updates: Wish list or have it faster: commission it.
 

Launched in 1862 during the Civil War, Alligator was an the 47-foot long submarine that was primarily intended to counter the threat of the Confederate ironclad, the Virginia.  She was an  engineering marvel that helped usher in a new era in undersea travel. But until recently, little was known about the green, 47-foot-long Union vessel. The Alligator was lost off the North Carolina coast during a storm in 1863. It was never seen again.  Art work provided by Joe Hinds who is working with Model Ship Master on a Civil War ship book.  Sign up for updates: Wish list or have it faster: commission it.
 

The Confederate Submarine H.L. Hunley is credited with the first recorded successful underwater attack.  It used a torpedo which was projected from the submarine by a pole.  Maximum speed was 4 knots.  Eight men turned the propeller using a handcrank.  Air was provided by two four-foot pipes and the hull contained enough air for approximately ½ hour of submerged operations.  Sign up for updates: Wish list or have it faster: commission it.
 

CSS David, a 50-foot steam torpedo boat of "cigar-shaped" hull design, was privately built at Charleston, South Carolina, in 1863. After being taken over by the Confederate States Navy, she made a daring spar torpedo attack on the Federal ironclad New Ironsides on the night of 5 October 1863. The Union ship was damaged and David was nearly lost when the splash from her torpedo's explosion swamped her powerplant.  David attacked the Federal gunboat Memphis in March 1864 and the frigate Wabash on 18 April of that year. As a result of her actions, several similar torpedo boats were begun at Charleston in 1864-65. Art work provided by Joe Hinds who is working with Model Ship Master on a Civil War ship book. Sign up: Wish list or have it faster: commission it.