German submarine Wilhelm Bauer 2.87

Wilhelm Bauer is a Type XXI U-boat of Nazi Germany's navy, completed shortly before the end of World War II. It was scuttled at the end of the war, having never gone on patrol. In 1957, it was raised from the seabed off Flensburg Firth and recommissioned in the West-German Bundesmarine in 1960. Finally decommissioned in 1980, it is the only floating example of a Type XXI U-boat.Construction and wartime serviceConstruction of U-2540 began on 28/29 October 1944 by Blohm & Voss in Hamburg-Finkenwerder. She was launched on 13 January 1945 and commissioned on 24 February 1945 as part of 31st U-boat Flotilla for training purposes. In April 1945 the boat went to the front after training at Rønne on Bornholm. Due to the ongoing fuel shortages at the end of the war, the boat was relocated to Swinemünde before being scuttled near the Flensburg lightship on 4 May 1945.DesignLike all Type XXI U-boats, U-2540 had a displacement of 1621t when at the surface and 1819t while submerged. She had a total length of 76.70m, a beam length of 8m, and a draught length of 6.32m. The submarine was powered by two MAN SE supercharged six-cylinder M6V40/46KBB diesel engines each providing 4000PS, two Siemens-Schuckert GU365/30 double-acting electric motors each providing 5000PS, and two Siemens-Schuckert silent running GV232/28 electric motors each providing 226PS.