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Type VII submarine
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<p>The Type VII was a class of medium attack <a href="/facts/U-boat/GgjbMzMT">U-boats</a> built for <a href="/facts/Nazi_Germany/8kRbqRpo">Nazi Germany's</a> <i><a href="/facts/Kriegsmarine/uaRl8jgc">Kriegsmarine</a></i> from 1935 to 1945. Designed for attacking the North Atlantic convoy lanes, they formed the backbone ot the German effort in the <a href="/facts/Battle_of_the_Atlantic/PV9uF2Jw">Battle of the Atlantic</a> during <a href="/facts/World_War_II/2efV5L1U">World War II</a>. The Type VII came in several variants, apart from four types Type VIIA, Type VIIB, Type VIIC and Type VIIC/41, which were each time improvements of the previous version, there was also a mine laying version Type VIID and a torpedo supply U-boat Type VIIF. </p><p>709 Type VII U-boats were commisioned by the end of the war. The lone surviving example, <a href="/facts/German_submarine_U-995/s5rlsrur"><i>U-995</i></a>, is on display at the <a href="/facts/Laboe_Naval_Memorial/xMEAQ55I">Laboe Naval Memorial</a> located in <a href="/facts/Laboe/NLB2Iqfo">Laboe</a>, <a href="/facts/Schleswig-Holstein/FIFpSySG">Schleswig-Holstein</a>, <a href="/facts/Germany/paluuWBX">Germany</a>. </p><p>At the start of the Second World War the <i>Type VII</i> class was – together with the British <a href="/facts/British_U-class_submarine/68wAqPxa"><i>U</i></a>, <a href="/facts/British_S-class_submarine_(1931)/Drmjt6Y6"><i>S</i></a> and <a href="/facts/British_T-class_submarine/G6M33MKu"><i>T</i> class</a> and Dutch <a href="/facts/O_21-class_submarine/b1QT8GPQ"><i>O 21</i> class</a> – one of the most advanced submarine classes in service. </p>