U-Boat U-52 (Type VIIB)

The name "U-boat" (short for the German Unterseeboot) inspired fear on the seas and oceans. German submarines were a symbol of effective, surprise attacks from the depths. Their history dates back to World War I, but it was during World War II that they gained the nickname "wolf packs" preying on Allied convoys.

The Type VII, to which U-52 belonged, was the most widely produced and exceptionally effective model. Despite their technological advancement, these submarines were also deadly to their own crews – the mortality rate among submariners was among the highest in the Kriegsmarine.

Commissioned in 1937, launched in 1938, and commissioned in February 1939, U-52 operated under the command of Kapitänleutnant Wolfgang Barten. She participated in the Battle of the Atlantic, completing eight patrols and sinking thirteen Allied ships. She reached a speed of 17.9 knots on the surface and 8 knots submerged. She was finally sunk in Gdańsk in 1945.

COBI set 4852. 1:144 scale. 474 pieces.