WWII German Submarine U-Boat 273
The model of WWII Uterseeboot 237 or U-273 was built as an early radio controlled model in the 1950’s.  The hull is painted deep ocean blue with super structure in battleship gray.  The model has character with its strong profile.  It is in reasonably good condition.

The German U-273 was a type VIIC submarine commissioned on Oct. 21, 1942.  The U-273 served with 8 Unterseeboot Flottille (8th U Boat Flotilla) for training from October of 1942 to April 1943 and from May 1943 served operationally with the 9 Unterseeboot Flottille in the North Atlantic.  The U-273 completed one patrol and did not sink any ships.  The submarine was sunk on May 1943 with all hands southwest of Iceland by depth charges dropped from a Lockheed Hudson of No. 269 Squadron of the Royal Air Force.

The VIIC U- boat was the work horse of the German U-boat force with 568 commissioned from 1940 to 1045.  This was an effective fighting machine and was seen almost everywhere U-boats operated.  WWII submarines were basically surface ships that could travel underwater for a limited time. Diesel engines gave them surface speed and long range, but speed and range were severely reduced underwater where they relied on electronic motors powered by relatively short-lived storage batteries.  Recharging the storage batteries meant surfacing to run the air-breathing diesels.  Even combat patrols involved 90 per cent surface operations.