Scale: 1:50. A German shipbuilder’s model of the highest quality and, given the somewhat anonymous nature of the subject, full of fine and interesting detail. One can appreciate from the model the sculptural form of the depicted vessels.

The U-boats ‘U-25’ and ‘U-26’ were built by Deschimag A.g, of Bremen (who, presumably, made the model as well). They were the prototypes of the sea-going submarines used by Germany in the Second World War, which makes the model an important documentary artefact. 862 tons surfaced, 983 tons submerged, they each were 233 feet in length, had four 21-inch torpedo tubes and carried 14 torpedoes. They each had a complement of 43 and their range was 6700 miles at 12 knots on the surface, or 78 miles at 4 knots submerged.

During the First World War Germany had led the world in submarine design with her U-boats. Under the terms of the Treaty of Versailles she was forbidden to own, or build, such vessels. Nevertheless development in U-boat technology continued secretly, a notable example being the ‘Gur’, built to a German design at Cadíz, in 1932, for the Turkish Navy. The London Agreement of 1935 between Great Britain and Germany nullified the clauses of the Versailles Treaty relating to submarines.

That same year, ‘U-25’ and ‘U-26’ were laid down, their design based on the ‘Gur’. At the outbreak of war, ‘U-25’ and ‘U-26’ were training boats, but because of the initial acute shortage of U-boats they were transferred to an operational role. Both vessels were sunk in 1940: the ‘U-25’ was mined off Terschelling, whilst her sister boat was sunk southwest of Bishop’s Rock by the corvette ‘Gladiolus’, with aircraft assistance.

This model was transferred to the Museum from the Naval War Trophies Committee in the mid-1940s.