VIIA submarine

The Type VIIA design originated from the Vetehinen minelayer developed by Germany for the Finnish Navy in the late 1920s. In turn, the prototype of this project was the UBIII type submarine with a displacement of 516 tons, one of the most successful submarines of the First World War. When designing the submarine, the experience of creating the E-1 and other medium-sized submarines based on UBIII/UG projects for fleets of foreign countries was taken into account.

Type VIIA submarines already possessed most of the characteristic features common to the entire VII series, for example, ballast and equalization tank barrels, which were welded in the middle of the sturdy hull at the waterline. The distinctive features of this type of submarine were the presence of a single vertical rudder and an external stern unit in a light hull, the fairing of which was located above the waterline and was clearly distinguishable in the aft part of the deck.