Can anyone recognise a U-Boat type from these pics please?

[Adrian]

I'm currently preparing to build a model U-Boat and have become slightly confused as to the type of boat it actually is. According to all records, the boat I'm basing my model upon - U-406 is a type VIIC. However, the photos I have of her don't look like the model I've got. The photos look like a type VIIC/41 with a 'double bandstand' at the rear of the conning tower.
Can anyone confirm this from the following photos please?

[Wagriff]

I wonder, if the boat in the aerial photos have been misidentified as the U406? With the rear deck AA gun, the boat pictured almost definitely appears to be an IXC or an IXC40 class. The 4th photo with the men beneath the conning tower show no sign of a rear deck cage, and the U406 was Definitely a VIIC Class boat built in Danzig-which had no rear deck gun cage. I would be inclined to think that the aerial photos that show the boat under attack from the USS Core in 43 are not correct. We'll have to wait and ask our resident U-boat expert Stinschen! William

[Little Mermaid]

Adrian, I believe the one in (some of) your photos is the IXC/40 or simply a variation as they were around too. But I also believe that not all boats were built after the book, you know, an example, some were missing their 88 mm deck guns when they should have been equipped with one, and the opposite.
Take a look here Type IXC/40 long range boats - U-boat Types - German U-boats of WWII - Kriegsmarine - uboat.net
That site is great for all U-boat info, I use it alot for reference and for grey dull days

[Adrian]

Thank you both for your replies. The aerial shot had me confused too and my conclusion is that the boat was mis-identified. If we discount the aerial photos, can the boat type be identified from the head on shots and those which show the bird emblem?

[Little Mermaid]

The bird emblem is surely from the boat you are mentioning here, but in the photo, the flak gun platform does not look like the one built on the VIIC´s. It looks to be lower, to me at least. Could she have been a variation?

But, to me, she is indeed a VIIC.

[Wagriff]

From what I can see, the men standing by the AA deck cage seem to make it about 6 feet tall, so from this line drawing of the VIIC's, I'd say you're safe to stick with a definite VIIC. Type VIIC - U-boat Types - German U-boats of WWII - Kriegsmarine - uboat.net Good luck on your project! You better show us plenty of photos when you're finished! William

[slammer]

It`s a VIIC although I don`t think that all photos are from the same boat I recognize some of the photos from a documentary a few years back about the making of the film "das Boot" they were comparing period photographs with production stills.
They were uncannly accurate.

[Adrian]

Thank you both, I appreciate your thoughts. William, I've started a thread in the scale model forum which I will update as the build goes along and I'll post my U-Boat photos from U-406 with the model or here in this forum.

[Little Mermaid]

Hi Adrian.
Just been browsing through my bookmarks and found this link, maybe it will come in handy

U-boat Archive

[Adrian]

Cheers Chris, I have this site book marked, the two photos above of the type IXC/40 U-Boot under attack came from thie site. It is reported as being U-406 but I think we can safely say it's been mis-identified.