All Submarines — Silent Hunter 3

When analyzing Silent Hunter 3 all submarines, the Type II is the smallest, slowest, and most vulnerable—but also the most historically accurate for early-war assignments.

Historical Context: The Type II was a coastal submarine built in violation of the Treaty of Versailles. Small, agile, and slow, it served primarily in the North Sea and Baltic during the early war.

In-Game Stats (Type IID):

Playstyle: The Type II is affectionately called the “duck” or “canoe” by the community. It is not a happy boat for the Atlantic. You have no stern tube, meaning you must point your nose at every target. Its shallow depth rating makes escape difficult. However, in 1939–1940, when British ASW is weak, you can sneak into shallow harbors like Scapa Flow or Loch Ewe.

Verdict: Use the Type II only for the first 3–4 patrols. Upgrade to a Type VII as soon as you have 1,500 renown. The Type IID (with saddle tanks) offers slightly better range than the IIA but remains a coastal boat. silent hunter 3 all submarines

SH3 divides U-boats into four families:

| Type | Role | In-Game Variants | Key Strength | Key Weakness | |------|------|------------------|--------------|---------------| | Type II | Coastal/Dwars | IIA, IIB, IIC, IID | Shallow draft, fast dive | Range (<5,000nm), tiny loadout (5 torps) | | Type VII | Atlantic workhorse | VIIB, VIIC, VIIC/41 | Balance: 14 torps, 17 knots surface | Mediocre dive depth (150-200m) | | Type IX | Long-range cruiser | IXB, IXC | Range (>11,000nm), 22 torps | Slow dive, large silhouette | | Type XXI | Electroboat (late) | XXI (mod/addon) | High underwater speed (17kts), deep dive | Scarce in vanilla 1943 end-date |

In Silent Hunter 3, you command German U-boats from seven main types (II, VII, IX, XXI, plus the XVIII, XXIII, and the unique “Walther” boat). Each has distinct range, speed, torpedo loadout, dive depth, and crew size.

Note: The base game includes Types II, VII, IX, and XXI. The XVIII and XXIII are often added via the popular Grey Wolves Expansion (GWX) or other mods. When analyzing Silent Hunter 3 all submarines ,

Flak Loadouts (Vanilla SH3):

Best Upgrade Path:

Pro Tip for SH3 Type VII: Never store external torpedoes in rough weather (North Atlantic winter). They will freeze and become unusable. Bring them inside before diving.

GWX fixes the Type II’s unrealistic crush depth and adds proper hydrophone performance. The Type IID becomes genuinely useful for Operation Weserübung (invasion of Norway) coastal patrols. Playstyle: The Type II is affectionately called the

When you install Silent Hunter 3 vanilla, you have access to seven distinct U-boat types, unlocked as you progress through the war years (1939–1945). Each requires a specific renown score and date availability.

Vanilla SH3 only includes the above. But supermods drastically expand Silent Hunter 3 all submarines to include:

Recommended mods for submarine variety: