The U-Boats have their unforgettable place in WW II history. We'd seen a post, here, a short while ago, about U-96 (a Type VIIC U-Boat), from the Battle Space Series. And, Erwin Welker's (FSX/P3D) Ships, being one of my favorite group of SIM Objects, today, I caught an interesting Library upload file, leading up to this post, which illustrates one of the most remarkable example of another type of U-Boats (the IX Type), the longest range U-Boats. Within the IX series, there were (IXA/IXB/IXC/IXD). And, IXD had two variants (IXD1/IXD2). The IXD1 and IXD2 closely matched each other in almost all respects, except for one, the Nautical Range, in which characteristic, the IXD2 was vastly superior to IXD1. To appreciate its ultra-long range, we note that, the circumference of the Earth is ~25,000 miles, and the Range of the IXD2 Type U-Boat was even greater than that, ~27,000 miles...(i.e. it could literally roam around the globe)...!!

An example of this IXD2 Type, was U-862, one of the most travelled of all (WW II) U-Boats...! During WW II, U-862 spent 206 days at sea, over two patrol duties, and travelled mind-boggling distances across the oceans of the world (see screenshots of 2 (approximate) MAP Routes included, below).

1. 1st Screenshot/1st Patrol: U-862 travels from Bremen (Germany), rounding the southern edge of African continent, to Penang (Malaysia). From Malaysia, it travels (back west) to the Mozambique Channel between Africa and Madagascar, and then returns (east) to Jakarta (Indonesia).
2. 2nd Screenshot/2nd Patrol: Starting from Jakarta, U-862, next, travels south, rounding the southern edges of Australia/Tasmania, further west to New Zealand. Then, ordered to return to Indonesia, it makes its way (west) across Indian Ocean, back to Batavia (part of current-day Jakarta). Its last location at the end of WW II was Singapore, it was taken over, there, by the Imperial Japanese Navy.

This Pilotable U-boat SIM, here, has "diving"/"submersion" effects animated. See the (ending) sequence of images, starting, with watch-crew, stationed atop the Conning Tower, and then, (after, the crew retreat inside the boat), the Tower gradually getting submerged under the ocean water...!

Thanks for viewing...!!

[Erwin Welker's adaptation of SH3 (Silent Hunter 3) U-Boat Model]

***Fantastic Historical Post*** I had no idea of the range of the IX.And thanks for the U-96 mention,Cheers Friend,Happy Hunting,😊

Very informative...Well done

Patrick, Simeon: Thanks for the kind comments...!!

[Patrick: Without for your earlier post, I would have probably skipped this upload in the Freeware Library, glad I didn't...(you know, these days, "expectedly", hardly any FSX/P3D uploads, make it to the "Top 50"...🙂...(a refreshing change, btw), but, this U-Boat did make it, so, this must be "real" fighter...🙂....and, also, good to know, there are a few others, here, indeed, who are also interested in such stuff...🙂...]

Ah, submarines - the world's ultimate stealth fighters... 

Interesting read and pics as always! Sometimes it's weird the way that life pans out.... why? You ask. Because:

Yesterday I had a new boardgame arrive: The Hunters by Greg M. Smith, German U-Boats at war 1939-43.!!  Originally by Consim Press (part of Consim World LLC)

https://www.gmtgames.com/p-556-the-hunters-3rd-printing.aspx

It's a solitaire game, along the lines of his Amerika Bomber, Evil Queen of the Skies (Greg's homage to B17 QoTS boardgame). You are the Captain of a single U-Boat. The game comes with loads of determination tables/charts, a wide variety of subs to captain throughout the timescale, some dice and a pad of patrol sheets.

These type of games are "narrative" games where the player throws loads of dice throughout the patrol, consulting the results and applying them, good & bad. Thus your own "Das Boot" story takes shape. I like this   Obviously the game is based on luck,  but some of that can be modified - some choices are to be had for the crew.

All that the other members of one's household can hear during a session (of Amerika Bomber, not played The Hunters yet) is the almost constant rattling of dice, with odd pauses for mutterings under one's breath, profanities or cheers. 

I'd have linked to the Board Game Geek entry, but they've had a falling out due to my difference of opinion...  caused by their thread about Consim World... oh the irony!

What happens after 1943? Then the Hunters become The Hunted (the sequel game) as the Allies sub chasing improves and the U-Boat scourge is on the decline.