It Was Huge
The size of this vessel is quite improbable as well. Once it was completed, it was a bit more than 300 feet from its stem to stern. When it was in the water, it displaced 2,410 tons. It was a little more than 27 feet at the widest point, while the max surface speed was 20 knots or so. Below the water, it could travel at a little less than nine knots. It could remain underwater for as long as 48 hours at a lower speed. On top of this, it had a range of about 12,500 miles. It would have taken a lot to bring this sub down.
It Was Huge
A Very Powerful Vessel
It goes without saying that it was a powerful beast. The two propellers of the vessel were fueled by four electric motors that ran on four diesel engines. The crew was made up of six officers and 54 enlisted men. In 1944, however, there were 80 men on board when she vanished. The Grayback had been well-equipped with six 21-inch torpedo tubes at the bow and four more at the stern. It also had a 50-caliber machine gun, an Oerlikon 20mm, and a Bofors 40mm. The weapons were meant to be used as defense from assaults from above, but they could be deployed to attack enemy ships upon surfacing as well. We are sad to say that none of these had come in handy when it was time to save it from its ultimate fate.
A Very Powerful Vessel