E-Boats

German Schnellboots, meaning “fast boat,” went by many names. The allies referred to them as E-boats, short for enemy boats, while the Germans called them S-boots. Germany was not allowed to build large scale warships as a result of a stipulation in the Treaty of Versailles following the First World War. Instead, the Germans created the smaller and faster Schnellboots. These ships had several new innovations, including long range diesel engines which allowed the boat to travel at 48 knots (or 89 km/h, faster than any boats at the time) and a wedge on the stern that kept the boat steady so that guns fired more accurately as the boat travelled through the water.