Germany's Type 212A Submarine: A Real Stealth Sub? As the German Navy has expanded its operating area to cover the waters of Northern Europe, the North Atlantic and the Mediterranean Sea, the Type-212A has been crucial —allowing Germany to operate in the littoral areas as well as the open sea. Germany wasn’t the first nation to utilize submarines, but in 1905 followed the British Royal Navy’s new focus on the then-cutting edge technology by adopting the U-1 (Unterseeboot 1). The 139-foot long boat was powered on the surface by a heavy oil engine and by an electric motor when submerged; and while primitive by today’s standards, proved to be a stepping stone for the Kriegsmarine’s emphasis on a new type of warfare.