U-1308 was one of nine Type VIIs fitted with an experimental synthetic rubber skin of anechoic tiles known as Alberich, which had been designed to counter the Allies' asdic/sonar devices.

She would not remain on the sea floor for long however, as she was salvaged in February 1953 for potential use in East Germany's fledgling U-boat program.

However, the U-1308 would ultimately be scrapped in mid 1953 following the abandonment of the East Germany's plans for a U-boat fleet.

While making a surface attack, a set of large, heavy binoculars were mounted on top of the pedestal.

Information of the bearing to the target was transmitted to the control room, where an electro-mechanical computer calculated the exact angle for firing the torpedoes.

Sometime late in World War II, an updated version of the UZO entered service with the Type VIIC boats.

U-1308, like most Type VIIs, IXs and XXIs, was equipped with two periscopes, one for the attack, the second for the purposes of navigation and search.

To make it less visible to the enemy and to reduce the wake, the periscope head and neck-size were keep to a minimum.

The attack periscope was fitted with a heating system that served to prevent fogging of the lenses.

Thetis was the name of a floating decoy used by U-boats to confuse Allied warship radars.

The device was stored, dismantled, in the bow compartment, as a pole about 2 metres (6 ft 7 in) long.

U-1308 was the last Type VIIC/41 to be built and would have been fitted with a schnorchel, an apparatus to enhance the U-boats' performance below the surface, thus making its position more difficult to detect.

U-1308 was one of nine Type VIIs that the Kriegsmarine fitted with an experimental synthetic rubber skin of anechoic tiles, designed to counter the Allies' sonar devices.