built in Kiel by August Howaldt in 1850. From May 1970 she again entered service, this time with a civilian crew and served as a testbed for the technical innovations of the class 206 U-boat. After an underwater collision with the on 6 May 1980 Wilhelm Bauer was discharged from use at Eckernförde on 18 November 1980 and finally released from service in 1983. Conversion to museum ship U-2540 was put on sale by the Ministry of Defence and acquired by the board of trustees of the German Maritime Museum Association and the German Maritime Museum in Bremerhaven. The boat was restored to its original World War II configuration after its transfer in August 1983 to the Seebeck yard, opening on 27 April 1984 as a museum ship in Bremerhaven, now sponsored by the Wilhelm Bauer Technology Museum association. It has imitation twin 30mm cannon and the bridge is not glazed as it was during service with the Bundesmarine. In popular culture Whilhem Bauer was featured in an episode of the documentary series Nazi Megastructures in 2016, with an episode entitled "Hitler's Killer Subs", which included the history of the design and construction of the Type XXI submarine. Gallery Other surviving U-boats SM U-1 References Bibliography External links A tour of the submarine (requires QuickTime VR software) U-Boot Type XXI in detail, Essay with numerous photos of the Wilhelm Bauer attached. Type XXI submarines U-boats commissioned in 1945 U-boats scuttled in 1945 Museum ships in Germany 1945 ships Bremerhaven World War II submarines of Germany Ships built in Hamburg Maritime incidents in May 1945