General Discussions
This is the place to discuss general issues related to the U-boat war or the war at sea in WWII.
RE: Technical deficiencies in U-Boote
Posted by:
kurt
()
Date: August 07, 2001 01:26AM
<HTML>Io wrote:
\"yet the faster, improved torpedoes that could effectively be used against them were developed slowly and only became operational in 1943.\"
The war started with steam powered torpedoes capable of over 40 knots - faster than any surface ship - with ranges of thousands of metres - beyond the effective aiming range of a U-boat. In mid-war they were gradually phased out in favor of \'wakeless\' electric torpedoes that were much slower.
What torpedo development do you refer to? And what technology available in 1938 did they use?
PS I agree that while U-boats were technically adequate for the start of WWII, they were obsolete by its end - but the biggest shortcomings were electronic, especially the lack of radar and effective radar detectors.
Remember that no one (on the German side), especially the Kreigsmarine forsaw WWII starting when it did, and no one (on the German side) expected it to last as long as it did - until Stalingrad the Germans always thought \'the end of the war is only 6 months away\'. As I have written before, pusueing the type XXI development before 1943 was not a realistic political possibility.</HTML>
\"yet the faster, improved torpedoes that could effectively be used against them were developed slowly and only became operational in 1943.\"
The war started with steam powered torpedoes capable of over 40 knots - faster than any surface ship - with ranges of thousands of metres - beyond the effective aiming range of a U-boat. In mid-war they were gradually phased out in favor of \'wakeless\' electric torpedoes that were much slower.
What torpedo development do you refer to? And what technology available in 1938 did they use?
PS I agree that while U-boats were technically adequate for the start of WWII, they were obsolete by its end - but the biggest shortcomings were electronic, especially the lack of radar and effective radar detectors.
Remember that no one (on the German side), especially the Kreigsmarine forsaw WWII starting when it did, and no one (on the German side) expected it to last as long as it did - until Stalingrad the Germans always thought \'the end of the war is only 6 months away\'. As I have written before, pusueing the type XXI development before 1943 was not a realistic political possibility.</HTML>
Subject | Written By | Posted |
---|---|---|
Technical deficiencies in U-Boote | Io Chrysafidou | 08/06/2001 06:05PM |
RE: Technical deficiencies in U-Boote | walter M | 08/06/2001 07:46PM |
Comments | SuperKraut | 08/14/2001 09:43AM |
RE: Technical deficiencies in U-Boote | David W | 08/06/2001 10:15PM |
RE: Technical deficiencies in U-Boote | kurt | 08/07/2001 01:26AM |
RE: Technical deficiencies in U-Boote | Comments | 08/14/2001 10:14AM |
Ooops | SuperKraut | 08/14/2001 10:41AM |