Technology and Operations
This forum is for discussing technological & operational matters pertaining to U-boats.
Re: Torpedo tube rollers in U-boats
Posted by:
Ken Dunn
()
Date: November 23, 2003 11:52PM
Hi Robert,
I have never found a reference to U-boat torpedo tubes having rollers. Of course that doesn't mean they didn't but I have read a lot of books on U-boats over the last few years and if they did I would think one of them would have mentioned it.
As to the grease, I have seen it mentioned in reference to getting a torpedo into the torpedo room through the torpedo loading hatch (perhaps to prevent scratching the torpedo) and I have seen references to it being used as a rust preventative. The conditions inside a U-boat were so much worse than those inside an American sub (temperature/humidity wise anyway) that perhaps they contributed to the need for rust preventative although I would think flooding a tube but not firing the torpedo for some reason would be a good reason for a rust preventative to have been applied to torpedoes in a U-boat as well as those in American subs. Did American torpedoes come with a protective coating from the depot? I guess they could have been pulled out of the tube and cleaned if they had been flooded but not fired too. The German torpedoes were pulled from the tubes every few days anyway and they could have been cleaned up then as well.
I don't recall seeing the grease refereed to in relation to getting the torpedo into the torpedo tube though but again that doesn't mean it wasn't used for that either.
We really need a U-boat vet to help us with this whole torpedo / torpedo tube question.
Also U-2540 was a Type XXI and it's torpedo tubes might have had that groove configuration for the automated loading equipment that was planned for the Type XXIs. It might also have been added after the war.
Regards,
Ken Dunn
I have never found a reference to U-boat torpedo tubes having rollers. Of course that doesn't mean they didn't but I have read a lot of books on U-boats over the last few years and if they did I would think one of them would have mentioned it.
As to the grease, I have seen it mentioned in reference to getting a torpedo into the torpedo room through the torpedo loading hatch (perhaps to prevent scratching the torpedo) and I have seen references to it being used as a rust preventative. The conditions inside a U-boat were so much worse than those inside an American sub (temperature/humidity wise anyway) that perhaps they contributed to the need for rust preventative although I would think flooding a tube but not firing the torpedo for some reason would be a good reason for a rust preventative to have been applied to torpedoes in a U-boat as well as those in American subs. Did American torpedoes come with a protective coating from the depot? I guess they could have been pulled out of the tube and cleaned if they had been flooded but not fired too. The German torpedoes were pulled from the tubes every few days anyway and they could have been cleaned up then as well.
I don't recall seeing the grease refereed to in relation to getting the torpedo into the torpedo tube though but again that doesn't mean it wasn't used for that either.
We really need a U-boat vet to help us with this whole torpedo / torpedo tube question.
Also U-2540 was a Type XXI and it's torpedo tubes might have had that groove configuration for the automated loading equipment that was planned for the Type XXIs. It might also have been added after the war.
Regards,
Ken Dunn
Subject | Written By | Posted |
---|---|---|
Torpedo tube rollers in U-boats | ROBERT M. | 11/23/2003 07:26PM |
Re: Torpedo tube rollers in U-boats | Ken Dunn | 11/23/2003 11:52PM |
Re: The Grease | Rodney | 11/24/2003 02:11PM |
Re: The Grease | Ken Dunn | 11/24/2003 08:03PM |
Re: The Grease clarification | Rodney | 11/24/2003 11:14PM |
Re: The Grease clarification | ROBERT M. | 11/26/2003 12:59AM |
Re: The Grease clarification | joe brandt | 11/26/2003 02:55AM |
Re: The "Vaseline" auf Deutsch?? | Rodney | 11/26/2003 03:29PM |
Re: The Grease clarification | ROBERT M. | 12/04/2003 06:21AM |
Re: The Grease clarification | ROBERT M. | 12/04/2003 07:06AM |
Re: The Grease clarification | ROBERT M. | 12/04/2003 07:28AM |
Re: The Grease clarification | u-boatnut | 10/22/2011 03:24AM |
Re: Torpedo tube rollers in U-boats | Natter | 08/28/2011 03:26PM |