General Discussions
This is the place to discuss general issues related to the U-boat war or the war at sea in WWII.
Re: Maybe a stupid question....But anyway...
Posted by:
J.T. McDaniel
()
Date: December 29, 2001 04:42AM
<HTML>Red goggles were common in most submarine forces to preserve night vision. Even in a red-lit environment, darker tinted glasses could help by insuring that the pupils were fully dilated as soon as the officer or lookout reached the bridge. In the US service, a lookout was not allowed to relieve at night until his eyes were fully adjusted to the darkness. (If you were on the platform on the periscope shears and could tell how many fingers the OOD was holding up you were ready.) I would presume this was the same in all navies, since the lookouts are the ones who have to notice what's going on around you and keep you alive. (Even more important when you don't have good radar.)
The goggles could also present problems. Trigger ran aground when the captain couldn't see a reef marked on the chart in red ink because he was wearing the night vision goggles.
As I recall, Prien had to enter Scapa on the surface because of the strong currents. Night periscope attacks were certainly possible. The search periscope was designed for night use and had a larger head for increased light gathering qualities. Before radar became ubiquitous, night surface attacks were the preferred method, as it allowed higher speed, greater manoeuvrability, and better vision than either periscope. After all the escorts got radar it was a lot safer to attack while submerged.
No real idea on comparative requirements for manning the boats, but I think it's safe to say that all navies were concerned with getting the best men. German standards may have been slightly higher, though, simply because they placed the greatest emphasis on that branch. In other navies the prestige jobs were mostly in surface warships. Submariners certainly received the most thorough training. In no other vessel is a minor error quite as likely to kill everyone aboard. (In Cleveland right now, USS Cod keeps the heads closed off behind plexiglas shields to insure that no visitor opens the wrong valve and sinks the boat at the pier.)
J.T. McDaniel</HTML>
The goggles could also present problems. Trigger ran aground when the captain couldn't see a reef marked on the chart in red ink because he was wearing the night vision goggles.
As I recall, Prien had to enter Scapa on the surface because of the strong currents. Night periscope attacks were certainly possible. The search periscope was designed for night use and had a larger head for increased light gathering qualities. Before radar became ubiquitous, night surface attacks were the preferred method, as it allowed higher speed, greater manoeuvrability, and better vision than either periscope. After all the escorts got radar it was a lot safer to attack while submerged.
No real idea on comparative requirements for manning the boats, but I think it's safe to say that all navies were concerned with getting the best men. German standards may have been slightly higher, though, simply because they placed the greatest emphasis on that branch. In other navies the prestige jobs were mostly in surface warships. Submariners certainly received the most thorough training. In no other vessel is a minor error quite as likely to kill everyone aboard. (In Cleveland right now, USS Cod keeps the heads closed off behind plexiglas shields to insure that no visitor opens the wrong valve and sinks the boat at the pier.)
J.T. McDaniel</HTML>
| Subject | Written By | Posted |
|---|---|---|
Maybe a stupid question....But anyway...
|
Jorge | 12/29/2001 02:25AM |
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Re: Maybe a stupid question....But anyway...
|
J.T. McDaniel | 12/29/2001 04:42AM |
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Re: Maybe a stupid question....But anyway...
|
TAYFUN KARATAS | 01/01/2002 05:39PM |