General Discussions
This is the place to discuss general issues related to the U-boat war or the war at sea in WWII.
RE: Oil Targets
Posted by:
Romulo Figueiredo
()
Date: December 06, 2000 02:03AM
<HTML>Dear mates:
I have just sent a message replying \"what happened to guns\" because underwater condition, corrosion and so on (see below).
Really speaking, to attack a target one needs technically an analisys of expected damage level and respective weapons allocation, so a single (or even a group) 105 mm is underpowered for so great intention (not involving survival capacity).
Then I will repeat my first message showing a piece of what happened to U156 when trying to shell the Aruba oil refinery. The German orders had indeed stated for oportunity attacks, however Kelshall write that \"Surprisingly ... U-Boat headquarters censured Hartenstein (156 CO) for waisting time and endangering his boat in the attempt to shell the refinery on Aruba.\"
Here it is:
\"Dear mates:
Simple solutions corresponding to the expected level for solving war effort and restriction of money and time.
Guns as all involved in a war - as much as in a military conception - have to be concerned to what they are intended for.
So, corrosive action was just one price to be paid and it was one of the reasons that a sub had to be stopped between campaigns, beyond changing equipment to grant technical improvements. It is easily noted external transformation of some U-boats ... let us imagine internal services.
For example I suggest to take a look on Italian site \"SUB.net It@lia\" from Ranieri Meloni at [utenti.tripod.it], there it is possible to follow all progressive modification on submarine Da Vinci and more ...
Finally, in the same matter it is very impressive this piece of \"The U-Boat War in the Caribbean\" from Gaylord Kelshall, when describing the audacious attempt of U-156 to shell the great oil refinery on the Dutch island of Aruba:
\"... On board the U156 tragedy had struck. The excitement had been too great and the sailor responsible had forgotten to remove the heavy tompion from the muzzle of the gun. The 105 mm shell had raced up the barrel and detonated inside the muzzle. The explosion opened up the muzzle like a flower. Red hot pieces of shell and burst barrel swept the deck around the gun and two men went down. When Hartenstein looked over the edge of the conning tower, two bodies were lying in spreading pools of blood and there was absolute confusion on the submarine\'s casing. He could hear the great rush as two 155 mm shells flashed over the boat, hitting water beyond. [American ground artillery counterattacking based on U-Boat tentative] As the towers of water from the exploding shells cascaded back down, Hartenstein realised that his boat was now in grave danger. The U156 raced for the cover of the spreading smoke cloud from the harbour, as two more shells flashed over.\"
That is it, this case on 16th January 1942 well shows what happens to whom forgets a simple piece of material, mainly in a check sequence.
And more impressive ... they cut the damaged end off, and had fired two shells on target yet. Of course without results.
Congratulation Joe \"Barrel\" Brandt for your explanation.
Romulo
Rio de Janeiro - Brasil\"
Good waves,
Romulo
</HTML>
I have just sent a message replying \"what happened to guns\" because underwater condition, corrosion and so on (see below).
Really speaking, to attack a target one needs technically an analisys of expected damage level and respective weapons allocation, so a single (or even a group) 105 mm is underpowered for so great intention (not involving survival capacity).
Then I will repeat my first message showing a piece of what happened to U156 when trying to shell the Aruba oil refinery. The German orders had indeed stated for oportunity attacks, however Kelshall write that \"Surprisingly ... U-Boat headquarters censured Hartenstein (156 CO) for waisting time and endangering his boat in the attempt to shell the refinery on Aruba.\"
Here it is:
\"Dear mates:
Simple solutions corresponding to the expected level for solving war effort and restriction of money and time.
Guns as all involved in a war - as much as in a military conception - have to be concerned to what they are intended for.
So, corrosive action was just one price to be paid and it was one of the reasons that a sub had to be stopped between campaigns, beyond changing equipment to grant technical improvements. It is easily noted external transformation of some U-boats ... let us imagine internal services.
For example I suggest to take a look on Italian site \"SUB.net It@lia\" from Ranieri Meloni at [utenti.tripod.it], there it is possible to follow all progressive modification on submarine Da Vinci and more ...
Finally, in the same matter it is very impressive this piece of \"The U-Boat War in the Caribbean\" from Gaylord Kelshall, when describing the audacious attempt of U-156 to shell the great oil refinery on the Dutch island of Aruba:
\"... On board the U156 tragedy had struck. The excitement had been too great and the sailor responsible had forgotten to remove the heavy tompion from the muzzle of the gun. The 105 mm shell had raced up the barrel and detonated inside the muzzle. The explosion opened up the muzzle like a flower. Red hot pieces of shell and burst barrel swept the deck around the gun and two men went down. When Hartenstein looked over the edge of the conning tower, two bodies were lying in spreading pools of blood and there was absolute confusion on the submarine\'s casing. He could hear the great rush as two 155 mm shells flashed over the boat, hitting water beyond. [American ground artillery counterattacking based on U-Boat tentative] As the towers of water from the exploding shells cascaded back down, Hartenstein realised that his boat was now in grave danger. The U156 raced for the cover of the spreading smoke cloud from the harbour, as two more shells flashed over.\"
That is it, this case on 16th January 1942 well shows what happens to whom forgets a simple piece of material, mainly in a check sequence.
And more impressive ... they cut the damaged end off, and had fired two shells on target yet. Of course without results.
Congratulation Joe \"Barrel\" Brandt for your explanation.
Romulo
Rio de Janeiro - Brasil\"
Good waves,
Romulo
</HTML>
| Subject | Written By | Posted |
|---|---|---|
Oil Targets
|
Craig McLean | 12/05/2000 02:06PM |
|
RE: Oil Targets
|
Anders Wingren | 12/05/2000 02:35PM |
|
RE: Oil Targets
|
Fin Bonset | 12/05/2000 02:49PM |
|
RE: Oil Targets
|
Fin Bonset | 12/05/2000 02:46PM |
|
RE: Oil Targets
|
TL | 12/05/2000 03:14PM |
|
RE: Oil Targets
|
kurt | 12/05/2000 05:41PM |
|
RE: Oil Targets
|
TL | 12/06/2000 01:27PM |
|
RE: Oil Targets
|
kurt | 12/06/2000 11:49PM |
|
RE: Oil Targets
|
Rich Mickle | 12/05/2000 11:15PM |
|
RE: Oil Targets
|
Fin Bonset | 12/06/2000 12:25PM |
|
RE: Oil Targets
|
Capt. George W. Duffy | 12/06/2000 12:17AM |
|
RE: Oil Targets
|
Romulo Figueiredo | 12/06/2000 02:03AM |