General Discussions
This is the place to discuss general issues related to the U-boat war or the war at sea in WWII.
Re: This cold weather inspires a U-boat question.
Posted by:
Ken Dunn
()
Date: January 17, 2009 05:54PM
Hi Gaines,
The open bridge of a U-boat was even more cold and miserable than the bridge of a ship due to the spray. It was also cold and miserable inside. The men had all their clothes on and there were some portable electric heaters and that was about it.
At least they could submerge though and while the temperature above water could be well below zero the temperature below would be warmer. They had the residual heat from the diesels that were only run while they were on the surface for a while (unless they were snorkeling) but at least they could get away from the rough seas/high winds/storms/blizzards etc. above and get some rest.
The portable electric heaters in a U-boat were a drain on the batteries and if the batteries were very low they might have to be shut off too. It seems there were never quite enough heaters either.
Those on a ship just had to deal with the motion of the ocean and the terrible cold which resulted in them not getting any rest for days on end. Some ships had adequate heat when you were not exposed to the elements but many merchant ships didn’t. Sometimes the ice buildup on a ship was so bad the ship was in danger of capsizing and the crew had to go out and try to get rid of it. The watches had to be stood 24/7 regardless of the weather while the bridge watch on a submerged U-boat was below out of the weather and rough seas.
Both sides suffered from their equipment freezing up.
There was also always the prospect of ending up in that freezing water or suffering in an open lifeboat or raft until they died too.
Regards,
Ken Dunn
The open bridge of a U-boat was even more cold and miserable than the bridge of a ship due to the spray. It was also cold and miserable inside. The men had all their clothes on and there were some portable electric heaters and that was about it.
At least they could submerge though and while the temperature above water could be well below zero the temperature below would be warmer. They had the residual heat from the diesels that were only run while they were on the surface for a while (unless they were snorkeling) but at least they could get away from the rough seas/high winds/storms/blizzards etc. above and get some rest.
The portable electric heaters in a U-boat were a drain on the batteries and if the batteries were very low they might have to be shut off too. It seems there were never quite enough heaters either.
Those on a ship just had to deal with the motion of the ocean and the terrible cold which resulted in them not getting any rest for days on end. Some ships had adequate heat when you were not exposed to the elements but many merchant ships didn’t. Sometimes the ice buildup on a ship was so bad the ship was in danger of capsizing and the crew had to go out and try to get rid of it. The watches had to be stood 24/7 regardless of the weather while the bridge watch on a submerged U-boat was below out of the weather and rough seas.
Both sides suffered from their equipment freezing up.
There was also always the prospect of ending up in that freezing water or suffering in an open lifeboat or raft until they died too.
Regards,
Ken Dunn
Subject | Written By | Posted |
---|---|---|
This cold weather inspires a U-boat question. | Gaines Blackwell | 01/17/2009 04:47PM |
Re: This cold weather inspires a U-boat question. | Ken Dunn | 01/17/2009 05:54PM |
Re: This cold weather inspires a U-boat question. | Gaines Blackwell | 01/18/2009 02:34AM |
Re: This cold weather inspires a U-boat question. | nicoo | 01/20/2009 07:20PM |