General Discussions
This is the place to discuss general issues related to the U-boat war or the war at sea in WWII.
RE: Living conditions
Posted by:
kurt
()
Date: August 09, 2001 04:00PM
<HTML>It is generally considered that Americans had better living conditions in their fleet boats than the U-boaters.
Yes, US fleet boats had hot bunking, crowded conditions, and all the filth and stench of a diesel boat. They had air-conditioning, but they also tended to patrol in hotter climates - most patrols being in the tropics. But the Pacific (true to its name) tended to be calmer than the North Atlantic (what wouldn\'t?), and the big US boats probably rolled and pitched less. Later fleet boats had better water distillers, allowing more bathing.
US boats also often ingressed and and egressed the combat area on the surface, and did not have the constant start to finish threat that faced later year U-boats. And of course they were spared the ordeal of schnorkeling.
But US boats also had a consistent problem with food poisoning. Many times the crew would become nasueas from either food, or water. Quite a few patrols were aborted due to crew sickness from food poisoning of various or unknown origins. If this happened on U-boats, it was rare.
The S-boats were horrible, designed for only short coastal patrols, and were far worse than a U-boat. At least one crew (S-39) got scurvy while fleeing the Philipines.
Anyone know of U-boat patrols aborted due to food poisoning?</HTML>
Yes, US fleet boats had hot bunking, crowded conditions, and all the filth and stench of a diesel boat. They had air-conditioning, but they also tended to patrol in hotter climates - most patrols being in the tropics. But the Pacific (true to its name) tended to be calmer than the North Atlantic (what wouldn\'t?), and the big US boats probably rolled and pitched less. Later fleet boats had better water distillers, allowing more bathing.
US boats also often ingressed and and egressed the combat area on the surface, and did not have the constant start to finish threat that faced later year U-boats. And of course they were spared the ordeal of schnorkeling.
But US boats also had a consistent problem with food poisoning. Many times the crew would become nasueas from either food, or water. Quite a few patrols were aborted due to crew sickness from food poisoning of various or unknown origins. If this happened on U-boats, it was rare.
The S-boats were horrible, designed for only short coastal patrols, and were far worse than a U-boat. At least one crew (S-39) got scurvy while fleeing the Philipines.
Anyone know of U-boat patrols aborted due to food poisoning?</HTML>
| Subject | Written By | Posted |
|---|---|---|
Living conditions
|
CAL | 08/09/2001 01:22AM |
|
RE: Living conditions
|
Torlef | 08/09/2001 05:17AM |
|
RE: Living conditions
|
parade | 08/09/2001 10:38AM |
|
RE: Living conditions
|
walter M | 08/09/2001 12:02PM |
|
RE: Living conditions
|
kurt | 08/09/2001 04:00PM |
|
RE: Living conditions
|
walter M | 08/09/2001 06:02PM |
|
RE: Living conditions
|
parade | 08/10/2001 10:50AM |
|
RE: Living conditions
|
walter M | 08/11/2001 10:22AM |
|
RE: Living conditions
|
parade | 08/11/2001 11:52AM |
|
RE: Living conditions
|
walter M | 08/11/2001 01:33PM |
|
RE: Living conditions
|
David W | 08/09/2001 09:38PM |
|
RE: Living conditions
|
CAL | 08/10/2001 12:29AM |