Based on U.S. practise (from the ''Gato''s on, anyhow), I'd expect butt-welding. Not in any way at all remotely expert on it, tho. A bit OT: how were the through-hull fittings sealed?
Forum: Technology and Operations

Don't forget, your objective isn't just to evade, it's to re-engage. Going deep makes that harder. Also, the deeper you are, the harder it is to observe the attacker (sonar just doesn't get it), & the better (more aggressive) skippers ''badly'' wanted to know, to see the enemy, & use his movements to calculate counter-moves. And the attacker will ex
Forum: Technology and Operations

It depends on how many shots you're firing & how many fish have already been fired. Taking the U.S. example: if you fire 3 at one target, you can shift targets as fast as it takes to move the 'scope, enter the data in 10-15sec (or less, depending how big the change is: is the range & bearing very similar?), & shoot #4 in under 30sec from #3. (The delay between shots, sometim
Forum: Technology and Operations

What was the real deal? Choice 2. It was feasible, but it wasn't being done, 'cause the Allies had 10cm radar. (After Coastal Command wrestled it away from Bomber Command, who'd had copies captured within days of introducing it!) Postwar, trials were done, & Metox (or its siblings, IDK) could be detected at up to 70nm!
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My impression of ''Das Boot'' was, the German techniques were much like the British WW2 ones, & pretty "loose" in details compared to the USN practise. That may be because Buchheim didn't go into as much detail as, say, Ned Beach did.
Forum: Technology and Operations

I'm wondering about the number of boats commissioned each year of WW2. Is there a good source? Preferably something online...
Forum: Technology and Operations