Thank you. I wonder if they used the lower hatch routinely as well. i.e. when submerged, would they routinely close both hatches, or only the upper one?
Forum: Technology and Operations

I am trying to understand the basics of the conning tower.Please forgive my limited knowledge. To start with, am I right to understand that there is a hatch on top of the control room. This leads to the area inside the conning tower ( conning tower room). Above this little room is a hatch that leads to a small deck where people could stand. Am I right that there are two hatches, one between c
Forum: Technology and Operations

Of course all of us are aware that , U boats are called U boats. I do find it intriguing that submarines are thought of as boats. I have heard that even modern submarine crews refer to their subs as "boats". Is this true ? Many thanks for any insight.
Forum: General Discussions

I am wondering how does a U Boat prevent water ingress via the revolving propeller shafts ? I suppose it uses similar technology to ship propeller shafts. But the pressure differential are much higher underwater, so are there special design considerations ? Many thanks Pras.
Forum: Technology and Operations

Many thanks. Does this mean that if there is a serious breach , the safe refuge will be the control room ?
Forum: Technology and Operations

hello everyone i am trying to work out where the bulkheads are. below, in the link, are the ones i could find, labelled one to seven. are these all pressure bulkheeads .... i.e. can they all withstand pressure if there is a leak ? bulk heads 4 and 6 look very different .... can they withstand higher pressure than other doors ? (note, i seem to have forgotten to have a number 5 l
Forum: Technology and Operations

Many thanks. The image below is from U 505 , a type IX. Are these sight glasses the equivalent of the ones we have discussed so far ?
Forum: Technology and Operations

Were the level gauges like an "open U tube" or were they closed at one end .... i.e. behaving like pressure gauges. I presume, that since the scales are linear, they were open ended gauges ? Also, I wonder how did they see the levels through the perforated cage ? I thought the sub at times was quite dark ?
Forum: Technology and Operations

Many thanks for your explanations. Just to make sure I have understood correctly, in general use, the ballast tanks are either full or empty. The fine regulation of depth is by adjusting the subs buoyancy, and this is done using "regulation tanks". I have read that a sub maintains depth using two methods, buoyancy control and using the hydroplanes ( dynamic control). Perhaps we shoul
Forum: Technology and Operations

Thank you for the phenomenal knowledge. I am trying to link to some pictures in FLickr, and as the above shows, they are not doing so correctly. Anyway, I have given the full links below for two pictures of the control room. Photo one: Photo two: In these images, I can see marked scales next to perforated metal covers. Next to these scales (2,3,5,8) I do not see any
Forum: Technology and Operations

I am wondering how did the U boat crew know the status of the various ballast tank s .... i.e how full/ empty they were. If there were indicators, what was the technology principles they would have used ? Thank you very much Pras
Forum: Technology and Operations

Am I right to understand that after capture, a lot of the innards of the U 505 were removed for analysis and as souvenirs. I also read that original equipment manufacturers replaced lost items. Is there any place which mentions how much of the current U 505 consists of original parts that were there at its capture ? In this context, could one say that the best preserved WW 2 U boat is the one in
Forum: Technology and Operations

Grateful if one will clarify if I have understood the clutches correctly. From my understanding, there is a clutch between the engine and motor (engine clutch), and there is a clutch between the motor and the propeller ( prop clutch). Are these clutches electrically activated (e.g. solenoid) or are they mechanically activated. And is it possible to control them remotely ? Am I right to
Forum: Technology and Operations

Hello Maciek, I am , and I am sure others are as well, completely amazed about your depth of knowledge and ability to explain complex things to us. I say a very big thank you. I will be posting many more questions over time .... and will not be praising you each time , so as to not clutter the forum with praise. But please be sure that I , and I am sure future visitors as well, will read what
Forum: Technology and Operations

Hello. I have read that the U boat engines were fairly "exposed" so that they are easy to repair quickly. This is apparent in this image of the U 995, a type VII sub. However, I am surprised to see that in the type IX sub, the U 505, the engine seems to be all covered up ! Grateful for any insights .... thank you. Pras
Forum: Technology and Operations

I have often read that when the subs left or arrived at Lorient that they were accompanied by escorts or even other subs. Am I right to understand that this was to increase anti aircraft defences ? Occasionally I read that the escort comprised of a minesweeper. Is this to clear mines, or in this role, they are using the anti aircraft guns on a minesweeper ? How far did the escorts venture out ? G
Forum: General Discussions

I have read that the diesel tanks are open bottomed, because fuel is less dense than water, it floats. As the diesel is used up, sea water takes its place. Is this true ? I thought that water was the enemy of diesel engines .... i.e. if water got into them , that was the end of the engine. Surely with this method, water contamination would be a big issue. Grateful for any thoughts on this. Thanks
Forum: Technology and Operations

Many thanks Maciek. I was wondering, since air floats, what is the need for the sea valve. I.e. if there was simply a hole at the bottom of the ballast tank, would one be able to do what you described ?
Forum: Technology and Operations

I am reading twenty million tons under the sea by Gallery. He mentions that the ballast tanks have a compressed air valve at the top and a sea inlet valve at the bottom. I do not understand the purpose of the sea inlet valve. Shouldn't only the air valve at the top be necessary, since air remains at the top ? Thank you.
Forum: Technology and Operations

Hello. As mentioned before, I am a novice and would be very grateful if you will help me to get the basics right. As I read various books on U boats, I see reference to the periscope used. I am not sure if I understand this correctly. First of all, I presume that a periscope is a visual system that can rise above the conning tower when needed, and can be retracted when not needed. I wonder how
Forum: Technology and Operations

Thank you very much. There is plenty for me to start with. Cheers Pras
Forum: Technology and Operations

Thank you very much. Yes, this is indeed good starting material.
Forum: Technology and Operations

Hello all, I know there are plenty of books on the battles / people in the u boat story. However, i cannot seem to find books that focus on the technical functioning of u boats .... e.g. radio systems / electrical motor / etc. I find the original u boat manuals difficult to understand. Grateful if someone could recomend any books focussing on the technical aspects .... or perhaps such
Forum: Technology and Operations

Sorry, my previous post was irrelevant, because i did not realise you wanted to know about world war ONE subs. Sorry.
Forum: Technology and Operations

If I remember correctly, in Hans Goebelers book, (see amazon for title) , he mentions French sabotaging U boat welds. Cheers Pras
Forum: Technology and Operations

I just read and enjoyed the book : Iron Coffins: A Personal Account of the German U-boat Battles of World War II by Herbert Werner. However, on further research on Google , according to some forums, it seems that a lot of the book is simply fiction ! I wonder what peoples opinion on this is. Also, if one wants to know of true U Boat accounts, what books are good to read. Thank you.
Forum: General Discussions

I am planning to make a website about an uboat patrol (typically attacking a convoy and also getting hunted by killer hunter groups). I hope to supplement the main story with a lot of images and diagrams to illustrate the technology. As you may know, website names are extremely difficult to find since people hog them and ask for exorbitant amounts. For an example, submarinewar.com is for sale
Forum: General Discussions

I am planning to make a website about an uboat patrol (typically attacking a convoy and also getting hunted by killer hunter groups). I hope to supplement the main story with a lot of images and diagrams to illustrate the technology. As you may know, website names are extremely difficult to find since people hog them and ask for exorbitant amounts. For an example, submarinewar.com is for sale
Forum: General Discussions

Thank you very much for the pointers for more info. I was having a quick read of the VII manual. They say that the oxygen and carbondioxide absorbers allow 72 hours supply. I am a bit perplexed. I presume that in mid sea, there was no way to replensih oxygen or the co2 absorber chemicals. So doing the maths, one could then , assuming 8 hours submerged, would limit patrols to only 8 days or so ?
Forum: Technology and Operations

perhaps you can attach a image or link to an image. thanks
Forum: Technology and Operations