Depends on the captain and the target, some like Prien, would attack even during storms. The biggest problem with attacking during a storm was accurate shooting. It was hard to keep the boat heading where you want and torpedoes could "broach" (i.e. be pushed to the surface by waves) causing them to deviate from their course.

Try this with binoculars when in a car. It is impossible to make it level. I tried. Of course cars 3d movement is much more chaotic, so I guess on a U-boot one could keep it level to some extent, but defenitely not exactly stabilized. My thinking is that looking through binoculars as it is now in Sh5 gives you exactly the effect one would see through UZO - it is not level but you can make it level to some extent manually (using mouse).

Regarding cushinong - it doesn't affect stabilization at all, just remember that regular binoculars are also cushioned - by your hands and body, they are soft, remember? So: neither UZO nor scopes/gun were stabilized in U-boats. The scopes are, however, naturally more 'stable' since the boat is submerged when using scopes and hence much more stable.

Regarding split-image stadimiter - AFAIK neither scopes nor UZO had it in the U-boats. You had to use mil marks and your best judgement from experience.

I was meaning that if you spend time on a boat (standing up) you develop
an ability to stand upright as the deck pitches under you. This comes from your ankles.
You can also do this from your hips if you are sitting. (anyone who has had soup on a ship
in rough weathers knows what I mean here:D). The
point is that you have to get used to this motion and works best when standing.

In a car I agree this would not work.

I have been running some tests with the "unstabilize/stabilize" gameplay options in sh5 and the effect on the UZO. I think you can justify using either one based on the available evidence. I noticed that in sh5 the "stabilize" view is not locked to the horizon, but will still sway up and down, just not as much as the "unstabilized" option. In my case, based on this thread, I have decided to switch to the "stabilized" option.

Sorry, but for me it´s not possible to write the exactly source, because I´ve bought me since the last 20 years over 60 books from german subs in WW2 (for example iron coffins from Herbert A. Werner and many others). So I remind that I read about the UZO in one of my books, but I think you understand, that I can´t say exactly in which book ( when you want I can post a picture from all of my books...;)).

So, I asked a former submarine driver of german Navy (Bundesmarine) in my german ubi-forum and he answerded me the following (I´ve translate his answer via google, because my english is not so good):

Please look first this picture: http://www.u-995.com/images/galerie/...kenwanne02.jpg

and then read his answer:

"In the pictures of the bridge when can we see the column of the torpedo target device or the UZO base very well. The upper range (ie where the UZO is placed), is from the surrounding ring with the degree numbers must be clearly separated. Somehow reminds me of the process with the support of a magnetic compass, which is indeed suspended freely to compensate for the ship's movements.
This makes sense since the UZO was indeed used in case of water attacks, so a submarine, even at low wave heights ever is rocked by something stronger. It would therefore only logical that a telescopic sight would be stabilized in accordance."

Best regards,
Magic:salute:

We know that UZO is just slightly better binoculars (that is - there could be no internal stabilization mechanism inside, like moving lenses etc.) Moreover from the pictures above we see that the operator would look through it just like a regular binoculars - holding it close to his eyes. Now let's imagine for a moment that the UZO was indeed stabilized, then it would mean that the post had an automatic mechanism that has an ability to move attached binoculars in order to keep it level. What our operator standing on the deck would see in heavy seas - an UZO that would be swaying, jolting and twisting violently and erratically due to stabilization keeping it level - in fact it is the boat that would twisting and turning, while UZO would be perfectly level, but the man on the deck would pereceive that it is the UZO moving (relativity).
In such a situation I doubt that anyone would dare even to approach such a device forget continuosly keeping it close to your eyes or risk to be hit by it.

I agree with Trevally that the only stabilization that could be obtained was through our operator's human innate ability to stay upraight even on swinging deck. But as Bilge_Rat said 'stabilized' option is already very much like that now.

"It would therefore only logical?" That is an assumption, nothing else. I repeat:

How was it done? Gyroscopic stabilization of rangefinders was barely being experimented with on American battleships in 1945. If the gunsights on a battleship didn't have this, how did a pair of binoculars mounted to a stand on a submarine have it?

We have accurate drawings of how the fixed-eyepiece periscope from U-570 worked, and complete descriptions and drawings of the workings of the US periscopes, yet no mention is made of this wonderful device in any source I've seen.

It's not about "points for me", or for you. It's about what is known. If someone can show me that this was done, and how I'll change my attitude so fast you won't even see it happen. I would love if this were so, but I've never seen even the slightest evidence, other that what someone wishes or assumes would make sense.

Hi Folks !

I wait a few days for another answer from the former U-Boat-driver (german Navy, not WWII), and today he send me an pm via german ubi forum !

Before I copy & paste his original answer in german language and translate via google let me say, that he asked a good friend from him, and these good friend was an former U-Boat-Driver of the U-Boat Typ XXI "Wilhelm Bauer", formely U-2540, look: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/German_..._Wilhelm_Bauer

Now his original answer via copy & paste:

"Ich habe mal einen guten Bekannten (und U-Bauer Veteran) nach der UZO-Säule gefragt und der hat mir bestätigt, daß der UZO-Sockel kardanisch gelagert war. Damit ließen sich also die Schiffsbewegungen in gewissen Rahmen ausgleichen."

Now I translate via google:
Quote begin:
"I asked a good friend (and veteran U-Bauer) according to the UZO and he confirmed to me that the UZO socket was mounted on universal joints (gimbal). This could be offset so the movement of vessels in certain extent".
Quote End !

To Gimbal: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gimbal

These above words spoke a veteran of an Typ XXI Sub !!!

For me that´s clearify enough, together with that I have in mind what I read in many books !

The last thing what I can do to post here the sources (names of books), where I´ve read this. When I find, I post here (or scan the pages and post here a picture from the book) !

Best regards,
Magic:salute:

That's because you're sitting down and as such have no solid "base" to work from.

This method of stabilisation - as primiative as it is - is very possible. In fact one of the earliest British tanks operating in the 2nd world war (the A9 Cruiser IIRC) jused exactly this method ofstabilisation for it's main gun (effectively meaning the gunner's knees became the gun stabiliser. The system worked well (if...and only if you had a well trained gunner) and gave the British the first tank capable of firing accurately whilst on the move (at that time all other tanks needed to be stationary to fire accurately).

Source for this: Bovinton Tank Museum.


If this would work in a moving tank (where movement would be far more exagerated than on a U-Boat), there is absolutely no reason why this wouldn't work as Magic is suggesting.

Thanks for clearify this, Jester !!! :up:

BUT: Have anybody an solution for the problem with the non-stabilize UZO IN GAME, see my first post of this thread ?


Best regards,
Magic:salute:

I used goblin.

I opened cameras.gr2 and merged it with cameras.cam, then I found UZO and unmarked "tight" + marked "affect parent".

UZO stabilised, but on the top of the screen there's... HDG i'm wathing. Not Bearing.

I have no idea how to solve it.

Also the UZO is now movable.

I tried 100 options. any ideas?