Type VII Interior Tour Series
 

Decided to use the Wolfpack interior for a series detailing the various components in each compartment. Note this is informational only and discusses the historical boat - not a guide on how to play the game.

For the first episode we look at the bow torpedo room:

https://youtu.be/-e7iwpwoqQ8

For the second episode, we look at the chief petty officers’ and officers’ quarters:

https://youtu.be/8O3v3oGTfwU

For the third episode, we look at the components of the forward half of the control room:
https://youtu.be/00lNZoVu53E

For the fourth episode, we look at components in the after portion of the control room:
https://youtu.be/3QmQJUxWVlc

For the fifth episode, we look at the tower interior and do a deep dive into the fire control system:
https://youtu.be/1ik1Z5bNdlU

STAY TUNED FOR:

Bridge and Top Deck

Petty Officers’ Quarters

Galley

Diesel Engine Room

E-Motor and Aft Torpedo Room

Radio and Sound Shacks (TBD based on when WP inserts models)

Enjoy!

Nice, I was looking for a good news item to start the week. Good work, Matt! :Kaleun_Thumbs_Up:

It looks great. :Kaleun_Applaud:

Hi Derstosstrupp, thanks for the first of the series: really interesting. You must have spent years looking at this subject to attain that level of SME.

I have a question if it is not outside scope: it’s not about systems per se, rather about the construction of the U boot. I have always wondered what was the decking used externally of a type VIIc U boot? Can’t determine it; sources are generally silent on it, although I have seen suggestions it was wood? I mean the top decking you’d walk around on to man the gun or haul in berthing ropes, etc. In photos, just can’t tell: it looks metal and not wood planking, and all aftermarket upscale kits for model U boots are done not in wooden planking, but metal.

So, my question is, once and for all, what was the outer decking made of: wood planking or metal sheet? Or both? And if wood, was it painted and does that make it look like metal?

Thank you.

Apoll

Thanks for the kind words! Yes indeed, it was made of teak and pine, painted black.

From the building regulations:
“ (e) Deck planking. The upper deck shall be fitted with planks of German pine 80 mm wide and 35 mm thick, laid at intervals of about 20 mm. Planks of teak, if available, shall be provided around the bollard and capstan head and under the cleats. If planks are laid on an iron thickness, they shall be taken 100 mm wide and laid tightly. Planks shall be fastened to the joists by 10 mm galvanized wood deck screws. Slots shall be cut in larger numbers near the vents, but all openings shall be avoided immediately above the vents. Galvanized iron rails are to be placed on deck around the capstan head to prevent the crew from slipping out of the capstan head during the
operating the capstan. The necessary hatches for torpedo entry, companionway hatches, stowage spaces, and for other below-deck arrangements are to be provided.”

OP updated to include second installment.

Thank you
 

Thanks Derstosstrupp. Much appreciated. :Kaleun_Salute:

Primary source material: can’t get better than that. Painted black. Ok. I guess the wet and black paint made it look metal like. Photos are notorious for getting colour wrong.

Looking forward to your continuing Pro series.

Regards,

Apoll

OP updated to include third installment:
https://youtu.be/00lNZoVu53E

Good Videos, informative, unabashed and honest. Thank you.

@derstosstrupp, ask you anything? Do you have colored pictures of an unrestored uboat interior, from the 1940s?

I've been looking into original uboat colors.

ref: https://www.subsim.com/radioroom/sho...d.php?t=253394

(Also, posted on youtube)

Thanks BrendaEM! I don’t have any from the ‘40s, however this of U-995 from the ‘50s under the Norwegians appears to be accurate colors still.

https://youtu.be/05XQ_oOS4lo

Also, U-505 has been restored to historical colors and can also be a good reference. The only difference here being the interior light used at the exhibit makes the paint appear more cream colored.

https://drive.google.com/drive/folde...aXD_5ZYS5Oz496

Very nice, I am getting started into it now. Great use of real pictures and Wolfpack interior. Good work, Matt, and thanks for being thoughtful and thorough with this. :Kaleun_Salute:

Thanks Neal! Aft section of control room sometime this coming week. Some more very important systems there too so that’ll be another long one.

Matt! some questions about the CR video 1

43:50 you say the night scope could elevate higher?more? that the attack scope; does that mean the night scope could raise higher than the attack scope? Or it could tilt the view to scan more straight up and away from the horizon? Right now the night scope in WP does not raise as high as the scope above it in the conning tower.. so, I'm interested in knowing this, thanks.

Hi Neal, yeah I realize I wasn’t entirely clear about that in the video. It could be angled up higher, up to 90°, whereas the Standsehrohr only could go up 20°.

In terms of extended length, the C/9 NLSR had a length from ocular to exit lens of about 7.5 m, and the attack periscope about 7.8 m (at full extension) so it is appropriate that you need to go a bit shallower to use the NLSR given that the height difference in the boat of the respective oculars is greater than the 0.3 m length difference.

Ok, good deal, thanks.

Another question, if I may: 49:30 that TBT link for the night scope, is there a separate one for the UZO and attack scope?

Yessir. The attack scope one was mounted on the scope itself on the backside (opposite side of where the operator sits). The UZO one is inside the UZO column itself.

@derstosstrupp, thank you for the reply. Oddly, the Norwegian cream color is fairly close, as the original German requirements, specified the RAL color, and called for Ivory. I agree, that stated, the incandescent color temperature would warm it still a bit more.

@Nimmo55, the translated colors for the deck are here, too:

: https://www-u--boot--archiv-de.trans..._x_tr_pto=wapp

Ref: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_RAL_colors

Last two questions:

Ready lamps, 5 of the them, two rows: are they lit when it is safe to dive?

Starting the diesels, they could start them with the e-motors, was that the normal method or was it more routine to start with air?

Oh, and you said there should be 3 hydraulic resevoirs next to the attack scope well,

is that 3 with a non-snorkel boar?
Or 3 with with snorkel or non-snorkel?

I thought the 3rd reservoir was for a snork-boat, the non-snork boats had 2, 1 for each scope...?

thanks!

Correct, they are lit when ready/safe. In the case of the hull valve section, they light up when the electric sensors on the respective hull valve wheels detect that they are shut. In the case of the dive ready lamp section, they light up when the heads of the individual compartments flip the switch in those compartments that their compartment is ready for dive.

It was normal to use the e-motors to start when traveling in diesel-electric mode, which was used for much of the patrol. This is traveling on one diesel used for propulsion, that diesel turning its prop and also the motor on that side as a generator to generate power for the other side’s e-motor, which is turning the other side’s prop. Since they would have the other side’s motor running in this configuration anyway, to save on compressed air, they would simply start the other diesel with that E motor when they switched out the diesels every four hours or so in order to grind the exhaust valve seats.

Based on what I have seen in early type VIIC design documents, it was always three. For instance here is part of a schematic from the Bootskunde für VIIC from 1940:

https://www.subsim.com/radioroom/pic...ictureid=12731

Same for the U-570 Skizzenbuch diagram for hydraulic system (earlier-war VIIC):

https://www.subsim.com/radioroom/pic...ictureid=12732