Quote:
Originally Posted by Mister_M
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You think that crane in the docking bays there is just for what... loading torp's, hauling deck guns to a waiting u-boat, for replacement or to add it to the u-boat... that that's all that crane's rated for... weight wise.
Is conceivable that it could also be used to cradle a sub in the pen & turn it about... much more fuel efficiently than having the crew, doing donuts before backing it into the dock in there. Or, to block off the bay & drain the water... lowering it on to those blocks so that other work can be done on it... that can't be... while it's sitting there, floating in the water.
Thos pens were... huge, more so for various reasons... to support the weight of the cranes used in them, in addition to the loads they'd move about, & included in that... to withstand enemy assault on them... which, seeing as how they're still about to this day... (those that weren't outright demolished, that is...
) is a testament to the engineering that went into their construction.
A shame, that that pride in workmanship... wasn't directed to more... useful & greater good... though.
M. M.