Sound buoys

07-08-18, 02:28 AM

Just read Iron Coffins by Herbert Werner and in the book he decribes how, while piloting an u-boot near the coast of Ireland in September -44, he encounters sound sources sounding like propellers and sonar pings. Further on as he checks the surface to be empty of ships, he explains these sound sources are buoys that generate sound scattered around the coast to drive u-boats further to the sea.

I searched information about these kind of devices used by the British but could not find any.
If anyone knows about these, I would be interested to know how they worked: did they run on batteries, did they had radio recievers etc.
Also would be interesting to know what countermeasures the Germans took on these if any.

Sailor Steve · 07-08-18, 03:52 AM

I've not heard of a separate bouy that produced sounds as described. The British did use what they called "foxers", a sound generator towed behind a ship to fool acoustic torpedoes.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Foxer

I looked at NavWeaps without success, but you might have better luck.
http://www.navweaps.com/index_tech/index_tech.php

ETR3(SS) · 07-12-18, 01:53 AM

He could have been picking up a CZ contact, seems the most likely to me.

07-26-18, 05:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sailor Steve

I looked at NavWeaps without success, but you might have better luck.

No hits for me either, but thanks for this interesting site!

Quote:

Originally Posted by ETR3(SS)

He could have been picking up a CZ contact, seems the most likely to me.

What is a CZ contact?

caine007 · 07-30-18, 02:31 AM

I'm guessing if it has any basis in real life he might be describing a 'duct' where sound gets bounced between the surface and a temperature layer to be detected a lot further away than you'd expect. (They model this in Cold Waters). I haven't heard of any noise maker like this in WW2 and I doubt the technology existed back then in a way that would be practical.

Iron Coffins is not a very historically accurate book. There's a ton of downright whacky stuff in it that is clearly bull****. Nobody is quite certain if Werner was just embellishing things, mis remembered what happened or an overzealous editor/ghost writer tried to spice the story up a bit.

07-08-18, 02:28 AM	#1
Mussalo Stowaway Posts: n/a Downloads: Uploads:	Sound buoys Just read Iron Coffins by Herbert Werner and in the book he decribes how, while piloting an u-boot near the coast of Ireland in September -44, he encounters sound sources sounding like propellers and sonar pings. Further on as he checks the surface to be empty of ships, he explains these sound sources are buoys that generate sound scattered around the coast to drive u-boats further to the sea. I searched information about these kind of devices used by the British but could not find any. If anyone knows about these, I would be interested to know how they worked: did they run on batteries, did they had radio recievers etc. Also would be interesting to know what countermeasures the Germans took on these if any.

07-08-18, 03:52 AM	#2
Sailor Steve Eternal Patrol Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: High in the mountains of Utah Posts: 50,369 Downloads: 745 Uploads: 249	I've not heard of a separate bouy that produced sounds as described. The British did use what they called "foxers", a sound generator towed behind a ship to fool acoustic torpedoes. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Foxer I looked at NavWeaps without success, but you might have better luck. http://www.navweaps.com/index_tech/index_tech.php __________________ “Never do anything you can't take back.” —Rocky Russo

07-12-18, 01:53 AM	#3
ETR3(SS) Ocean Warrior Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Between test depth and periscope depth Posts: 3,021 Downloads: 175 Uploads: 16	He could have been picking up a CZ contact, seems the most likely to me. __________________ USS Kentucky SSBN 737 (G) Comms Div 2003-2006 Qualified 19 November 03 Yes I was really on a submarine.

07-30-18, 02:31 AM	#5
caine007 A-ganger Join Date: May 2006 Posts: 72 Downloads: 26 Uploads: 0	I'm guessing if it has any basis in real life he might be describing a 'duct' where sound gets bounced between the surface and a temperature layer to be detected a lot further away than you'd expect. (They model this in Cold Waters). I haven't heard of any noise maker like this in WW2 and I doubt the technology existed back then in a way that would be practical. Iron Coffins is not a very historically accurate book. There's a ton of downright whacky stuff in it that is clearly bull****. Nobody is quite certain if Werner was just embellishing things, mis remembered what happened or an overzealous editor/ghost writer tried to spice the story up a bit.