Sub Skipper's Bag of Tricks

[ColonelSandersLite]

Originally Posted by Barkerov

I would much more easily believe that than bomb damage at that depth from a surface detonation. 40ft sure but 200ft I would need proof to believe that.

Something a lot of people don't realize about bombs is that they generally don't explode on contact and there is a lot of good reasons for this. A 0.1-1 second delay is pretty typical depending on a lot of factors. Fuze delays must be set on the ground before takeoff

Taking the example of a american an-m64 (which is pretty typical of 500 lb/250kg bombs of the era)
Minimum Safe Release Altitude: 1,500 feet
Striking Velocity from 1,500 feet release: 450-750 feet/second (depends on dive angle and aircraft speed! Will be higher from a higher release altitude!)

Contact with the water would slow it down some, but we'll simplify here.
Depending on the delay setting and release speed, a miss will explode at a depth of 45-75 feet with a delay of 0.1 seconds. Similarly, explosion depth would be 225-375 feet with a 0.5 second delay setting. Just like a depth charge, if it is close and explodes underneath you, it could seriously mess up your boat.


Long story short, I advise you dive deep the second you make contact with an aircraft. Though they have to get pretty dang close to spot you submerged at all.