Questions on U Boats 1942-1943

[kyle9154]

Don't know if it was mentioned or not but there was also the so called 'Piening Route' - https://uboat.net/maps/piening-route...orial%20waters).

[Bubblehead1980]

Originally Posted by kyle9154

Don't know if it was mentioned or not but there was also the so called 'Piening Route' - https://uboat.net/maps/piening-route...orial%20waters).

I was not aware of this but makes sense. Thank you for sharing.

[Bubblehead1980]

Thanks for all the responses.

[Bubblehead1980]

What are appropriate dates for U boats to get surface search radar . FuMO 21 FuMO 23? My understanding is U boats did not have air search radar for most of the war? One reason aircraft were such a threat to U Boats vs subs in pacific is U boats lacked air search radar for most of the war, vs US had air search radar from the start.

[Aktungbby]

http://www.navweaps.com/Weapons/WNGER_Radar.php

The first radar employed on U-boats was a submarine version of the standard German Seetakt (entered svc 1942)(82cm wavelength, 386 megacycles). The FuMO 29 set had a 2x6 fixed dipole array fitted on the forward face of the conning tower Known as Funkmessortungsgerat (radar detention apparatus) and abbreviated to FuMO, this set was also referred to as GEMA, after the manufacturer that produced it. It was installed beginning in 1942 in a few Type VIIs and IXs. This set had a very narrow detection coverage of 10 degrees on each side of the bow, which meant that the U-boat had to make an almost complete circle to cover a 360 degree sweep. The range was 7,500 meters against surface vessels and 15,000 meters against aircraft. while FuMO 30 (entered service 1943)had a small turnable frame aerial with only 2x4 dipoles. Results with these sets were unsatisfactory but the Luftwaffe which held more advanced views on radar than the Navy and was now the leading service in this field, had a better type, the FuMG 200 Hohentwiel (56cm wavelength, 556 megacycles). This set became the FuMO 61 Hohentwiel-U which employed a rectangular frame aerial (1m x 1,4m) carrying 4x6 dipoles.

As with my reference to the "wizard war" (above posts)

Although German radar development was very promising in its early stages it was quickly overtaken by allied technology. One major reason for this was that the German Navy, which was the most conservative of the three services, did not realize the full potential of active radar, leaving the Allies in a favorable position to force the pace of the microwave war. The German Navy had decided that radar transmissions would provide a source from which an enemy could obtain a 'fix' on a ship's position, in the same way that direction-finders could be used to obtain a 'fix' on the source of a radio transmission. Extensive use of radar was therefore discouraged, a decision reinforced by the German belief in the superiority of their optical equipment. It is significant that young officers were taught absolutely nothing about radar and had to learn from scratch about the complex microwave war while on active service, in conditions where any fault could be fatal. It was not until March 1945 that German Naval Command issued Tactical order No 10 entitled Instruction for use of radar aboard surface units.
Thus the story of German naval radar in surface units is one of 'too lates'.

http://www.uboataces.com/radar.shtml

[Bubblehead1980]

How many nautical miles were U boats in a patrol lined spaced apart? . 15-20 ?

[Kapitän]

Originally Posted by Bubblehead1980

How many nautical miles were U boats in a patrol lined spaced apart? . 15-20 ?

Maximum range of sight for the bridge watch was about 30sm; If I recall correctly, the space between boats in a patrol line was about 50-60sm.