Table of Contents
How many torpedoes are on a submarine?
A submarine will typically carry 12 to 38 torpedoes or missiles shared by between four and eight torpedo tubes. Missile tubes, meanwhile, which are typically mounted vertically on the top of the hull, carry one missile each.
Did German U-boats have to surface to fire?
And it must have done so on the surface of the water, where it was able to travel at a faster speed than the ships it pursued. By approaching from astern, where the lookouts rarely checked, the U-boat would be able to slip inside the convoy undetected, fire at close range, then submerge in order to get away.
How big are submarine torpedoes?
Most modern launchers are standardised on a 12.75-inch (324 mm) diameter for light torpedoes (deck mounted aboard ship) or a 21-inch (533 mm) diameter for heavy torpedoes (underwater tubes), although other sizes of torpedo tube have been used: see Torpedo classes and diameters.
How many torpedoes did a World War II submarine hold?
They were of single hull construction, with surface displacement of about 850 tons, and submerged displacement of 1100 tons. They had four or five 21″ torpedo tubes in the bow, and could carry 12 Mk. 10 steam torpedoes.
What was the Happy Time in submarines?
In mid-1940, German submariners enjoyed a period nicknamed the Happy Time ( Die Glückliche Zeit) during which they were able to sink 282 Allied ships in the Atlantic Ocean totaling 1,489,795 tons.
How many ships were sunk by German submarines during WW2?
During the Second Happy Time which lasted more than seven months, the Germans sank 609 ships totaling 3,100,000 tons at the cost of only 22 submarines. This number would represent about 25\% of all Allied shipping sunk by German submarines during the entire war.
How many ships did Germany sink during the Second Happy Time?
Noting that the Americans and the Allies finally began to tighten defenses on the US coast, Dönitz called off this campaign. During the Second Happy Time which lasted more than seven months, the Germans sank 609 ships totaling 3,100,000 tons at the cost of only 22 submarines.
How many tubes does a submarine have?
The answer depends on the class and envisioned use of the submarine. For example, the German Type XIV Milchkuh was envisaged as a resupply submarine and had no tubes. Equally the British X Craft utilised side mounted mines and again had no tubes.