Guys - I'm finishing a 1:350th scale AFV Club German WW II Type XXI U-Boat. I opted to use the open torpedo doors, kinda want to model a prowling sub ready to pounce. My question is: beside the Snorkel, what else would be deployed on the Conning Tower if the sub is submerged?

I don't want to model all the antennas and aerials provided in the kit because I don't think they'd be deployed submerged - are they? I'm also not too sure that the kit-supplied equipment is 100% accurate.

Any thoughts/ideas would be helpful.

Gunnie

Gunny:

My understanding of subs (which ain't a whole lot) would be that they never opened the torpedo doors before they launched. The schnorkel would not be up nor would anything else except a quick final peek by the skipper to get final bearings. Anything up would leave a wake which could be spotted. The torpedo doors open would disrupt streamlining of ship causing it to make more noise and go much slower so they would not be opened for "prowling".

I 2nd Steve's comments on the torpedo doors. On US subs anyway they didn't open them until just before launch also because they thought that might have been a cause of the torpedo failures they suffered early in the war. They'd probably have one of the periscopes up, at least from time to time. Note that the different scopes were for different purposes. There would be a night scope, a search scope, and a attack scope. All three wouldn't be used at one time so just show one of them up.

I didn't even know AFV club made any ship, or boats. Must be a pretty tiny kit, based on how small my 1/400 Surcouf, a much larger boat, is.

hull measures out at 8 1/2 " The Type XXI was a BIG boat...in fact she was the blueprint for the late diesel early nuc subs we had in the 50's

The Snorkel was only deployed when charging batteries, it enabled the diesel engines to be run with the sub still submerged, an action forced on the Germans by Allied air superiority. In an attack run the torpedo tube doors are opened last thing just before launch, the opening of them gives a characteristic trace that can be picked up by modern sonar! Most U Boat attacks on convoys during the war were made on the surface at night. However later in the war advances in radar made surface attack suicidal. During a submerged attack the attack periscope was "popped up" for short spells to get target data for the plot.

Okay - thanks guys! I think I'm getting a clearer picture on how to model what I desire with this kit. Any further thoughts or even photos would be greatly appreciated!

The AFV Club kit doesn't appear to offer a configuration where you could model these periscopes, snorkel and aerials stowed. I'd basically be guessing. Would the larger 1:144th scale Revell Type XXI be a good reference for detailing? It has stanchions and railings along the deck edge - I haven't seen these in photos. Are/Were they there?

Gunnie

Jim, take a look at www.uboat.net. They have great photo galleries.

Mika

Sounds like you're about done, but if you'd like to borrow my copy of Conway's Anatomy of the Ship: The Type XXI U-Boat, you're welcome. Email me at [email protected] if so.

Mika - thanks for the link - I'll check it out!

Gary - I stopped just short of the painting stage. I would like to consult your reference book - e-mail on the way & tanks!

Gunnie

How is the sub kit going? Done with the book yet? Thinking of doing the Revell 1/72 Type VII?

Done with the Book - not done with the Sub - yet...

Gunnie