Your info is correct, but I was talking about the XVIII(18), not the XXIII(23).

Well that's exactly what a Type XVIII was :) A XXI with a walter turbine :D

IIRC the Royal Navy dropped that design and research line precisely because of the dangers involved :hmm: I think even some explosions were registered while doing tests with the design :-?

Anybody have some ingame screenshots they would kindly post ?

I'd like to see this boat in action. :D

I guess I'll have to get U-BOOT Missions now. :damn: :D

These are the only shots I have and they are from a while back. I was working on a mission I ultimately scrapped. While testing the mission I decided to have some fun. I surfaced, engaged the turbine, and ordered flank speed. Needless to say, they weren't happy to see me. :o

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...163510_031.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...163516_000.jpg

I hate to shamelessly plug my missions, :oops: but if you want to take a Type XVIII for a spin without having to do the main campaign I did a few missions and a war patrol for the XVIII.

http://www.subsim.com/radioroom/showthread.php?t=135971

That shot gives "beachcombing" a whole new meaning:rotfl:

I have some info on the XVIIb, but cannot find a type XVIII. Becuase according the U Boat archive the (17b and the Wa201 did have similar hull designs, but the 21 boats were twice the size. I am putting together a photo scrapbook of U boats and if you source me to some info on the XVIII it would be great! Thanks:up:

In real life the XXI boat had a silent running speed of 6-7 knts, a big difference compared with the VII or IX-C :hmm:

The type XXI was the stopgap design based off of the failing type XVIII boat. Both were Walter designed. The type XXI's stearn and rudder were quite different from the proposed type XVIII.

Both designs had the figure eight hull cross section. On the type XVIII it was proposed for much of the lower section of the hull was to be tanks to hold the h2o2 to power the Walter turbine. The XXI utilized these tank areas for batteries, and a whole hell of a lot of batteries. The diesles of the type XXI were not directly connected to the propeller shafts and instead turned generators which charged the batteries, which in turn powered the drive motors for surface propulsion. Very similar to the American designs except faster underwater.

The type XXIII was a replacement for the type II, and was also a Walter design with the figure 8 hull. But was never equipped with the turbine. It was just about the same length, but smaller on the inside, faster underwater, but not as fast as the XXI, and definitely not as deep diving. It was also armed less than the type II. (two torpedoes, compared to five of the type II)

The type XVIII was in fact produced, but the hulls that were to be the type XVIII were redesignated for the NEWER, type XXI design. So no true examples of the type XVIII ever met the water. (thank god, for the crews of these explosive boats, and the crews of the convoys that would have been decimated by them)

History and other things aside, the RN took up the Walther propulsion after the war with the Explorer class. The submarines were named "Exploder" class because of numerous explosions. Also known as the "blonde" class because in the 1950s h2o2 was mainly used to bleach the hair of Marilyn and the likes.
Actually, according to Wikipedia, the unarmed Explorer class was not thought as a proof of concept, but rather as a "disproof of concept"! The two subs were comissioned to prove they were NOT useful! Imagine serving on a sub build to fail....
Also these were supposed to simulate ASW targets, as many assumed the USSR would start mass producing Walter subs. The USSR AFAIK did never take up Walter engines for submarine propulsion, only for torpedoes. They did build the Quebec class submarines, but these used a closed cycle diesel, not a Walter turbine.
I don't know how the RN did it, but in german service, the H2o2 was to be stored in rubber bladders suspended in the lower part of the vessel. This installation does not sound like it could stand a lot of depth charges.

Thing is guys, The British had bust the german coding, even when another wheel was added to the machine

Generally whitehall knew orders etc before the u-boat captains

This was kept from the americans for sometime for one reason or another, several convoys were sacrificed to keep the secret safe (sad but in general you can see the point)

So i'd guess the new sub/s would of been hunted down just like the older boats

Thus maybe not having a massive impact as maybe thought

My 2c worth

How...how old is this thread?

Anyway, the XVIIIs and the XXIs would probably not have changed the outcome of the Second Battle of the Atlantic, but they could very well have brought on a Third Happy Time because nearly every single standard Convoy escort vessel (DEs, Frigates and Corvettes) could not catch up with them

Aside of all historical and technical stories above I'd like to know two things:

1. How to enable diesel (Walther turbine propulsion) engines on type XVIII U-boat when submerged. Now if I submerge only electric engines start automatically and that is why I can travel only a couple of knots at maximum speed. :shifty:

2. How to set playable type XVIII in SH4 Mission Editor to be able to use it in the mission. Now if I choose this sub I always get type IXD-2 as my playable unit every time.

1. The XVIII can't run the diesels submerged, it can run the Walther H2O2 Turbine, push the red button on top of the fuel thingy

2. You just need to make a mission that starts after April, 1944, I think...

Yes! I could not find that! However no manual is shipped with U-boat Mission add-on. :-?

It seems I messed something with TMO/RBT mods installation. Sometimes XVIII is accessible in my missions and sometimes not. I will probably have to reinstall entire game...

So the XVIII is like a XXI but with uber sprint mode? That must be nasty. I just got the XXI for the first time in GWX . . . ran the English Channel in June 44, then took out 7 escorts and their entire convoy almost within sight of the coast. Still have 5 homing eels left, going destroyer hunting on the way home :arrgh!: