A quote from uboataces.com:
Quote:
Despite its advantages, snorkels were not entirely faultless and had to be used with close supervision. The intake pipe did not lead directly to the diesel engines. This was to prevent unnecessary stoppages as it was common for the intake valve to open and shut as the ocean waves swept over the snorkel head, periodically submerging it. Instead, the intake pipe led to the inside of the boat, providing breathing air for the crew as well as the engines. The engines would draw air from the interior of the boat as usual, where the entire volume of the boat itself acted as an air buffer.
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http://www.uboataces.com/snorkel.shtml