Jmack
12-11-06, 11:58 AM
OK ... here is the result of the interrogation to the Engineer Officer of U-615.
this would be a really nice MOD to have if anyone could do it
In June 1943, a new instrument known as the "Wabe-Ortungs Gerät" (literally, "Depth Charge Locating Gear") was installed on the port side of the control room, just forward of the periscope motor and above the potato box. The visual part of the instrument was described as a bakelite panel about 30 cm. by 50 cm., attached directly to the pressure hull by metal brackets. On the panel was the outline of a U-boat surfacing at a sharp angle. Forward and aft of this U-boat were cruciform arrangements of small colored light bulbs, and amidships was a horizontal line of bulbs. It was stated that five bulbs were in each arm of the cross, and ten were in the horizontal line. The bulbs were spaced about 20 mm. apart. The bulbs to the left were red, to the right - green, above -- white, and below -- blue.
During an attack, lights flashing on the panel indicate the approximate position of the explosion of depth charges. The red lights indicate explosions to port, green -- to starboard, white -- above, and blue -- below.
It was stated that the instrument had a range of 500 meters. One prisoner was under the impression that when an explosion was located, it would be the policy of the captain to take the boat to the general area of the explosion, both on the theory that lightening never strikes twice in the same place, and as evasive action against echo-ranging.
Beneath the panel was a storage battery, placed on top of the potato box. The panel was covered at all times by a canvas cover except during an attack. The device was regarded as extremely secret and only could be served by the captain or the engineer officer.
When questioned about the Depth Charge Plotter, the proved to be evasive, tricky, unreliable, and an unblushing liar. At first he denied the existence of such a device. When confronted by evidence to the contrary in his own note book, he stated that the instrument never functioned properly and that he regarded it as being only in its infancy. He said that the day after U-615 sailed, he discovered that several of the lights failed to function properly due to short circuits or faulty wiring. He felt that the sweating of the pressure hull might have caused some damage to the device. These statements are substantiated by an entry in his notebook which, in translation, reads as follows:
Depth Charge Plotter:
Shut off due to short circuit forward 13 June
Aft, below 1, 2, 5.
Aft, above 2.
Amidships port 5. forward (?) short circuit
Forward above 3.
(O.N.I. Note: The numbers probably refer to the various bulbs which were removed.)
On 14 June 1943, U-615 was attacked by an aircraft and the Depth Charge Plotter was tried out. The Engineer Officer kept a partial record of the lights which flashed. In translation it reads as follows:
Bombs at 55 meters (stated to refer to the depth of the U-boat)
Port forward 1; Port amidships 1; Port aft 1 and 2.
The last entry reads:
Three Depth Charges
Aft port 2.
Aft starboard 2.
Below starboard 2.
Forward port 1.
this would be a really nice MOD to have if anyone could do it
In June 1943, a new instrument known as the "Wabe-Ortungs Gerät" (literally, "Depth Charge Locating Gear") was installed on the port side of the control room, just forward of the periscope motor and above the potato box. The visual part of the instrument was described as a bakelite panel about 30 cm. by 50 cm., attached directly to the pressure hull by metal brackets. On the panel was the outline of a U-boat surfacing at a sharp angle. Forward and aft of this U-boat were cruciform arrangements of small colored light bulbs, and amidships was a horizontal line of bulbs. It was stated that five bulbs were in each arm of the cross, and ten were in the horizontal line. The bulbs were spaced about 20 mm. apart. The bulbs to the left were red, to the right - green, above -- white, and below -- blue.
During an attack, lights flashing on the panel indicate the approximate position of the explosion of depth charges. The red lights indicate explosions to port, green -- to starboard, white -- above, and blue -- below.
It was stated that the instrument had a range of 500 meters. One prisoner was under the impression that when an explosion was located, it would be the policy of the captain to take the boat to the general area of the explosion, both on the theory that lightening never strikes twice in the same place, and as evasive action against echo-ranging.
Beneath the panel was a storage battery, placed on top of the potato box. The panel was covered at all times by a canvas cover except during an attack. The device was regarded as extremely secret and only could be served by the captain or the engineer officer.
When questioned about the Depth Charge Plotter, the proved to be evasive, tricky, unreliable, and an unblushing liar. At first he denied the existence of such a device. When confronted by evidence to the contrary in his own note book, he stated that the instrument never functioned properly and that he regarded it as being only in its infancy. He said that the day after U-615 sailed, he discovered that several of the lights failed to function properly due to short circuits or faulty wiring. He felt that the sweating of the pressure hull might have caused some damage to the device. These statements are substantiated by an entry in his notebook which, in translation, reads as follows:
Depth Charge Plotter:
Shut off due to short circuit forward 13 June
Aft, below 1, 2, 5.
Aft, above 2.
Amidships port 5. forward (?) short circuit
Forward above 3.
(O.N.I. Note: The numbers probably refer to the various bulbs which were removed.)
On 14 June 1943, U-615 was attacked by an aircraft and the Depth Charge Plotter was tried out. The Engineer Officer kept a partial record of the lights which flashed. In translation it reads as follows:
Bombs at 55 meters (stated to refer to the depth of the U-boat)
Port forward 1; Port amidships 1; Port aft 1 and 2.
The last entry reads:
Three Depth Charges
Aft port 2.
Aft starboard 2.
Below starboard 2.
Forward port 1.