Compressed Air

[Kip Chiakopf]

Does compressed air have any function besides emergency surfacing? I surfaced normally recently, and noticed that my compressed air was somewhat depleted. What was it being used for since I didn't hit an emergency blow?

[Gargamel]

It is used for trim and normal diving/surfacing operations. I think it also had other smaller uses in the boat.

[Mittelwaechter]

You have three ways to surface: statically, dynamically or in mixed manner.


Statically: if you completely stop your U-Boot and order to surface the only way to rise is by using compressed air. Your LI will slowly blow ballast to bring you up; no emergency procedure reqired.

Dynamically: if you run at a few knots speed and you order to surface the diveplanes will do the job and rise the U-Boot upwards.

In mixed manner: if you run at very slow speed the dynamic process only will not create enough lift to surface the U-Boot and some compressed air will be used by your LI to support the manouver.


The game doesn't model the use of compressed air needed to stay at surface without dynamic support of the diveplanes. Once you are up - no matter how it was achieved - you can stop your engines without sinking back.


If you want more realism - bind the emergency surface key (e) to the regular surface command key (s). Now you'll have to use compressed air to surface and to stay there.

[U777]

I'd say compressed air is needed for launching torpedoes, certain systems that run on pneumatics, inflating rafts for whatever reason, starting the engines, and for other misc stuff.