Any Specific U-505 Questions?

[Redbear]

Guten Tag my fellow Kaleuns!
I am happy to report that I should have the opportunity next week to visit U-505 in Chicago. If there are any specific questions the modding / gaming community have that I may be able to answer by being there, please post them. Sorry for the short notice, but I will check in tomorrow morning (10/9/05, US Eastern time) to see. I can't promise anything, but I will do my best to answer any questions you have. Good Hunting!

[oRGy]

If you can sneak a look at and get some titles, or even the full list, of the gramaphone records they listened to, that would be great!

If you can bring a camera, detailed panoramic shots of all compartments would be nice too.

Pictures of the Radio/Sonar room. In SH3 its the same compartment for XXI, VII, and IX boats. I would have thought the IX ones would have looked different.

The conning tower, inside, as well.

Close up pictures of all the equipment. Anything in short that modders might find handy in the future.

:arrgh!:

[jaxa]

Sonar room photo needed, especially hydrophone. I'd like to compare it with Bordinstrumente 0.9 mod.

[Von Scheerbach]

Redbear: I was there in June, and it is extremely cool the way they have it displayed. You walk through a bunch of displays, and then round a corner and BAM! You're looking right at the bow. The tour is pretty vanilla. You enter the bow torpedo compartment, walk straight down the ship, and exit just before the aft torpedo compartment. Make sure you hang back and let the tour guide leave the boat so you can open the watertight door and get a good look in at the aft torpedo room. Enjoy!

oRGy: You're not allowed up in the conning tower. They have it blocked off. About all you can do is look up the ladder.

I have a bunch of pics, but don't have anywhere to host them. I will have to see what I can do about that to share with everyone.

[HEMISENT]

I live a little over an hour from the museum. Sort of been waiting for the new exhibit rush to die down and for all the little kids to go back to school. Probably will get to visit before the holidays. I've been to see the sub numerous times over the years and it still is a thrill.

[Seeteufel]

I have a bunch of pics, but don't have anywhere to host them. I will have to see what I can do about that to share with everyone.

Please RAR the folder with the photos you made and upload the file to: Rapidshare (http://rapidshare.de/) ...so we can enjoy your pics soon(er)!

[oRGy]

Or upload them to terrapins site.

[Redbear]

Guten Tag! I was able to visit U-505 this week. It was a great experience. Per the requests above:

I did take a camera along. I tried to take photos that included something 'different' from the photos I have seen before - maybe a different perspective or part of the boat. I even included a photo of a Stuka from the museum for our Luftwaffe fans. You can view them here:

http://rapidshare.de/files/6276075/U505.rar.html

I hope you enjoy them!

To jaxa, I have three photos of the sonar room and one of the radio room. The radio room photo shows the grammaphone, while the sonar room photos begin with the hydrophone and pan left to right. They are not the best, but it was very difficult to take pictures there. It was very cramped (bet you never heard that about a u-boat!), and those rooms had glass in front of them. Not only did that make it difficult to get the camera in the correct spot, but I had to fight the reflections in the boat. Anyway, I hope they help.

To oRGy, von Scheerbach is correct, you can't go into the conning tower. I looked up the ladder, but it was pitch black so I didn't see anything. Taking the photos you requested was pretty impossible. You are only in the boat for 10-15 min. and it is so cramped and full of people from the tour (about 12 plus the guide). One item of note is a picture of the engine telegraph. I thought I remembered a debate a long time ago about what was actually written on it. The photo shows it pretty well.

To von Scheerbach, I did get a look in the aft torpedo room, which was cool. I also took a photo of it.

Now for the record titles:

As we know, 87 records were found on the boat. 6 were marches, the rest were popular tunes of the day or light classical music. French music was popular, with many records bought by the crew in their home port of Lorient. The following are the titles I was able to identify from my visit. All were on the U-505:

1.) Schoen ist die Nacht (The night is beautiful).

2.) Ganz leise kommt die Nacht (Very softly the night approaches)

both composed by Hubner-Dahn-Rehs and sung by Rupert Glawitsch & the German Opera House Orchestra, Berlin

3.) Spanischer March (Spanish March)

4.) Der Student geht vorbei (The sutdent passes)

both composed by Los Rixner and performed by Frederick Hippmann with his Kunstler Orchestra

5.) Tapfere, kleine Soldatenfrau (Corageous, little soldiers wife)

6.) wenn im Tal alle Rosen bluhm (The roses bloom in the valley)

both composed by Karl Strasser and sung by Erich Heyn and the German Opera House Orchestra, Berlin

7.) Rund um den Film (From the films)

composed by Lubbe and performed by Max Mensing and the Walter Raohzke Orchestra

8.) Lous netes Pas venu Dimache (You didn't come on Sunday)

composed by Rene Sarvil & Saint Giniez and performed by Elayane Celis & Orchestra

9.) Amants (Sweethearts)

composed by Louis Henneve & L. Palex and performed by Elayane Celis & Orchestra

I asked the guide about a complete list of records. They didn't have that information, but suggested I contact the museum curator of the U-505 exhibit. I have his name and will give that a try when I have more time and let you all know how I make out.

If there are any questions, let me know. Good Hunting! :up:

[SteamWake]

Very well done Red.

Well researched and documented.

Thanks for sharing !

Hey did you happen to mention to the tour guide SH3 and what was their reaction ??

[Redbear]

Hi SteamWake. Thanks for the kind words. In answer to your question, no I did not discuss SH3 with the guide. Good idea though, wish I had thought of it.

[oRGy]

Great work redbear!

Did you see much difference in the control room and radio rooms between U505 and the SH3 representation?

[Seeteufel]

Impressive photos of an impressive boat!
Thank you very much for sharing them and for the other information!!! :up:

[lifer]

Awesome pictures! Thanks for the insight :-)

Noo....I'm not jealous that I wasn't there...not at all :shifty: :D

[Skubber]

What a nice job with these pictures!

I don't think I would have liked being stationed in that diesel engine room for very long ....

[Redbear]

Hey oRGy. The sonar / radio rooms were similar, but except for the hydrophone, the equipment just looks 'different'. (I'm not sure what some of it is). If you download my photos from the link above, you can see what I mean. In particular, sonar room #3 shows a piece of equipment covering most of one wall in the sonar room, but I couldn't identify it.

In general, the boat is much more congested, especially the control room, with pipes, cables and valves than the game portrays. With 10 or so people from the tour in it, you couldn't move very much. I can't imagine going through a depth charge attack in there!

By the way, for those of you who look at my photos, the holes you can see in the conning tower pictures are the bullet / shell holes form the u boat's capture, which they left as-is.