What was life like aboard a Type II?

[Fab]

Most of the books, movies, or other information out there revolves around the types VII and IX boats, and rightly so. They're the ones who did the brunt of the work. But when I play SH3, I like to think about other things, like sailors coming and going, the Smutje cooking breakfast, the IWO waking the captain up to relay a contact report, everyone keeping a radio message a secret until they could manufacture a Knight's Cross and a cake, that sort of thing.

So what was life like aboard a type II? I am having trouble even finding good pictures or drawings of the inside of a type II, let alone any anecdotal stories or anything relating to fighting the tonnage war in a little coastal boat.

Does anyone have any info, links, or a good place to look? I enjoy the challenge of three tubes and two reloads, but the experience is sort of empty since there's nothing else really to go on when imagining what it would really have been like.

[Manock]

I only have access to Google also so cant help you there, but I like the Type II for gameplay immersion also, and dont mind trading conversation with another captain down at the club.

I like hanging out in the radio room, or my bunk, & being able to see all the way up & down the sub, seeing the men at work doing our job of hunting enemy shipping.

During the patrol back to base, the Captain will relax a little after a successful hunt, & play the gramophone. I particularly liked the mod that includes "Wartime knickers for nervous young ladies" or something like that.

Its a small crew with many short missions giving the opportunity for rapid advancement. Nearly all of my men including the newest sailors have been promoted, & have rec'd their clasp medals.

This close connection with the crew seems to aid in my effectiveness as a Captain. I have yet to be sunk after about 25 missions, & have racked up over 15,000 in renown with a completely trick out submarine with all the latest improvements, & hardware.

Its small size, and high hull speed allow me to cruise around at 6 knots at slow revolutions with greatly increased range, & 4 knots underwater. 15 knots at flank speed. Though I have motored back to base a couple of times on electric power as my diesel tanks were bone dry.

I use the IIa rather than the IId as the d saddle tanks slow the hull speed, & it just looks ridiculous with all that extra hardware on the tower.

My latest missions were in the Mediterranean by imagining my IIa was broken down, & railed shipped to Spezia to be put back together again. My senior helmsman says the crew enjoyed the travel, & flirting with the dark eyed Italian girls.

Soon I will transfer to the new Type XX1 in Bergen to take on the Atlantic convoys, and I imagine I will remember fondly my first boat & crew.

Thanks for the coffee, & good luck hunting.

Shaking Hands
Captain Manock

[JScones]

Here's a couple of links that you may find interesting...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Type_II_U-boat (click the CV-707 link and then the pictures link to get a bit of an idea)
http://www.uboataces.com/uboat-type-ii.shtml

As you've found, there's just not too much ink dedicated to the ol' coastal boat. I wonder though if there is one of those Osprey-type publications on it?

[slow_n_ez]

I remembering watching a long time ago a documentary about the type II boats but forgot what it was called ..... however , Iwill always remember the actual photos and short old movie clips they showed .......

The boat was very cramped of course as you can imagine , the captain had more "elbow" room than everyone else ......

There was no bickering , fighting amoung the crew ... It was a 'honor' to serve on a U-Boat and a sailor had to wait for a chance to serve on one ......

There was no privacy at all , that included using the bathroom ....

Meals were very plentiful but most didn't eat that much due to no place to really excersie......

The part of the show I watched that really sticks in my mind is when the boat finally gets back to the port and all the hatches were opened ... the smell comming out of the boat was so horrible that the greeting port commander would wait on the dock to greet the captain and recieve the log books instead of going on board as they did during the first part of the war .......

Its been many years since seeeing that show... wish I could remember what it was so I could see it again ...

Nice links JScones.. thanks for sharing them .....

[don1reed]

...well, if you've a extra buck to burn, I believe you can still get a copy of MORGENROT VHS 75min in German but very understandable.

Was made in Germany about 1938 using typ II, I believe.


Try www.germanvideo.com

cheers,

[Fab]

Here's a couple of links that you may find interesting...

That first link was great, showing the Finnish boat. Thanks.

Unfortunately, the second link has a cutaway of a type II . . . which looks like it was taken directly from the Silent Hunter III game!

Was made in Germany about 1938 using typ II, I believe.

Turns out it was made in 1933 (two years before the type IIs rolled out) and was made with another Finnish boat, the Iku-Turso, a Vetehinen class submarine, not a Vesikko class boat which more or less became the Type IIA.

Though it did point me to find a new page (http://www.dutchsubmarines.com/pictures/pictures_finland_class.htm) that has a small diagram of a Vesikko class with cutaway section, and some pictures of the Vesikko I hadn't seen. I like the note that the four bunks in the stern quarters were more for punishment than a place to sleep.

Wow, this thread is turning into a repository of all type II information available on the web (which ain't much).

[Rosencrantz]

You could also check out Schaeffers book "U977". There is a chapter which includes few pages about life on board in Type II.

Greetings,

-RC-

[Mike 'Red Ocktober' Hense]

go here --> http://www.dutchsubmarines.com/pictures/pictures_vesikko.htm for a good look at the interior of the sub... this outta give some idea of what it was like for the crews back then..

--Mike