i have a question about uboats launcing mines:
did uboats launc mines when they were moving (forward)?

if they did they would sink themselves by launcing a mine from a bow tube wouldnt they?

No, SilverGhost, they are not mines.
Only 3 types of mines where used by u-boats and all of them where deployed via the torpedo hatches apart from the Type XB minelaying boats wich have 30 mine shafts, but these look very, very diffrent to the hatches in the picture.

*edit* You can clearly see mine hatches either side of the conning tower on this XB boat. There are none on the foward deck (not shown in pic)

http://www.b3tards.com/u/57a418c694bc7c6296b3/u1172.jpg



The Mines almost allways set off on a magnetic trigger. there was a time delay of at least a day on the mines so the u-boat could easily lay more mines and escape. Mines where deployed usually from the bow tubes in order to keep the stern tube free as a defensive weapon against destroyers (however it wasn't very useful for this in actual combat!). I would guess you would put your u-boat in reverse to avoid banging into the mines you lay, however this would not make them explode, it might mess up the depth keeping.

Minen
 

Here ist a typical U Boat Minen armament

Thirty mine shafts, free flooding type. Six in keel line through the bow compartment, 3 mines per shaft; 12 through starboard tanks, outboard of pressure hull, 2 mines per shaft; 12 through port tanks, outboard of pressure hull, 2 mines per shaft



http://www.uboataces.com/weapon-mines.shtml


Alzo immer weiter, vielicht lernin zie etwas...:know: