Depth Under the Keel
 

Is there a gauge that shows depth under the boat's keel, or is it just trial and damage-producing error?

Von Skieve,

You know what mate, I've been here since 2005 and I've never really thought about that question, I've only taken it for granted that the only device you could use is the sonar ping above the map table. Good question. If I was a betting man I dare say a mixture on depth chartsmaps etc would be the only thing to help. If there is a guage seprate form the one mentioned above, I don't know about it.

I hope there is :hmm:

PS: You may just want to make your sig picture the correct size as per the forum rules. :ahoy:

Ven.

click on your navigator. you will see a button that has a uboat with a line coming down fromt he bow...go down a bit then go horozintal

click on that button, it sends out a sonar ping (even if you dont have sonar) and he will tell you what the depth is

It goes without saying that you don't want to do any pinging when the enemy's around... Then again, if you're already in trouble, maybe it doesn't matter. ;)

Mach's gut!

I have yet to be detected by running a DUK ping. Is it actually modelled into the game?

Wilkommen sum Subsim Herr Kaleun

They cannot ID where you are if you only ping once. However if you do it when close enough and while they are not aware of your presence it will alert them that you are about and they will start to hunt. If you keep doing it when they are looking for you it's kind of like an aural neon sign saying come get me!

Gute Jagd!

Good Answers!
 

Thanks for the great advice, and the note on signiture image size (corrected).

When things get intense, I need to know how deep to dive the boat for max reaction time to depth charges, without taking valueable seconds to assign weary crew for yellow compartment duty.

I appreciate the feedback,
von Sklieve

That's because they all have the bottom-checking sonar device (I forget what it's called, and am not in a position to check).

It's a good idea to ping when in shallow water at least once an hour. That way if a convoy (or just a destroyer) shows up you already know, and don't have to risk their hearing you.

It's called a fathometer - on the uboats, more appropriately the ATLAS-ECHOLOT. Basically, it's a simple downward focused echo sounder, but as mentioned, it does effect your stealth when used.

well thanks for the info, i just assumed it was a sonar, didnt know they actually had it during the early war, i figured it came towards the later end of the war

Alexander Behm patented the first echo depth sounder in either 1907 or 1913 (??). He was trying to invent something to detect icebergs, spurred on by the Titanic tragedy. He never developed anything useful in detecting icebergs, but found echo sounding an excellent method for reading depth.

I think the trademark "Fathometer" was registered in 1914 based on development work by a Canadian engineer, R. A. Fessenden. It was a common aid to navigation long before WWII, and was used in the 1920's and 1930's as a charting tool as well.

It is effectively SONAR, just that a Fathometer device uses a low energy pulse directed directly downward. All the work on early echo location led directly to lateral SONAR for sub hunting.

Yes , correct is Vathometer and it is a Greek word(vathometro) meaning Depth meter:ping:

Echolot all the way! This is one of the best tool in a Boot!

Here's what I do in shallow waters: I put on my SCUBA gear and exit the boat by pressing F12 to perform a visual inspection of depth under keel.

OK, some may call it cheating, but I say if Kaleun von Stumpf's hobby is SCUBA diving, then what's the problem? :up: Also, U-boots must've had better / more detailed depth charts than the one in the game... right?