Wave Skipper

The torpedo had not set the fires. According to the accounts of those who survived the fire started when water flooded the control room from the conning tower hatch, and from the water that flooded the forward batteries. German subs took hits too but I don't recall a lot of fires from salt water. I mean I know they had some fires from DC attacks. But in most of the American fire accounts these things happened during storms when water flooded in from big waves. I don't recall U-boats bursting in flame because of big waves. SO my question is was American equipment as water tight as German gear? I know in the 80s our company built many power supplies and gear for Navy Radar and I know what we built was tightly sealed. But From what I read about WWII US subs it looks like such equipment wasn't.

(note: the torpedo that sunk Tang hit in the stern and all those compartments flooded instantly and took the sub down by the rear - no fires survived that flooding, and the forward areas where sealed off by water tight hatches. The flooding in the control room came from the bridge hatch until someone managed to shut it.. The sub would never have settled to the bottom as it was, but because it was at a 45 degree angle the crew could not move to escape. One man reached the control to flood the tanks to take her to the bottom, hoping that once the boat was level they could move to the forward torpedo room to exit the boat. They exited the boat at 180 foot depth, so deep that their voices became high pitched in the escape locker as they began equalizing the pressure with the outside water. First they had to get their bodies used to the outside pressure before they flooded the locker to escape outside. I just read their account.)