OT: Dave Millers Book "U-Boats" Question

[Lanzfeld]

I am researching type II U-boats and I am in the book "U-boats, The Illistrated History Of The Raiders Of The Deep" by David Miller.

For anyone who has this book on page 20 he claims that the Type IIA had a single periscope yet the picture at the bottom of the page of U-1 shows what looks like two raised periscopes. (The aft scope is obviously an attack scope but the forward one is hard to tell...could it be a flagstaff?)

Can anyone confirm (and what source) that Type IIA's and B's had only 1 periscope and it wasnt until the Type IIC's that a second scope was added?:hmm:

[_Seth_]

Here the IIA has only one scope;
http://www.u-boot-archiv.de/typen/typ_iia.html

Here is a summary of the type II boats:
http://www.uboataces.com/uboat-type-ii.shtml

Here is a quote:
Models A and B possessed a single periscope, while C and D incorporated a second attack periscope housed within the tiny conning tower.

From:
http://www.uboatwar.net/II.htm

Hope this was helping..

I am looking at Erminio Bagnasco's Submarines of World War Two (p.60) and, although there's no words on this point, there's a schematic there of the Type II that certainly seems to show two periscopes. The taller of the two is forward of the other.

[Lanzfeld]

Thank you Seth and Kiwi....

I will assume the picture I see of U-1 in Millers book (A type IIA) the forward "periscope" is maybe a flagstaff or something.

Anyone else with this book can confirm?

Thanks again!

[Lanzfeld]

In our sim....

Does the Type IIA have the 2 periscopes?:hmm:

[Lanzfeld]

Well after going to several bookstores today and seeing some more pictures of Type IIA's and B's I have come to the conclusion that several of our trusted technical U-boat books are wrong. In every photo of the early Type II's there are, indeed, two periscopes and not one. All the books say that the second scope was added to the Type IIC's and D's but all the pictures show different.

[Monocell]

Originally Posted by Lanzfeld

In our sim....

Does the Type IIA have the 2 periscopes?:hmm:

Yes.

Related question: Does anyone ever use the observation scope?

[fredbass]

Originally Posted by Monocell

Related question: Does anyone ever use the observation scope?

I've found that the smaller magnification can work sometimes in clear water when I'm submerged and looking for mines to avoid.

[don1reed]

I find in, Eberhard Rössler's book, THE U-BOAT The evolution and technical history of German submarines, two schematics of the typ IIA class, 1 shows the boat with one scope and the other with 2 scopes. The blueprint of CV707 show it with 2 scopes.

[Lanzfeld]

Originally Posted by don1reed

I find in, Eberhard Rössler's book, THE U-BOAT The evolution and technical history of German submarines, two schematics of the typ IIA class, 1 shows the boat with one scope and the other with 2 scopes. The blueprint of CV707 show it with 2 scopes.

Then I have, indeed, found a historical misprint/misconception with all these books. I have to say that the Type IIA's and B's had 2 scopes.

[AVGWarhawk]

Possible added scope after war began? One attack and the other for observations? Always good to have two scopes anywhy is one is buggered up!

[Jimbuna]

The books I reference from suggest one attack and one observation but it appears there could well be the need for an authorative answer.
Where's Bernard

[Lanzfeld]

In all the books I have (alot) they all say that the Type IIC had a slightly bigger conning tower which allowed a second periscope to be added.

Yet all the real photos I have seen of A's and B's show two already.

[TarJak]

Interesting. The shot here looks like it only shows one on a IIc:hmm: http://www.ww2incolor.com/gallery/ge...type_11_u_boat

Confusion reigns!

[Lanzfeld]

From that picture it is impossible to tell...