An Interesting Note

[Sailor Steve]

Due to my latest setback with SH3 I've taken some time to do research on the type IX boats at the beginning of the war. I went to http://www.ubootwaffe.net/ to look up daily movements starting August 19, 1939, and then went to good old http://uboat.net/index.html to double-check the full patrols. What I've found so far is this:

1) Outbound boats stayed clear of the English Channel, even pre-war, going the long way around Scotland.

2) Early patrols rarely lasted more than 30 days, even for the long-range type IXs. The longest patrol I've found so far was for Type VIIA U-28, 42 days. She was still back at Wilhelmshaven before the end of September.

3) U-27 sank two ships on her only patrol. Both were small coasters displacing around 300 tons. We don't even have ships that small in any SH game. U-27 was also sunk by depth charges on that first patrol, but managed to surface before going down. All 38 crew members survived.

4) One of the Type IXs, U-39, was also sunk on that first patrol of the war. Again, all 44 crew members survived.

I'll try to look up more when I have the time.

[Laufen zum Ziel]

Very Interesting. Good history.

[soopaman2]

What questions enter my mind is why the relative unsuccessfulness of a seemingly superior vessel?

Was it a crew cockyness, or the fact it may have been rushed into service, the fact that it's range wasn't tested more earlier is another alarm bell. I always took Doenitz as a man willing to push the limits of risk vs reward.

[frau kaleun]

Generally speaking, the IX is only "superior" in some respects, in others the VII has the advantage - a fully functional VII is more maneuverable and can get below the surface a lot quicker.

Each boat has its own set of advantages/disadvantages compared to the other, which set you want depends a lot on where you are patrolling and what type of enemy contacts you are mostly likely to encounter.

[Sailor Steve]

Originally Posted by soopaman2

What questions enter my mind is why the relative unsuccessfulness of a seemingly superior vessel?

Was it a crew cockyness, or the fact it may have been rushed into service, the fact that it's range wasn't tested more earlier is another alarm bell. I always took Doenitz as a man willing to push the limits of risk vs reward.

I was going to speculate on this when it occured to me to take a look at Doenitz's personal log, and sure enough:

22.VIII.39

Thus all the boats available for the Atlantic have sailed and they cannot be relieved. If the situation continues as at present, or if war breaks out, the boats will begin to dribble back by about the middle of September. Naval War Staff planned to recall the boats before their time and thus get a second wave, but I do not agree with this, as too much time is lost on the long outward and inward-bound passages. These long passages are due to the order to proceed around the Faroes, on which Naval War Staff has insisted contrary to F.O. U/B's intentions.

http://www.uboatarchive.net/BDUKTB30247.htm

7.IX.39

It was therefore, proposed to recall the 6th and 7th U-Flotillas and the proposal was approved by Naval War Staff. The order was given in radio message 1902/7/9.

So it would seem that Doenitz wanted to leave the boats out longer but was forced to submit to orders from higher up (probably Raeder, who was boss of the Kriegsmarine at the time).

[PappyCain]

Generally speaking, the IX is only "superior" in some respects, in others the VII has the advantage - a fully functional VII is more maneuverable and can get below the surface a lot quicker.

Each boat has its own set of advantages/disadvantages compared to the other, which set you want depends a lot on where you are patrolling and what type of enemy contacts you are mostly likely to encounter.

So it would seem that Doenitz wanted to leave the boats out longer but was forced to submit to orders from higher up

Well stated!

S'
PC