National Geographic, U-480 stealth coating ..

Catfish · 07-04-12, 06:11 AM

.. and other special features tested by that boat.
In summer 1944 the U-480, a VIIc boat sinks four ships in the mid of the channel without being detected, divers find sub:

Not all true, however one of the better documentaries i think.

Greetings,
Catfish

Reece · 07-04-12, 08:17 AM

Most interesting, I enjoyed watching that!

Thanks for the link!

Catfish · 07-05-12, 06:56 AM

Only managed to watch the third part today, so this coating really seems to have been effective.

From the divers' film there is a hole at the rear right end, and they propose that the U-480 struck a mine - but at the rear ?
Did it make a turn to touch it ? I mean running straight it probably would not have touched it at that place, had it been a magnetic mine it would have detonated at the hull's biggest diameter ?

So couldn't this have been a Mk 24 Fido "mine" following the boat's propellor noise, just like the german Falke or Zaunkoenig torpedoes ?

Armistead · 07-05-12, 08:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Catfish

Only managed to watch the third part today, so this coating really seems to have been effective.

From the divers' film there is a hole at the rear right end, and they propose that the U-480 struck a mine - but at the rear ?
Did it make a turn to touch it ? I mean running straight it probably would not have touched it at that place, had it been a magnetic mine it would have detonated at the hull's biggest diameter ?

So couldn't this have been a Mk 24 Fido "mine" following the boat's propellor noise, just like the german Falke or Zaunkoenig torpedoes ?

Didn't watch it, but mines were attached to cables, often subs ran into the cables and dragged the mine to them or the mine cable got hooked, with the forward motion of the sub the mine was dragged aft. Many subs had a series of cables that would not let the mine cable hook, hopefully just slide off to the side. Several US subs tell the story of hearing mine cables scrapping along the side of the boat, luckily the cable slide off before the mine was dragged into the sub.

Catfish · 07-05-12, 10:26 AM

Hello,
yes, maybe the boat slid along the mine or its cable, until it became entangled or the mine rolled enough to hit the boat with the contact - german U-boat crews also reported such encounters.

Did not think about that because in the animation at the end, the boat moves just straight along a mine without touching it, until the latter explodes when the stern passes. But this animation is most probably wrong then -

TLAM Strike · 07-05-12, 11:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Catfish

From the divers' film there is a hole at the rear right end, and they propose that the U-480 struck a mine - but at the rear ?
Did it make a turn to touch it ? I mean running straight it probably would not have touched it at that place, had it been a magnetic mine it would have detonated at the hull's biggest diameter ?

Could have been an acoustic mine triggered by the sound of the submarine's props. Then it would have exploded near the stern vs the bow or midships.

Catfish · 07-05-12, 01:49 PM

Maybe, did they have acoustic mines - i mean i only heard about magnetic and contact ones.
Possible - they would have had some kind of hydrophone then.

TLAM Strike · 07-05-12, 02:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Catfish

Maybe, did they have acoustic mines - i mean i only heard about magnetic and contact ones.
Possible - they would have had some kind of hydrophone then.

The British had several types of acoustic mines int he war:
http://www.navweaps.com/Weapons/WAMBR_Mines.htm

07-04-12, 06:11 AM	#1
Catfish Dipped Squirrel Operative Join Date: Sep 2001 Location: ..where the ocean meets the sky Posts: 17,766 Downloads: 38 Uploads: 0	National Geographic, U-480 stealth coating .. .. and other special features tested by that boat. In summer 1944 the U-480, a VIIc boat sinks four ships in the mid of the channel without being detected, divers find sub: Not all true, however one of the better documentaries i think. Greetings, Catfish

07-04-12, 08:17 AM	#2
Reece CINC Pacific Fleet Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: Down Under Posts: 34,701 Downloads: 171 Uploads: 0	Most interesting, I enjoyed watching that! Thanks for the link! __________________ *Sub captains go down with their ship!*

07-05-12, 06:56 AM	#3
Catfish Dipped Squirrel Operative Join Date: Sep 2001 Location: ..where the ocean meets the sky Posts: 17,766 Downloads: 38 Uploads: 0	Only managed to watch the third part today, so this coating really seems to have been effective. From the divers' film there is a hole at the rear right end, and they propose that the U-480 struck a mine - but at the rear ? Did it make a turn to touch it ? I mean running straight it probably would not have touched it at that place, had it been a magnetic mine it would have detonated at the hull's biggest diameter ? So couldn't this have been a Mk 24 Fido "mine" following the boat's propellor noise, just like the german Falke or Zaunkoenig torpedoes ?

07-05-12, 10:26 AM	#5
Catfish Dipped Squirrel Operative Join Date: Sep 2001 Location: ..where the ocean meets the sky Posts: 17,766 Downloads: 38 Uploads: 0	Hello, yes, maybe the boat slid along the mine or its cable, until it became entangled or the mine rolled enough to hit the boat with the contact - german U-boat crews also reported such encounters. Did not think about that because in the animation at the end, the boat moves just straight along a mine without touching it, until the latter explodes when the stern passes. But this animation is most probably wrong then -

07-05-12, 01:49 PM	#7
Catfish Dipped Squirrel Operative Join Date: Sep 2001 Location: ..where the ocean meets the sky Posts: 17,766 Downloads: 38 Uploads: 0	Maybe, did they have acoustic mines - i mean i only heard about magnetic and contact ones. Possible - they would have had some kind of hydrophone then.