Reading a KTB

Marko · 10-06-05, 11:00 AM

Hi all,
while i was reading a german KTB i noticed that when the captqain express the depth of the boat he uses a notation like this "A+20", "A-40".
What s this mean?

tnx

Trefoil · 10-06-05, 01:30 PM

I've seen this in a KTBs and U-boat diaries and assumed it meant the submerged depth of the sub in metres, with the 'A' being short for 'aufgetaucht' - surfaced. i.e. A-50 = 50m.

If you've seen A+20 in a KTB, then I may be wrong, unless the rumours were true about the secret flying U-boat, which could have won the war for the Germans.

U-104 · 10-06-05, 01:37 PM

:rotfl: btw 160 posts!

Marko · 10-06-05, 03:04 PM

looking here

http://www.uboatarchive.net/U-516logGerman.htm

in the last image on the top there is an A + 20 the sign "+" seems a correction.

Trefoil · 10-06-05, 05:56 PM

I have found a translated extract from a KTB -

http://www.uboatarchive.net/U-220U256log.htm

It clearly states A+10 and A+20, so my assumption about 'A' meaning surfaced is clearly wrong.

I am curious now,also, as to what the references mean.

CCIP · 10-06-05, 05:59 PM

I believe A=80m (at least from one book I've read, "Grey Wolf, Grey Sea", where it was clearly defined as that) - which I think is the crash dive depth. :hmm:

caspofungin · 10-06-05, 06:00 PM

u-boat skippers used "A" as a shorthand for their max diving depth to keep it a secret from the allies. mentioned in das boot (novel).

or not.

Bear H · 08-15-15, 01:23 AM

Letter A like deep 80 m

A-10 = 70 m

A+ 20 = 100 m

MantiBrutalis · 08-15-15, 02:49 AM

Exactly, several letters were used during the war meaning different depths, to keep the capabilities of the U-boat a secret. As it was changed a few times, it's a bit hard to guess the right depth.

Sailor Steve · 08-15-15, 08:28 AM

UKönig · 08-15-15, 06:33 PM

In the das boot novel (which I've read like 20 times so far) the crush depth of the type 7 was described as "3 times 'r' plus 60". Could it be possible that the allies did not know what 'r' was?

Bear H · 08-19-15, 11:50 AM

http://www.uboatarchive.net/KTB/KTBNotesVocabulary.htm

see the second line

10-06-05, 11:00 AM	#1
Marko A-ganger Join Date: Aug 2003 Location: Back at Sea Posts: 75 Downloads: 87 Uploads: 0	Reading a KTB Hi all, while i was reading a german KTB i noticed that when the captqain express the depth of the boat he uses a notation like this "A+20", "A-40". What s this mean? tnx

10-06-05, 01:30 PM	#2
Trefoil Helmsman Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: North Wales (UK) Posts: 104 Downloads: 57 Uploads: 0	I've seen this in a KTBs and U-boat diaries and assumed it meant the submerged depth of the sub in metres, with the 'A' being short for 'aufgetaucht' - surfaced. i.e. A-50 = 50m. If you've seen A+20 in a KTB, then I may be wrong, unless the rumours were true about the secret flying U-boat, which could have won the war for the Germans. __________________ Fear is the mind-killer.

10-06-05, 01:37 PM	#3
U-104 Grey Wolf Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: United States Posts: 797 Downloads: 187 Uploads: 0	:rotfl: btw 160 posts! __________________ My heart is steadfast, O God. I will sing and make music with all my soul. Ps. 108:1 Survival of the fittest does not explain arrival of the fittest. we live in a single spoken sentence.. "God said, let there be"

10-06-05, 05:56 PM	#5
Trefoil Helmsman Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: North Wales (UK) Posts: 104 Downloads: 57 Uploads: 0	I have found a translated extract from a KTB - http://www.uboatarchive.net/U-220U256log.htm It clearly states A+10 and A+20, so my assumption about 'A' meaning surfaced is clearly wrong. I am curious now,also, as to what the references mean. __________________ Fear is the mind-killer.

10-06-05, 05:59 PM	#6
CCIP Navy Seal Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Waterloo, Canada Posts: 8,700 Downloads: 29 Uploads: 2	I believe A=80m (at least from one book I've read, "Grey Wolf, Grey Sea", where it was clearly defined as that) - which I think is the crash dive depth. :hmm: __________________ There are only forty people in the world and five of them are hamburgers. -Don Van Vliet (aka Captain Beefheart)

10-06-05, 03:04 PM	#4
Marko A-ganger Join Date: Aug 2003 Location: Back at Sea Posts: 75 Downloads: 87 Uploads: 0	looking here http://www.uboatarchive.net/U-516logGerman.htm in the last image on the top there is an A + 20 the sign "+" seems a correction.

10-06-05, 06:00 PM	#7
caspofungin Commander Join Date: Apr 2005 Posts: 459 Downloads: 41 Uploads: 0	u-boat skippers used "A" as a shorthand for their max diving depth to keep it a secret from the allies. mentioned in das boot (novel). or not.

08-15-15, 01:23 AM	#8
Bear H Nub Join Date: Jul 2011 Posts: 4 Downloads: 296 Uploads: 0	Letter A like deep 80 m A-10 = 70 m A+ 20 = 100 m

08-15-15, 02:49 AM	#9
MantiBrutalis Planesman Join Date: Mar 2013 Location: Pilsen, Czech Republic Posts: 183 Downloads: 12 Uploads: 0	Exactly, several letters were used during the war meaning different depths, to keep the capabilities of the U-boat a secret. As it was changed a few times, it's a bit hard to guess the right depth.

08-15-15, 08:28 AM	#10
Sailor Steve Eternal Patrol Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: High in the mountains of Utah Posts: 50,369 Downloads: 745 Uploads: 249	__________________ “Never do anything you can't take back.” —Rocky Russo

08-15-15, 06:33 PM	#11
UKönig Captain Join Date: Apr 2014 Location: Victoria, British Columbia, Canada Posts: 495 Downloads: 1 Uploads: 0	In the das boot novel (which I've read like 20 times so far) the crush depth of the type 7 was described as "3 times 'r' plus 60". Could it be possible that the allies did not know what 'r' was? __________________ Because I'm the captain, that's why!

08-19-15, 11:50 AM	#12
Bear H Nub Join Date: Jul 2011 Posts: 4 Downloads: 296 Uploads: 0	http://www.uboatarchive.net/KTB/KTBNotesVocabulary.htm see the second line