Historically, did the Uboots ever stop traveling through the English Channel?

Shrike37 · 06-15-09, 07:31 PM

Historically, did the Uboots ever stop traveling through the English Channel because it became too dangerous? If so, what year?

FIREWALL · 06-15-09, 07:37 PM

One Way maybe. Straight to the bottom.

TigerShark808 · 06-15-09, 09:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by FIREWALL

One Way maybe. Straight to the bottom.

Warhawk · 06-15-09, 09:38 PM

Just like the Straights of Gibraltar it was EXTREMELY dangerous for a u-boat to try and traverse because it was very narrow and quite shallow and once the u-boat was detected everyone and their mother in laws destroyer would show up. There are stories of successful run thru..but they were few and far between and usually done during night and extremely bad weather.

I tried sneaking thru once in 39, about 1/2 way thru I got spotted and spent the rest of the time at about 30 meters because the bottom was at 35 meters.

I was always wondering if they could have devised some way for the u-boat to be towed thru either a captured freighter or perhaps a neutral or non-enemy ship (like a 500-1000 cable attached to the bottom of the ship away from the screws and rudder, this way the sub could stay submerged with the screws possibly free wheeling or even charging the batteries and slip by un-detected)

Hanomag · 06-15-09, 09:41 PM

Ingame you can navigate it, but really, why risk it? Its DD alley...

Just expend the extra fuel and live to fight another day ....

BulSoldier · 06-16-09, 02:35 AM

Ive done it just when germany was taking over the french ports

I actually never encountered a ships except one time near a city (cant remember the name) when 3 destroyers were sunk by coastal batteries but i cannot confirm were the batteries friendly firing at the allied DDs or the other way around.
The best thing to do (as far as i am concerned) for crossing the chanel is to stay as close as possible to the german(french) coast.

Torplexed · 06-15-09, 07:43 PM

Here's a short article on U-Boats in the channel from uboat.net

http://www.uboat.net/maps/channel.htm

Looks like they avoided it after 1939. They reappeared there in 1944 to try and stem the Allied invasion of Normandy and quite a few were lost.

06-15-09, 07:31 PM	#1
Shrike37 Watch Join Date: Jun 2009 Posts: 28 Downloads: 4 Uploads: 0	Historically, did the Uboots ever stop traveling through the English Channel? Historically, did the Uboots ever stop traveling through the English Channel because it became too dangerous? If so, what year?

06-15-09, 07:37 PM	#2
FIREWALL Eternal Patrol Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: CATALINA IS. SO . CAL USA Posts: 10,108 Downloads: 511 Uploads: 0	One Way maybe. Straight to the bottom. __________________ RIP FIREWALL I Play GWX. Silent Hunter Who ???

06-15-09, 09:41 PM	#5
Hanomag Grey Wolf Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: LI NY Posts: 964 Downloads: 13 Uploads: 0	Ingame you can navigate it, but really, why risk it? Its DD alley... Just expend the extra fuel and live to fight another day .... __________________ "Only if I can save first..."

06-16-09, 02:35 AM	#6
BulSoldier Samurai Navy Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Burgas/Bulgaria Posts: 550 Downloads: 40 Uploads: 0	Ive done it just when germany was taking over the french ports I actually never encountered a ships except one time near a city (cant remember the name) when 3 destroyers were sunk by coastal batteries but i cannot confirm were the batteries friendly firing at the allied DDs or the other way around. The best thing to do (as far as i am concerned) for crossing the chanel is to stay as close as possible to the german(french) coast. __________________ By the hour !

06-15-09, 09:38 PM	#4
Warhawk Seaman Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Houston, TX Posts: 38 Downloads: 3 Uploads: 0	Just like the Straights of Gibraltar it was EXTREMELY dangerous for a u-boat to try and traverse because it was very narrow and quite shallow and once the u-boat was detected everyone and their mother in laws destroyer would show up. There are stories of successful run thru..but they were few and far between and usually done during night and extremely bad weather. I tried sneaking thru once in 39, about 1/2 way thru I got spotted and spent the rest of the time at about 30 meters because the bottom was at 35 meters. I was always wondering if they could have devised some way for the u-boat to be towed thru either a captured freighter or perhaps a neutral or non-enemy ship (like a 500-1000 cable attached to the bottom of the ship away from the screws and rudder, this way the sub could stay submerged with the screws possibly free wheeling or even charging the batteries and slip by un-detected)

06-15-09, 07:43 PM	#7
Torplexed Let's Sink Sumptin' ! Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Seattle, WA Posts: 5,823 Downloads: 43 Uploads: 0	Here's a short article on U-Boats in the channel from uboat.net http://www.uboat.net/maps/channel.htm Looks like they avoided it after 1939. They reappeared there in 1944 to try and stem the Allied invasion of Normandy and quite a few were lost.