Max depth at which you would have been able to raise periscope

TheSatyr · 11-19-07, 09:10 PM

Periscopes are rather delicate instruments. Even if you could raise it at depth you run a serious risk of having it damaged by the sea pressure or from the shockwave of a DC.

I'd hate to be a Skipper trying to explain to Christie or Lockwood on why I had to cut short my patrol to have my periscope replaced.

Chock · 11-19-07, 09:33 PM

About the only time submariners actually would raise the scope whilst submerged, as far as I'm aware, is with the ones that could tilt upwards for sky observation. Underwater they would be able to see if there was a ship above you because of the light being blocked out more. This would be handy for two reasons, one if a destroyer had stopped to pick up survivors, you might not hear it and think it is gone, two, if you wanted to hide under a ship, it would allow you to correct the position.

Chock

pythos · 11-19-07, 10:32 PM

Even when lowered, the scope is still exposed to the outside water, along with the pressure. The sheers did provide some protection from DC shock Waves. This is true for all WWII and before subs, I think even modern subs leave the scopes exposed to the pressure.

Captain Vlad · 11-19-07, 11:35 PM

I like using it to see how much deeper I can get when I got myself into some horrible situation in water two shallow for any sane person to be diving in. I also use it to avoid collisions with merchant ships when prowling through a convoy.

scrag · 11-20-07, 03:38 PM

It is always exposed to Sea Pressure. So it does not matter what depth in relation to the scope itself. The issue is the capabilities of the Hydraulic plant (and pressure) or the electric motors in raising the scope. BTW it is pretty much black after about 400 feet or so. Modern systems have diffculty with deeper than typical depths (say about 200 feet or so). One factor that is never modeled accurately is the Vibration of the scope at speeds greater than say 7 knots when the scope is raised deeper the PD. There is no fairing and so it is just the scope dealing with the water flow.

Wasserbombkopf · 11-20-07, 05:49 PM

During the cold war, IIRC, a US sub used it's periscope to take (underwater) pictures of the underside of a Soviet ship. Pretty sure that's in "Blind Man's Bluff".

11-19-07, 09:33 PM	#2
Chock Sea Lord Join Date: May 2005 Location: Under a thermal layer in chilly Olde England Posts: 1,842 Downloads: 0 Uploads: 0	About the only time submariners actually would raise the scope whilst submerged, as far as I'm aware, is with the ones that could tilt upwards for sky observation. Underwater they would be able to see if there was a ship above you because of the light being blocked out more. This would be handy for two reasons, one if a destroyer had stopped to pick up survivors, you might not hear it and think it is gone, two, if you wanted to hide under a ship, it would allow you to correct the position. Chock __________________

11-19-07, 11:35 PM	#4
Captain Vlad Seasoned Skipper Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Pollard, Oklahoma Posts: 679 Downloads: 6 Uploads: 0	I like using it to see how much deeper I can get when I got myself into some horrible situation in water two shallow for any sane person to be diving in. I also use it to avoid collisions with merchant ships when prowling through a convoy. __________________ "Stop sounding battlestations just to hear the alarm."

11-20-07, 03:38 PM	#5
scrag Medic Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Pearl Harbor, Hawaii Posts: 161 Downloads: 6 Uploads: 0	The scope It is always exposed to Sea Pressure. So it does not matter what depth in relation to the scope itself. The issue is the capabilities of the Hydraulic plant (and pressure) or the electric motors in raising the scope. BTW it is pretty much black after about 400 feet or so. Modern systems have diffculty with deeper than typical depths (say about 200 feet or so). One factor that is never modeled accurately is the Vibration of the scope at speeds greater than say 7 knots when the scope is raised deeper the PD. There is no fairing and so it is just the scope dealing with the water flow. __________________

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11-19-07, 09:10 PM	#1
TheSatyr Captain Join Date: Apr 2002 Posts: 545 Downloads: 0 Uploads: 0	Periscopes are rather delicate instruments. Even if you could raise it at depth you run a serious risk of having it damaged by the sea pressure or from the shockwave of a DC. I'd hate to be a Skipper trying to explain to Christie or Lockwood on why I had to cut short my patrol to have my periscope replaced.

11-19-07, 10:32 PM	#3
pythos Grey Wolf Join Date: May 2005 Location: Somewhere over there Posts: 834 Downloads: 46 Uploads: 0	Even when lowered, the scope is still exposed to the outside water, along with the pressure. The sheers did provide some protection from DC shock Waves. This is true for all WWII and before subs, I think even modern subs leave the scopes exposed to the pressure.

11-20-07, 05:49 PM	#6
Wasserbombkopf Swabbie Join Date: Apr 2006 Posts: 7 Downloads: 13 Uploads: 0	During the cold war, IIRC, a US sub used it's periscope to take (underwater) pictures of the underside of a Soviet ship. Pretty sure that's in "Blind Man's Bluff".