A Few Real Questions

[Captain Birdseye]

Thanks everybody

[Paul Riley]

Just regarding the blue lights,I think what jim said sounds about right (if there was a use for it),to remind the crew that they were running silent.Having a visual cue to remind people not to fart or burp out loud,or even dropping the wrench on the floor plates

Where did you get that information from jim? I don't think I can find any references to it in the film,but it does look bloody good mind you.

[Jimbuna]

Originally Posted by Paul Riley

Just regarding the blue lights,I think what jim said sounds about right (if there was a use for it),to remind the crew that they were running silent.Having a visual cue to remind people not to fart or burp out loud,or even dropping the wrench on the floor plates

Where did you get that information from jim? I don't think I can find any references to it in the film,but it does look bloody good mind you.

I've read it a couple of times over the years when reading myreference books.....and no, I can't remember precisely which ones....and seeing I've over a hundred don't ask me to refer back to them all

Here is a link from a book which briefly explains they were emergency lights:

http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=9...esult&resnum=8

Obviously silent running was only instigated in an emergency.

[Sailor Steve]

Wal, Ah just larned sumpthin new!

Thanks, mister Jim!

[Jimbuna]

Originally Posted by Sailor Steve

Wal, Ah just larned sumpthin new!

Thanks, mister Jim!

Your welcome my friend. Remember....two heads are always better than one and most importantly....None of us are as clever as all of us

I hope these two jug heads below realise that :rotfl:

[Hitman]

1) How did U-Boats plot their course through sea? at the moment I plot my course randomly, making a very rough course to my patrol grid and bob's your uncle.

Same as all vessels did: 1) Getting peridocally fixes on stars and sun to determine their current position, and 2) keeping a log of how much they advanced and in which direction, making estimate corrections of effect of wind and currents (dead reckoning)

2) Why did U-Boats have red lights? Was this to give the bootsmen some sort of 'time awareness' and make the boat feel more natural?

Not just U-Boats but most men of war. Red light is at the side of the light spectrum where your eyes acomodate faster to full darkness. Crew watch was expected to be able to start bein aware of the situation in the plain darkness as soon as possible, hence they spent a time under red light conditions before going to the bridge. The sconds you spend accomodating your vision to low light conditions can mean the difference between life and death.

3) On a similar vein, why in Das Boot does the boat switch to a very dim blue light when under attack? Does it really matter if the lights are on? or do the lights make more revs?

Unrealistic, and placed in the das Boot film exclusively for dramatic purposes (Increases paleness and angles in the faces and expressions of the men). As far as I can tell, there has never, ever been an internal blue light illumination in the WW2 german U-Boats. (There was however in soviet post WW2 submarines)

4) Again from Das Boot, why did the officers wear goggles sometimes?

See reply to 2) Not all the boat was rigged for red, as normal light makes working and seeing details easier for the crew. Hence the officers, which had to move around the ship, kept their acomodation to red light by wearing those red-tinted googles.

[Jimbuna]

Originally Posted by Hitman

Unrealistic, and placed in the das Boot film exclusively for dramatic purposes (Increases paleness and angles in the faces and expressions of the men). As far as I can tell, there has never, ever been an internal blue light illumination in the WW2 german U-Boats. (There was however in soviet post WW2 submarines)

See post 18

[Sailor Steve]

Originally Posted by jimbuna

Remember....two heads are always better than one and most importantly....None of us are as clever as all of us

Of course none of us is as stupid as all of us either.

The jughead on the left...no, your left...no, I mean your right...no, I mean looking at the picture...no, I mean the one on the left looking at the picture...no, not the guy on your left right now, I mean as you look at the picture...

Anyway, the short jughead knows this to be true.

...I think

[Jimbuna]

Originally Posted by Sailor Steve

Of course none of us is as stupid as all of us either.

The jughead on the left...no, your left...no, I mean your right...no, I mean looking at the picture...no, I mean the one on the left looking at the picture...no, not the guy on your left right now, I mean as you look at the picture...

Anyway, the short jughead knows this to be true.

...I think

LMAO :rotfl:

You should have been a script writer for the Blackadder series