Depth charge safe depth?

UKönig · 07-22-14, 03:53 PM

The small bombs carried by aircraft normally weigh in at 150lbs, the ones by destroyers, up to 500lbs. At a depth of 350ft, the lethal radius extends to roughly 275-350ft.
To destroy a submerged U-boat, depth charges don't have to hit, they need only to explode within the so-called 'lethal radius'. Water transmits pressure much more strongly than air. If an intense shock wave hits the boat, the pressure can rip it apart at the seams.
The most dangerous charges for the average U-boat are the ones that explode diagonally under the keel. The underside has the largest concentration of flanges, outboard valves and plugs. The deeper you go, the smaller the lethal radius becomes. The water pressure, itself a threat because of the overloading on the seams, also limits the effective radius of the bombs.
Once the "tommies" fixed their depth charge limitations, they can drop them to go off at virtually any depth. Which forces you into some hard choices. Try to go deeper and it won't be the blasts that gets you, it will be pressure hull failure. Surface, and you are dog meat. They will shoot you, they will ram you, surrender isn't really an option. You get 4 chances to die and only one to live. Those are pretty bad odds. And still we keep coming back...

07-22-14, 03:53 PM	#7
UKönig Captain Join Date: Apr 2014 Location: Victoria, British Columbia, Canada Posts: 495 Downloads: 1 Uploads: 0	surviving in your iron coffin The small bombs carried by aircraft normally weigh in at 150lbs, the ones by destroyers, up to 500lbs. At a depth of 350ft, the lethal radius extends to roughly 275-350ft. To destroy a submerged U-boat, depth charges don't have to hit, they need only to explode within the so-called 'lethal radius'. Water transmits pressure much more strongly than air. If an intense shock wave hits the boat, the pressure can rip it apart at the seams. The most dangerous charges for the average U-boat are the ones that explode diagonally under the keel. The underside has the largest concentration of flanges, outboard valves and plugs. The deeper you go, the smaller the lethal radius becomes. The water pressure, itself a threat because of the overloading on the seams, also limits the effective radius of the bombs. Once the "tommies" fixed their depth charge limitations, they can drop them to go off at virtually any depth. Which forces you into some hard choices. Try to go deeper and it won't be the blasts that gets you, it will be pressure hull failure. Surface, and you are dog meat. They will shoot you, they will ram you, surrender isn't really an option. You get 4 chances to die and only one to live. Those are pretty bad odds. And still we keep coming back... __________________ Because I'm the captain, that's why!