sonar

[Sandman_28054]

Originally Posted by Danelov

Well, in reality the name is not the right for the U-Boot equipment, we can speak of Hydrophones. Sonar(or Asdic) had the hunters, destroyers ,frigates,corvettes,sloops and company; for the U-Boot we have the hydrophones , a passive listen installation. You can listen the noise of propellers of different vessels, relative easy identified after his sound signature as warships(turbines, high speed prollepers), merchants(low speed revolutions), or others(Submarines for example).The Hydrophone give the relative heading in relation with you U-boot and depending the skill of the hydrophoniste, the aproximative distance.Speaking about radars, in the early time , that was not a radar ,but a primitive detector of radar called, Metox, working in high bands, metric by memory, then was a improved version called Naxos(Centimetric).The function of this installations was as warning receiver.The first real radar were mounted from 1942, the serie of the FuMOs, a adaptation of aerial radar and in general very limited in range( so , some 20 kms).

Very well said.

The only thing to add to this is that you should be aware that using FuMO, destroyers can "home" in on you. It is great to warn of approaching aircraft, but it can "back-fire" on you with DD's.