Extra torpedoes reserves?

[Pistoliero]

There is 2 red torpedo storage rooms labeled as "extra reserves" on most u-boat types. Is there any difference between these red slots and normal (dark grey) ones?

[Raptor]

No.

All type IX boats could carry at least 22 torpedoes, 8 of which were carried in external water-tight containers.

The types IXD1 and D2 could carry 24.

As the war progressed and allied aircraft covered more of the seas, the number of places where a boat could safely surface long enough to move the external eels inside the boat rapidly decreased to the point where it external reloads were a liability and no longer carried.

Many type IX boats carried cargo between France and the Far East in their external containers.

The deck guns were also removed later in the war for a similar reason (vulnerability), and because the merchants were also armed and would shoot back at the attacking u-boat. The added drag from the gun also slowed the u-boat's underwater speed slightly. Removing it helped mitigate the drag caused by the extra flak guns that were needed later in the war.

[Pistoliero]

Thanks for reply, Raptor. Quite informative reading. Never knew that IXs ever sailed without deck gun.

But I asked slightly different thing - not about external containers, but about "extra" ones. VII and IX u-boats has 2 "extra" torpedo containers painted red on torpedo scheme (in fore reserves). They seem not external, as torpedoes from them are loaded properly when submerged. So initial question was what's so special about this 2 slots.

[Raptor]

Nothing!

The internal reserves were just that - reloads carried inside the boat. In the forward torpedo room, there were two hanging overhead on chains and four more under the floor grates. You couldn't walk upright in that space until the first four eels were fired.

Why the programmers bothered to give two of them a special name is anybody's guess. Maybe they considered the first four to be reloads for the four forward tubes and the last two were just "extras". YGIAGAM.

[maillemaker]

Great question, though, I have always wondered the same thing.

Steve

[Mittelwaechter]

The red ones should be used first as a reload, as they represent the two eels stored directly in the forward torpedo room right on the floor, while the other four eels were under the floor plates and only accessable after reloading the former two red ones.

As "realistic" Kaleun you should consider your weapons layout at your home port accordingly, to have steamers and electrics available anytime.

I switch to manual, but iirc the auto reload uses the red ones first.