Officers Duties (Important Tread!)

[tom2189]

So, i thought about two of my officers. The Navigator and TBC. Whats them duties on board?

First part: Lets suppose my watchmen spotted a ship. Then, they call me on deck. Thats ok. And then what? Do i talk to my Navigator, to mark a target on map, and give him all information about ship course and etc? I mean is it realistic, that i see spotted contact on a map constantly, with all them movement and course changes? (Or i need to turn off that option in difficulty screen? it does not change difficulty level btw but seriously hardens the game) Is Navigator runs betwen me and Acoustic to take new info and refresh the data? Or is this my TBC Duty???

Second part: Whats my TBC Officer duties? When i sit at the commanders periscope, is he stay near me (inside turm we also have a TDC) with Ships ID Book in the one hand and notebook in the other? Does he identify targets and does all calculations on a battle map near TDC??? (Or he has another primary duties on board, and i need to turn his help off in difficulty menu?)


P.S. Because with his help i shoot torpedoes waaaay more faster. And only things, i need to do, is change torpedo depth, open tubes, unlock the target, and then correct heading with periscope automatics. (just move peri crosshair right or left to a ship weak points (only after all TDC calcs) )


So, how was that in a real life? Did "Ka-leun" do all the identification and targeting job himself, or not?


PLS PLS ANSWER ME! Its very imortant to me.

P.P.S. I saw some movie where was a same situation, when commander looks at the periscope, and some other guy leaf through Ships ID Book very fast. But i dont remember details.

Sry for bad english.

[UKönig]

The duties of the watch were split amongst the crew in a U-boat typically as follows:

The Captain.
Usually referred to by his shortened title "Herr Kaleun" or "Herr KapitänLeutnant"
Or sometimes "the Old Man"
The Captain had to know a little bit about every system on board. He made the life and death decisions and disciplined the crew. He made the attack observations and passed that information off to the First Watch Officer. Also oversaw the distribution of beer or liquor as well as treats such as chocolate to reward for a job well done, or punish the crew for insubordination.

1WO -Erste WachOffizier
Executive Officer and second in command after the Captain. Was also responsible for managing the first watch 0400-0800, and overseeing the calculations into the TDC during surface or submerged attacks.

2WO - Zweiter WachOffizier
Second Watch officer, managing the bridge second watch 0800-1200 as well as all flak and /or deck guns. Was also typically responsible for the radio crew and decoding Enigma transcripts with a cypher key known by him. The Captain also had his own cypher key for when the message was in triple code and thus "for captain's eyes only".

3 WO - Dritte WachOffizier
Third watch officer or Obersteuermann 'chief navigator' in overall charge of the helmsmen and navigational duties. Also saw to the care and maintenance of the sextant and other sea charts. Was also chief quartermaster responsible (along with the cook) for the storage and distribution of supplies, especially food stock, in such a way that, they had to be stored securely so as not to come loose during battle, they had to be distributed so that underwater trim was not disturbed, and in such a way that access to handles, hatches and valves was uninterrupted, and that perishables would be used up before the canned goods that lasted.

Leitender Ingenieur - Chief Engineer and Fourth watch officer. The go-to guy for all matters technical aboard your boat. Has (often) final say regarding the the operational condition of the diesel engines, electric engines, batteries, pumps and compressors, fuel state etc.. as well as setting the scuttling charges should the order to 'self-destruct' need to be carried out. As such, a lot of LIs went down with their boats. He was also responsible for the primary acquisition of supplies before every mission.

The rest of the men were often little more than flesh and blood links in a badly designed chain. Torpedo boys who serviced and loaded the primary weapons of the boat. Often little more than muscle, because torpedoes can't load themselves. Radio crew or Funkmaats. Two or 3 crew trained to handle the sensor systems of the boat. From the hydrophones and sonar to the wireless telegraph and radar and radar warning receiver, their jobs also included the ability to repair these electrical systems. Diesel stokers and E-machine stokers, responsible for the care, maintenance and operation of their respective areas. And then the watchmen or look outs along with the planesmen who handled the hydro planes and diving panel for the overall control of the boat. And finally the Cook. Often regarded as the second most important man on board after the Captain. You'll want to get on good terms with him right away. When patrols are long and morale is low, it's good hot food that can turn that frown upside down.

Sometimes 'guest crew' would be invited on board. These could be war correspondents, writing articles for propaganda purposes, or 'would be Kaleuns' who need to attend a war patrol before their final promotion and acceptance of command. Same goes for Engineering crew, who may need a bit more practical experience in real wartime conditions, before assuming command as a department head on a boat of their own.

[jaxa]

I've read somewhere, that first watch started at 12/24.00 to 16/04.00 (commanded by 1WO), second from 16/04.00 to 20/08.00 (commanded by 2WO) and third from 20/08.00 to 24/12.00 (commanded by 3WO, who was Obersteuermann).

[tom2189]

Very good answers, but i am still looking for answers, who operates a ComanderPeri and who does all the calcs? How do the targeting worked in real life, in WW2 on German Subs? And especcially, do any of crew\officers track the target on charts beneath and underneath the water? and how? What assistance Acoustic and Radioman does to track the target? I mean how that CHAIN works? From when target been spotted to torpedo attack and escape. Thats what interests me most!!!!


P.S. You make things clear about 1 WO and TDC. Last - About tracking traget: Who makes that? And how it works?

[jaxa]

During surfaced night attacks 1WO was operating UZO at the bridge, tracking and locking targets and finally he was giving command to fire torpedoes, while Kaleun was placed in command room over map, what gives him better view of operational situation.
During submerged day/night attacks Kaleun was sitting in conning tower above command room, operated attack periscope and was giving fire solution and command to fire torpedo.
Obersteuermann marked targets on the map and hydrophone operator informed about audio signals (submerged).
Torpedo calculator during both type of attack was operated by qualified crewmember, the most often by Oberbootsmann (see Das Boot).
During WWII only Kriegsmarine created and used this type of torpedo attack organisation, in the rest navies Captain was the only one who gives commands.

[UKönig]

Originally Posted by jaxa

I've read somewhere, that first watch started at 12/24.00 to 16/04.00 (commanded by 1WO), second from 16/04.00 to 20/08.00 (commanded by 2WO) and third from 20/08.00 to 24/12.00 (commanded by 3WO, who was Obersteuermann).

You're probably right about the watch times, numbers aren't really my strong suit. Besides which, these are the officially posted times; once you get out to sea and the patrol starts to get going, the Captain has the authority to alter the length of time each watch spent on duty.
For example, a normal bridge watch lasts 4 hours, but when waves are high and weather is bad, the shift may be shortened to 2 hours, so that the men don't get beaten up too badly by the nasty weather. Captain's discretion.
Engineering crew stayed on duty for 6 hours each shift. If the Captain split the watch duty time into four, then the LI could assume command then as the unofficial 'fourth watch officer', but in general, the LI either worked in the control room or in the Diesel room, if combat action really started to mess things up back there.

[jaxa]

It was exactly as you described.

[UKönig]

I love this kind of stuff more than I should

[BigWalleye]

Probably the best way to get an answer to your question is to read Herbert Werner's book Iron Coffins. Werner doesn't address every one of your questions specifically, but he does provide a sense of how the boat and crew operate and who does what. He does describe some actual approach and attacl procedures in some detail.It's all what actually happened rather than tactical doctrine.

[UKönig]

It's sitting beside me right now.

[tom2189]

Very big thanks to you all, and especially to Jaxa

[GT182]

Originally Posted by tom2189

who operates a ComanderPeri and who does all the calcs?

You do as you are the Captain of the Boat.

[T.Von Hogan]

Originally Posted by GT182

You do as you are the Captain of the Boat.

Amen