how were u boats steered?

[Bubblehead1980]

Just curious, never seen a "wheel" in u boats in the games or in pictures.Seems like I remember them hitting buttons in Das Boot but its been forever.Anyone know?

[Sailor Steve]

A pair of levers on top of the BBC box on the bridge, conning tower and control room tied to an electric and (I think) hydraulic system operated the rudder. We had a discussion a couple of months ago, and I can't remember which forum it was, and I can't find the pictures posted there, which showed it plainly.

[edit] The rudder controls were electric motor only - no hydraulics. The full report can be found here http://www.uboatarchive.net/U-570ONIReport.htm, but still no pictures yet.

[edit 2]

Electric movement of the rudder is accomplished by depressing the "port" or "starboard" pushbutton at the steering station in use, employing the palm or the heel of the hand. Depressing the button closes the circuit to the magnetic controller, which starts the steering motor.

http://www.uboatarchive.net/DesignSt...ypeIXC-S22.htm

[Bubblehead1980]

Originally Posted by Sailor Steve

A pair of levers on top of the BBC box on the bridge, conning tower and control room tied to an electric and (I think) hydraulic system operated the rudder. We had a discussion a couple of months ago, and I can't remember which forum it was, and I can't find the pictures posted there, which showed it plainly.

[edit] The rudder controls were electric motor only - no hydraulics. The full report can be found here http://www.uboatarchive.net/U-570ONIReport.htm, but still no pictures yet.

[edit 2]
http://www.uboatarchive.net/DesignSt...ypeIXC-S22.htm

Thanks Steve, I tried google but a lot of reading and just did not feel like doing , plenty of reading for school to do.Wonder why they chose to use that instead of a wheel?

[Bubblehead729]

Interesting read....I would have bet the farm on hydraulic controls. Seems odd to have electric controls for ship control, since loss of electric power would have been a real danger in a combat environment.

Originally Posted by Bubblehead1980

Thanks Steve, I tried google but a lot of reading and just did not feel like doing , plenty of reading for school to do.Wonder why they chose to use that instead of a wheel?

Wheels were made for emergency control if main control got damaged in action and so.

and in SH3 the crew can be seen sitting only at depth control ruders, the steering ruder control station next to the hatch to sonar/radio room is empty. You can also see that their hands ar on emergency wheel when they should be touching BBC control box instead.

[Bubblehead1980]

Perhaps electric steering was more quiet than hydraulic?

[CCIP]

More than that, I suspect it was lighter, mechanically simpler, easier to maintain and more compact, which is probably the real reason it was adopted. If you look at U-boat designs, space and weight were very much at a premium in them. The German design philosophy was very much performance-first.

Also, I don't think anyone seriously planned for loss of electrical power. A U-boat losing electrical power would have bigger things to worry about than steering, namely the fact that it without electric power it had no propulsion and no pumps. In that scenario it would be dead long before steering became a problem.

In any case, I believe it still had a mechanical backup. Same for the dive planes - their normal controls were electric with a mechanical backup.

[Rhodes]

Originally Posted by CCIP

In any case, I believe it still had a mechanical backup. Same for the dive planes - their normal controls were electric with a mechanical backup.

The rudder wheel was in the aft torpedo room, stored in the ceiling. It was lower into to position to steer the boat if necessary. Sorry, but the correct terms eludes me.


Image from Anatomy of a ship: the type vii uboat.

[Sailor Steve]

Originally Posted by PapaKilo

You can also see that their hands ar on emergency wheel when they should be touching BBC control box instead.

Of course. They followed that historical document Das Boot.