Sub maintenance

[Rosencrantz]

I'm not sure about term "maintenance" but I'm looking for info about how they "took care" the boat in base time and what kind of schedsule they got. You know:

1. One day after patrol: Cleaning the boat
2. Before next patrol: 1 day for ammo load in...
3. 1 day for food and fuel supply
4.+ ???

For example with engines they got to do something when in the base (change oil etc. basic) but how often and how many days these actions demanded?

Any info?

Thanks for your time!

-RC-

[don1reed]

Hi Rosencrantz,

I don't know if this worthwhile, but this may or maynot help:

WATCHBILL

0000 First Sea Watch (1/3) and Starboard Engine Room Watch (1/2) go on duty.
0400 Second Sea Watch (2/3) goes on duty.
0530 Wake Port Engine Room Watch to get ready for Breakfast.
0600 Wake crew. Port Engine Room Watch (2/2) goes on duty.
0630 Breakfast for the rest of the crew.
0700 Cleaning up, washing, and maintenance duties.
0800 Third Sea Watch (3/3).
0845 Routine maintenance, overhaul and repair work for men not on watch.
1130 Lunch for First Sea Watch and Starboard Engine Room Watch.
1200 First Sea Watch (1/3) and Starboard Engine Room Watch (1/2) goes on duty.
Lunch for the rest of the crew.
1300 Routine maintenance, overhaul and repair work for men not on watch.
1530 Snack for men going on duty.
1600 Second Sea Watch (2/3) goes on duty.
1700 Evening meal for men not on duty.
18:00 Port Engine Room Watch (2/2) goes on duty
Evening meal for Starboard Engine Room Watch.
2000 Third Sea Watch (3/3) goes on duty.
Evening meal for those who have not eaten.
2100 Silence throughout the boat for sleeping.
2340 First Sea Watch and Starboard Engine Room Watch woken to get ready for duty at midnight.

Check out 0700--0845--1300--Routine maintenance...at sea as well as in port that usually meant "boat sanitation".

Also, you might want to check out U-Boat WAR PATROL by Lawrence Paterson, about the U564 KL Teddy Suhren. Pages 37 & 38 discuss the preparation for getting underway.

His orders stated to leave Brest by 9 July 1942.

on Friday 3 July & 4 July, dockyard tests for underwater trim; verifying free movement of hydroplanes and rudders; functionality of echosounding equipment and rust treatment.

5 July took on fuel.

6 July Armament.

7 & 8 July Provision taken aboard and stored. Sea physicals for the entire crew.

9 July 2130 hrs. left Brest for Lorient to pick up a war correspondent.

Finally left France on patrol on the 11th.

Most of the books and documents leave the reader to read between the lines regarding what was done in port. If the boats were sabotaged (later in war) one is left to believe that no crew was aboard to supervise. And the yardbirds were pretty much unobserved in the background to make "engine adjustments".

Cheers,

[Rosencrantz]

Hey! Thanks Don!

-RC-