Looking for U-404 Information.

[JWLaRue]

Yup, some of the photos I posted came from U-boot I'm Focus #6.

-Jeff

[JigSaw]

So was the under water camera a rarity? I have never seen one on a U-Boat before. I have seen film clips underwater in Documentary's. This unit almost looks like it could have been an experiment? When I Google them I find nothing about them except for a picture of the U-404 with this one.

[JWLaRue]

Excellent question. It could very well have been a one-off used for the U-404. Let me go find my copy of U-boat War by Lothar-Günther Buchheim and see if any of his photos show that camera mount.

-Jeff

[salmon]

O.K. so I am stepping in from a real novice at this information, but for some reason, I remember the filming was unique. The filming was for propaganda usage (also documentary) and there were other subs that had camera crews onboard, but used tall structures to film from. Take this with a grain of salt, my mind gets foggy and mix information up. I will let Jeff confirm or completely rip my statement apart :-)

[dougie995]

Hello Trev and Jeff,

According to the article the war correspondent Garms came up "with something special". In the photos you will see the pressure capsule holding the Askania Z camera (Askania were the company which made the camera) which was built to Garms' specifications in the wokshops in St Nazaire. So it was almost certainly unique.

Jeff, I wonder if you might help. If you look at photo 27 there is a photo of a crewman several feet above the tower on top of "a single plank attached to the periscope". But if you have a close look at the top of the device you can see that it is not a periscope head (though the shaft looks like a standard persicope shaft). The other very interesting point is the position of this device. It is not on the centreline so it isn't the attack or sky periscope. Rather it looks like it protrudes out of the mast antenna housing (the semi circular fairing on the port side of the tower). I've never seen anything like this and the only object I have seen coming out the mast antenna housing is the mast antenna itself. My guess is that this device on the port side was added to allow Garms to be suspended high above the boat and allow him to take photos from an aerial perspective. Jeff, do you think this is correct or do you think it may have had a different purpose?

Trev, once you get the magazine you'll see the device. If you want a truly unique model you might want to have a go at adding this device.

Cheers,

Dougie

[JWLaRue]

Dougie,

I agree...that mast is the port side mast antenna, though the very top doesn't look familiar. The one in the photo is slightly pointed, while what I recall are ones with a rounded top. since the U-404 did have a vertical antenna mast located in that location, I think Garms just used it since it provided a higher point from which to take photographs.

Here's a photo of the U-404 returning from a patrol showing the port side of the tower....minus the camera housing. Note the top of the antenna mast which is just visible inside the mast housing.



-Jeff

[JigSaw]

Hello Salmon,

I have seen pictures of Mast structures on U Boats, Sure looks like they are Filming to me. (Picture Below) So I think you and your Memory are Spot on. When I first came across these pictures it reminded me of the Ladder truck in Rat Patrol


Dougie,
Great information. And Yes that along with the Viking ship prow are really the two main reasons I decided to build this U Boat. Like I mentioned before I had planned on building the Extended later war version. Ordered all of the Extended Coning tower parts from Bob and was set to go. Doing more research I found the U 404, And with the uniqueness of the Boat changed my mind and decided to build it instead. So I will be adding the Camera as pictured.

Jeff,
Thank you again for another wonderful. Now I have another wonderful Question. On the antenna housing there are four little rectangles kind of fanned out? Any Ideas?

Trev,

[JWLaRue]

I'm not sure that those 4 objects are. However, they may be where something was removed?

That last photo with the mast is a very different type of mast. The mast is much thinner and there are a number of stays to support the mast/platform. That's definitely a 'designed' rig that would take time to set up and take down...and not one what would be used on an actual war patrol.

What we're seeing on that U-404 photo looks like someone jury-rigged a way to do photos from up high while on patrol.

Great conversation! We haven't had good U-boat conversations in a while.

-Jeff

[salmon]

The photo with the rig is not the U-404, but U-86. That was the photo I saw, but I think there was some old movie clips that showed them filming and the diving and surface shots made from these two positions (mounted camera and the tall stand).
Jeff, you are right this is a good conversation. Why? Because it is so unique. Modeling something like this, as mentioned earlier, would be a conversation piece. Although most of us probably want our models to represent some mean, lean, fighting machine rather than some foo-foo photo shoot sub.

[JWLaRue]

Tom,

Sorry, didn't mean to infer that the other rig as the U-404, but I can see how my reply could be read that way! Thanks for the clarification on the U-86 photo.

-Jeff

[JigSaw]

I really do not know enough to comment in much more detail. I agree that this is a very interesting subject as well as an interesting conversation. It would appear to me that the Camera set up on U-404 was set up for Filming a War Patrol for Propaganda, Documentation or maybe even for use to convince the High command of the need for more allocation of material's for the U Boat program. For what ever reason it does seem to be a well thought out way to film while on Patrol. I for one am really just a novice about U Boat's and am having a great time chatting with you all and learning. I have read some book's, Built the Model's and watched Movies on U Boats, Until recently I have never really dug into all the information out there. I can see that I have come to the right place, and this has been so far a lot of fun.

Trev.

[Ralph --- SSBN 598]

Here is a forum that has a section on u-boats and in that section there are several pages (17) of photos showing u-boat emblems.

Axis History Forum / U-boats

Just found this forum.
I have not had a chance to look through it yet.

[JigSaw]

I have been on that site for other things years ago and just forgot about it, Thank you for the Reminder and the Link to the U-Boats Forum. Lots of great referance material there.

[JigSaw]

Since I decided to Model the (Foo Foo Fhoto shoot sub) I went ahead and listed my Extended OTW Conning tower kit on Sub Swap. Won't be needing that any longer.

I'm hoping to start the Build soon. Just waiting on a few more things and hopefully some more documentation.

[JigSaw]

Ran across this looking for information on the U 404, It is some sort of dish or plate from the 6th u-Flottille Interesting piece with RZM stamps on the Back?