Type VII question - What is it?

[keving]

Hello

On page 133 of E. Rossler's "The U-Boat" it shows an odd protrubance between the torpedo tubes on a Type VII. I see this on some other photos, but not all. What is this thing? I can not find anything about it in the book. It coincides nicely with the tube tightening bolt opening on the Robbe U-47. Was it an accident?

Thanks for any & all help

Kevin[I]

[JWLaRue]

During the design and early

During the design and early construction of the Type VII boats, the Kriegsmarine had plans for the installation of a sonar system in that lower bow location.

It is my understanding that no such system was ever deployed and that at some point that set of guards was deleted in the boats being built.

-Jeff

[boatbuilder1]

???
are you sure your

???
are you sure your looking at a type Vll or a type 11 c the type ll had three torp tudes one on the bottom middle and the other two either side this looks like the robbe setup exactly

imo

[JWLaRue]

Many thanks for the photo

Many thanks for the photo reference.

That's definitely the mount and guards for the planned but never deployed "horizontal" sonar system, the S-Gerat, on a Type VIIC. This would have been an active sonar system used to measure distance and direction to targets, etc.

-Jeff

[keving]

Thanks.

Where did you find

Thanks.

Where did you find this info? If you look closely at other pics in the book one can see the device, but I could find no written reference to it. Is it discussed in some other book.

I think it is amazing how advanced the Type VII was at the start. Bow-mounted active sonar. What an Idea.

Kevin

[JWLaRue]

Hi Kevin,

Information about items like

Hi Kevin,

Information about items like this tend to be sprinkled through quite a number of books on the Type VII (as are for others). In this case, if you have a copy of Rossler's book, there is a very brief mention of the S-Gerat device 4 or 5 pages beyond the photo.

I happen to have a ton of books on U-boats, and Type VII's in particular, so am able to read and see a lot of the little pieces and then try to make some attempt at putting a larger picture together.

In some ways the Type VII was very advanced, but in a number of other ways it as clearly outclassed by her contemporaries. (this ought to start an interesting discussion of it's own! )

-Jeff