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Saturday, May 22, 2010

Life Rafts and U-Boats



The conning tower for the German U-Boat Type VII/C 41 Atlantic. The AA guns are very nice.




The standard mounts were two twin 20 mm guns and one 37mm gun below. They also mounted two twin 20 mm mounts and a quad-twenty on the lower deck. I am doing one of each. Quad mount is from Eadai / Grip models.



The U-Boat crews sustained huge losses. One new technique to mitigate that high loss rate was the addition of rubber life rafts on the front hull in special compartments. These special containers are all in a row at the front of the ship.



If the ship were to go down the rafts could allow the crewmen the chance to be saved by German, Allied or neutral ships. The same icy water where the Titanic went down is the same waters cruised by many U-Boats. A few minutes in water like that meant death.



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