Why did WW II subs have to surface?

World War II submarines were basically surface ships that could travel underwater for a limited time. Diesel engines gave them high surface speed and long range, but speed and range were severely reduced underwater, where they relied on electric motors powered by relatively short-lived storage batteries.

Why do submarines surface?

How Does a Submarine Surface? One way a submarine can surface is called blowing to the surface. To do this, high-pressure air is blown into the ballast tanks to replace the seawater. It's the weight of the seawater that is keeping the sub underwater, so displacing it makes the sub rise to the surface.

How long could ww2 Subs stay submerged?

Two 126-cell battery groups gave her a submerged top speed of 8.75 knots (16.2 km/hr); holding her speed to 2 knots (4 km/hr), she could remain submerged for 48 hours. Before sonar became dependable, most submarine combat took place during the day, for the advantage of sunlight (depending on depths).

Why do submarines surface during battle?

For a while anti-submarine warfare was simply an extension of existing ship-to-ship combat tactics. Subs needed to surface often to navigate, confirm targets, or to resupply, and surface ships would then attack using cannon fire or ramming as they would against any vessel.

How did ww2 Subs get oxygen?

How Did Early Submarines Get Oxygen? By using saltpeter, peroxide, or liquid oxygen for chemical reactions, WWII era submarined relied on a plethora of old-world systems and processes. Submarines also incorporated air exchange systems as a means to store and transfer liquid oxygen.

How long could German U boats stay submerged?

The Germans' most formidable naval weapon was the U-boat, a submarine far more sophisticated than those built by other nations at the time. The typical U-boat was 214 feet long, carried 35 men and 12 torpedoes, and could travel underwater for two hours at a time.

How long can a sub stay under water?

Diesel-electric submarines may remain immersed for up to 48 hours without recharging their batteries, but they should surface to operate a generator. Nuclear-powered submarines in the army may remain submerged for extended periods of time.

Did German U boats have to surface to fire?

And it must have done so on the surface of the water, where it was able to travel at a faster speed than the ships it pursued. By approaching from astern, where the lookouts rarely checked, the U-boat would be able to slip inside the convoy undetected, fire at close range, then submerge in order to get away.

How deep could a WW II submarine dive?

World War II German U-boats generally had collapse depths in the range of 200 to 280 metres (660 to 920 feet). Modern nuclear attack submarines like the American Seawolf class are estimated to have a test depth of 490 m (1,600 ft), which would imply (see above) a collapse depth of 730 m (2,400 ft).

Has a submarine ever torpedoed another submarine?

German submarine U-864 was a Type IXD2 U-boat of Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine in World War II. On 9 February 1945, it became the only submarine in history to be sunk by an enemy submarine while both were submerged.

Did ww2 submarines have air conditioning?

Actually heat was no problem in the South Pacific, but air conditioning was important, although it was a high user of energy. Even the electricians avoided fooling with that. Toward the end of the patrol run the officers' shower nozzle disappeared, but they didn't complain much.

How did WW II submarines recharge their batteries?

Submarines need large amounts of electricity to operate safely under water. They charge their batteries using diesel or nuclear-driven generators.

How many subs did us lose in ww2?

Fifty-two submarines of the United States Navy were lost during World War II.

Are submarines faster underwater or on the surface?

This is why modern submarines, with their hull form optimized for submerged operation, are slower on the surface.

Why do submarines return to land?

A process called electrolysis pulls out the oxygen. The oxygen is then pumped into the air for the crew to breathe. While submarines are pretty self-sufficient, they do need to return to shore to restock food supplies. Submarines have no windows.

Do subs have to come up for air?

Modern subs don't need to come up for air, either. Chemical processes continually remove carbon dioxide from the air on board, while oxygen generators use electrolysis to extract oxygen from surrounding seawater. As long as the equipment is working properly, the air is always fresh and breathable.

At what depth will water crush you?

This means we'd have to dive to about 35.5 km depth before bone crushes. This is three times as deep as the deepest point in our ocean. The 40% of non-water non-gaseous minerals and tissues such as salts, proteins, fats and lipids are virtually impossible to compress similar to water.

How do submarines not get crushed?

Because submarines are made of metal, and metal can only withstand a certain amount of pressure before buckling or collapsing, the strength of the metal and the design of the sub determines its ultimate depth limit. In reality, a submarine pilot would never take a sub anywhere near that depth.

How thick is a submarine hull?

The external hull, which actually forms the shape of submarine, is called the outer hull, casing or light hull. This term is especially appropriate for Russian submarine construction, where the light hull is usually made of steel that is only 2 to 4 millimeters thick, as it has the same pressure on both sides.

Did ww2 subs have to surface to fire torpedoes?

Post–World War II

During the Cold War torpedoes were an important asset with the advent of nuclear-powered submarines, which did not have to surface often, particularly those carrying strategic nuclear missiles.

How close did German subs get to the US?

So the two Bremen submarines are united 3,000 miles away at one of the United States' great forts of WWII. Their story is told to thousands of visitors to the Fort Miles museum as part of the German attack on the American homeland in World War II.

How often did U-boats have to surface for air?

On the very large Gato class boats, after 24 hours the air would be noticeably bad. After 48 hours, it would be unbearable and you would have to surface.

Can a submarine survive a nuclear bomb?

Most current submarines can survive at a depth of 400 m, so they might survive long pressure spikes created by the waves above them as high as 200–400 m, but not kilometer size waves. Submarines are also designed to withstand short pressure spikes from close explosions of deep charges and even nuclear explosions.

Do you get seasick on a submarine?

Will I get seasick? Is it like being on a boat? Being on a submarine is very different to being on a boat. There is no rocking motion, as the submarine sits below the waves, and so people who get seasick on a boat will not do so on our submarine.

What happens to waste on a submarine?

Waste that is discharged overboard must either be pumped out against the ambient sea pressure or blown out using pressurized air. Waste materials are collected and periodically discharged.