Question about U-boat!

Discussions on all (non-biographical) aspects of the submarine forces of the Kriegsmarine.
Post Reply
HKC01
Member
Posts: 112
Joined: 20 Mar 2004, 10:27
Location: Hong Kong

Question about U-boat!

#1

Post by HKC01 » 17 Apr 2007, 04:37

Hello, My question is about WWII U-boat's rusting.

In general, after german U-Boats had done a long voyage, was it the case that many parts of the U-boat(especially the upper part) have rusting?

If it is so, would the condition be similiar to the photos below:


thx for answering.

Image

Image

User avatar
Pax Melmacia
Member
Posts: 354
Joined: 01 Sep 2006, 02:26
Location: Philippines

#2

Post by Pax Melmacia » 25 Apr 2007, 04:05

I have seen paintings showing extensive rusting on U-Boat upper works, but we can assume that these paintings are accurate. What I have seen of photos is paint chipping, especially on the tower.

BTW, outstanding work on your model.


User avatar
pzrwest
Member
Posts: 2884
Joined: 10 Feb 2005, 12:01
Location: Cardiff Ontario Canada
Contact:

#3

Post by pzrwest » 25 Apr 2007, 12:54

I showed my uboot vet Edgar a bunch of pics of model uboots showing the heavy weathering and rust and he said he never saw his boat or anyother boats in that condition. He said the pics of the models looked like they have sat in a scrap yard to look like that. He did say there was some small patches of rust but but nothing as heavy as what he saw in the pics. He said the small spots of rust were mainly where paint had been chipped like hand rails and foot rails and edges that saw wear and tear.

Carl Schwamberger
Host - Allied sections
Posts: 10056
Joined: 02 Sep 2006, 21:31
Location: USA

#4

Post by Carl Schwamberger » 03 May 2007, 04:37

My experince with ships & industrial machinery suggests the submarine would only have a few small spots of rust, even after three month away from the maintinance yard. The model shown above looks like a boat that has been badly neglected, or damaged somehow.

User avatar
Pax Melmacia
Member
Posts: 354
Joined: 01 Sep 2006, 02:26
Location: Philippines

#5

Post by Pax Melmacia » 03 May 2007, 05:43

On the subject of weathering, I once posted a question on another forum wondering about the color of a U-Boat hull below the waterline. Some sources say dark grey, as your picture shows, while others say hull-red. I guess it starts with an overcoat of dark, then weathers to show the red primer underneath. (One poster theorized that there may have been boats that didn't receive the grey overcoat anymore due to time constraints.)

ChristopherPerrien
Member
Posts: 7051
Joined: 26 Dec 2002, 01:58
Location: Mississippi

#6

Post by ChristopherPerrien » 03 May 2007, 10:30

I have seen American sub pictures where there is a run of rust under the anchor well and some running from the shaft wells and struts of the diving planes and very small runs under the hull baffle? holes but that is about it. Subs don't stay at sea that long in comparison to ships. And they don't use many of the lines and cables that ships do or as often or moor in areas where there is alot of wave action, all of this causes chipped paint on ship hulls. Subs don't have portholes/hatches and few places where dissimilar metals meet. Also since they have pressure hulls I am sure that the hulls were quite well kept up and painted often as rust weakens/thins metal.

User avatar
Pax Melmacia
Member
Posts: 354
Joined: 01 Sep 2006, 02:26
Location: Philippines

#7

Post by Pax Melmacia » 05 May 2007, 06:05

I suppose given the desperate situation, U-Boats stayed at sea longer than their Allied counterparts, especially the Type IXs. The "U-Boat Commander's Handbook" advised that spare paint be carried on board to touch up worn-away finish, especially as how it affected camouflage, but I am sure given the danger of having too many U-boat men topside in wartime situations, this practice was not widely followed, if at all.

Post Reply

Return to “U-Boats”