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Master and Commander
Posts: 1703
| Subject: Das Boot
Please help my fading memory. I was watching the beginning of Das Boot last time, and have always been toold its the most accurate depiction of all the movies.
My question is in the beginning when they dive the instructions to the bow and stern planes are in degrees, and the bubble is never mentioned. I think I remember degrees of angle commands to me when I was on the bow planes, but never the stern planes. The stern planes was to maintain the bubble, how could command for degrees mean anything. Am I forgetting something - U-boats took into account the bubble as we did, didn't they? |
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Master and Commander
Posts: 1388
Location: NE Florida | Subject: RE: Das Boot
As I recall, depth orders were given by the Diving Officer to the fairwater planesman along with the initial degrees of planes to use. The sternplanesman was given the degree of bubble to use, not specific degrees of planes to set.
The orders might go "Full dive on the fairwater planes, make your depth 400 feet, use 15* down bubble." The fairwter planesman would ease the planes off full dive as he approached ordered depth. The Diving Officer would give the sternplanesman a new bubble order, such as Zero bubble; he'd use the planes as necessary to make that angle.
The Diving Officer could use his experience to give these orders, except when specifics were given by the Conning Officer.
Coyote
Edited by Coyote 2026-02-23 11:04 AM
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Master and Commander
Posts: 1703
| Subject: RE: Das Boot
Owen, that's the way I remember it, but the Pickerel only saw 400 ft once on purpose, and once 421 feet by accident when I was on it. We grunted and groaned to 400 feet on the first one. Also to do a quick to avoid a destroyer many of the crew in Das Boot ran to the FTR. That makes sense, but that was not part of our quick dive, or emergency dive procedure. |
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Old Salt
Posts: 309
Location: Vista, Ca. | Subject: RE: Das Boot
I was a diving officer on Barb. I realize it was a nuc and DAS Boot was far from that. But, as Diving Officer, whether initial dive from surface or depth change once below went as follows: Initial dive the OOD would order depth and opening of all MBT valves. My response was Aye, make your depth xxx, planesmen makes your depth xxx, stern plane xxx degrees yyy bubble. We always went to ordered depth with specific degree and specific bubble. Stern planes was to get me that buddle and the fairwater planes was to keep that bubble if the stern planes degree over shot that bubble. All all of that depended upon compensation being correct. A buddy of mine who was slated to be diving officer the next day camme off the beach and wanted to figure compensation. I offered to do it for him since I was standing Chief of the Watch. But no - too proud. Nest day we opened all vent and just sat there. As were flooding every tank we had and wishing we had more the Captain quietly said, " Mister McKinney, will this pig ever submerge?" Bad day at black rock. |
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Das Boot
