[Milsurplus] U-boats, US subs

[Mike Andrews W5EGO]

On Mon, Oct 06, 2008 at 03:53:51PM -0700, Hue Miller wrote:
> 
> > Message: 6
> > Date: Mon, 6 Oct 2008 08:13:50 -0700 (PDT)
> > From: boaz <boaznj1965 at yahoo.com>
> > Subject: [Milsurplus] Re: Milsurplus Digest, Vol 54, Issue 8
> > in regards to the german U-Boats requiring a cryptologic team....
> > keep in mind that the german uboats had Enigma code machines on board.

> Yes- of course they did carry Enigma - but did it require a team to operate?
> I don't think so!

Since the Enigma only showed the output as an illuminated letter on a 
panel above the keyboard, things really went a lot faster with someone
to read-and-copy the output and someone else to run the keyboard. It 
*could* be run by one person, but was really unhandy. 

> BTW, my impression of U-boat vs. US submarine, after seeing both U-505 at
> Chicago and USS Bowfin at Honolulu: the US sub was Hilton Hotel compared to
> the U-boat - which appears really minimal inside, and minimally equiped with
> sound equipment. ( Of course the impression is only heightened by the somewhat
> dark & dingy interior of the U-505, at least when i saw it. The Bowfin on the 
> other hand, was only turned over by the Navy in 1981. I noted with interest
> the radar, the 2 SONAR systems, the 3 RAK-RAL and 1 RBS receiver ( my guess
> is 2 RAK + 1 RAL ).  The sub is missing the fore and aft "jumper" antenna wires
> ( i think that's what they are called ), maybe because those would interfere with
> the passage of visitors on the deck. BTW, i was much more impressed with this
> tour attraction than with the Arizona Memorial or the battleship Missouri. I paid
> extra for a below-decks tour of the Missouri, but was maybe overwhelmed by
> masses of arcane machinery.  -Hue Miller K7HUE

I've never toured the Mighty Mo or the U-505: no opportunity to do 
either. I've been through BB-35 (Texas) a few times, but the radio 
room has always been closed and "about to be redone". Anyone ever take
the hardhat tour and see the radio spaces?

-- 
Mike Andrews, W5EGO
mikea at mikea.ath.cx
Tired old sysadmin