[Milsurplus] German Subs

[howard holden]

The antenna systems, at least on the Balao class boats, are not designed to be interconnected. Each antenna attaches to the conning tower (two on the sides, one at the top of the forward periscope shear, then down to the conning tower bulkhead), through insulators to the inside of the conning tower, then to insulators on a watertight tube about a foot in diameter. This tube extends about 8 ft above the radio room, and each antenna line feeds through the bottom of the tube into the radio room. Inside the radio room is a patch setup where each antenna can be either connected into the RX patch panels or to the transmitter, but not to both simultaneously. Nor can any two antennas be connected together. It's just the way it was set up. Surely one could rig a jury patch to do so but that is not in evidence in any records we've seen aboard the Ling. 

There is also a VLF loop, but that was for RX only.

There is also little mention of any MF or LF comms, despite the TBL being an excellent MF transmitter, and the boat having both RAL and RAK receivers. Certainly the manner in which the radios are connected to the outside world precludes any efficient transmission on MF or LF, as the first 15 feet or so of antenna (25-30 feet if you used the starboard side antenna) are actually INSIDE the boat! 

Haven't seen anything definitive on this ,but I would imagine the MF/LF was there in case there was a need to communicate with ships and shore stations in the commercial world, which in WW2 and well beyond, used MF very heavily. 

Interesting thing, the tuning cards for the RAL/RAK had MF shore station frequencies listed, but the TBL did not. 

Howie

----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Richard Brunner<mailto:brunneraa1p at comcast.net> 
  To: milsurplus<mailto:milsurplus at mailman.qth.net> 
  Sent: Friday, August 21, 2009 3:56 AM
  Subject: Re: [Milsurplus] German Subs


  Re: Sub antennas
  All subs had MF transmitting capability, and I have long puzzled how
  they could do it with reasonable efficiency.  I suppose a short wire
  worked against salt water ground will work well enough, and I would
  connect all of them together if possible, but cannot say if it was
  actually done.  Upon further reflection, this is like mobile operation
  on 160 or 80M with a short whip antenna; it works, but not great.

  Richard, AA1P