Infolinks In Text Ads

Showing posts with label german submarines. Show all posts
Showing posts with label german submarines. Show all posts

Thursday, 24 February 2011

Newbury remembers the sinking of HMS Tigris 68 years on


A service is to be held at a Newbury Church for the town's adopted submarine and its crew, sunk by a German submarine chaser in 1943.
The service which will take place this Sunday at St Nicholas church is held every year in the same month that HMS Tigris sank with all 63 crew on board.
The memorial event attracts up to 100 people a year, including relatives of the 63 crew members.
Newbury adopted the Tigris as part of a national scheme.
Towns all over the UK adopted ships and submarines to raise money for the Navy during World War II.
Councillors, members of the Royal British Legion and Royal Naval Association and young members of the Sea Cadets are expected at the service at St Nicholas Church.
Annual event
Bob McGuinness, chairman of the local Royal Naval Association and local Submariners Association in Newbury said a former submariner who served on HMS Tigris would also attend the service.
"Vernon Coles, 91, is a World War II veteran living in Newbury, who served on the Tigris," he said.
"He left the submarine to go and do what was considered a more dangerous job, working on the X Class submarines. These were also known as midgets, very small submarines with a four man crew.
"He knew those on board the Tigris when it sank," he said.
Mr McGuinness said it was common for towns and cities across the UK to 'adopt' submarines and ships during the World War II.
After HMS Tigris was sunk, the town continued to remember the submarine on significant anniversaries of the event.
However, a decade ago, Mr McGuinness began organising the commemoration as an annual event.
"There's a lot of support from the Royal British Legion, and from the Submariners Association," he said.
In recent years, Ann Gristwood, whose father William G Lincoln DSM was on board HMS Tigris when it sank, has also attended the service.
The Reverend Sarah Alexander will take the service at St Nicholas Church.
Before the service a procession will take place in Newbury ending at the war memorial where Mr Coles will lay a wreath.
Mr McGuinness said the war in Afghanistan had made people remember the loss of lives in previous conflicts.
"The loss of servicemen and women is in the forefront of people's minds, and that means the older losses are better remembered," he said.
"Submarines are still used to protect supply ships going out to Afghanistan."

Tuesday, 1 February 2011

U212 / U214 Attack Submarines, Germany


Specifications:


Key Data:

Crew
27 (including five officers)
Vessel Type
Attack Submarine

Weapon Systems:

Torpedoes
six 533mm tubes, 24 STN Atlas Elektronik DM2A4 torpedoes
Combat Data Syetem
Basic Command and Weapons Control System (BCWCS)

Countermeasures:

ESM
EADS FL1800U
Decoys
TAU 2000 torpedo countermeasures system
Radar
Kelvin hughes type 1007 I-band navigation radar
Sonar
Atlas Elektronik DBQS-40 sonar suite and Atlas Elektronik MOA 3070 mine detection sonar
Periscopes
Zeiss Optronic SERO 14 search and SERO 15 attack
Propulsion
Diesel-electric, MTU 16V-396 diesel engine, 3.12MW, HDW / Siemens AIP (Air-Independent Propulsion) system, 300kW

U212 Dimensions:

Length
56m
Beam
7m
Draught
6m
Displacement (Surfaced)
1,524t
Displacement (Dived)
1,830t

U214 Dimensions:

Length
64m
Height
13m
Surface Displacement
1,700m³
Presure Hull Diameter
6.3m
Buoyancy Reserve
>10%

U212 Performance:

Speed (Surfaced)
12kt
Speed (Dived)
20kt
Range (at 8kt Surfaced)
8,000 miles
Range (at 8kt Dived)
420 miles

U214 Performance:

Submerged Patrol Speed of Advance
6kt
Range
12,000nm
Mission Endurance
12 weeks
Constantly Submerged
Three weeks without snorkelling
Mission Sprint Speed
15kt to 20kt
Maximum Dive Depth
400m+

Key Players:

Builders
Type 212 - Howaldtswerke-Deutsche Werft GmbH (HDW)
Operators
Type 212 - German Navy, Italian Navy


Related Photos

       The U212's diesel propulsion system is combined with an air-independent
        propulsion (AIP) system, used for silent slow cruising.


     U31 completing construction.


     The U212 is fitted with six torpedo tubes for DM2A4 heavyweight torpedoes.


     U31, the first of class, began sea trials in April 2003.


     The U212 attack submarine


     The AIP system is very quiet and produces no exhaust heat, making the U212 very difficult to detect.



The AIP fuel cell allows the U212 to cruise underwater for weeks without surfacing.

     U212 submarine schematic.


     The integrated sensor underwater system (ISUS).