Tores mailbox VIIC and VIIC/41 operation and technical details

[Don Prince]

Hello Mr. Tore, Maciek, Simon, and Mark,

I thought I should post an update...  My wife Maureen and I drove the 750 miles to Schiffer Publishing in Atglen PA.  It rained all the way there, but we stopped over half way there in Roanoke VA.  We met with Pete Schiffer and my managing editor Bob Bionde and their staff; they were all very friendly and are great group of people to work with in publishing Skizzenbuch.

I attended several seminars covering all aspects of creating, publishing, and advertising a book. The facility is really a huge warehouse which stores many thousands of books. Previously I printed Skizzenbuck at the Office Depot and placed it into my metal leather covered post binder.  Office Depot printed Skizzenbuck on 11` x 17, 9.5 mil, 80 pound card stock.  The book is about 2 1/2 inches thich and probably weighs 20 pounds...  Heavy Reading!!!

Bob liked the way Skizzenbuch was set-up graphically and asked that that I send the Post Binder for the graphics entry staff as a guide when entering my coding into the system.

MY CODING... I had to read a Publishing Building Guide and create a text file and a folder for all the graphic files.  The coding involved defining all the various font sizes and then listing a command any time the font changes, and a command to insert a graphic file, location, and size.  Coding is much more difficult than asking Mr. Tore, or Maciek how things work on a U-Boat.  I'm at page 100 in my coding so far...

I believe Skizzenbuch will be very close to the 11 x 17 format and it will be in a book slip cover. I still need to talk with Bob anout the 7 large sheets that I have in a wallet folder in the back section of my post binder.  Well, that's it so far....

Regards,
Don_

[tore]

Don.
Thanks for the update. I am impressed by the effort you are putting into your project. Wishing you all the luck and looking forward to receiving your further update.
Tore

[Don Prince]

Hello Mr. Tore, Maciek, Simon, and Mark,


I have uploaded the latest version fo Skizzenbuch into dropbox.  A few photos were changed and re-arranged in the U-Boat Pressure Hull Construction segment throughout the book; nothing major.


Mr. Tore, are you still at your vacation home in the country, or back in the city?


Regards,
Don_

[tore]

Don.
I am back to the urban life and shall study the new latest Skizzenbuch tomorrow.
Tore

[Don Prince]

Hello Mr. Tore,


Welcome back...  Just to be certain; page 39 - the green vent lines between Regulating and RFO tank 1 and Regulating tank 2 each have a muffler in the plate 7 drawing.  However, we stare there is only 1 muffler...  Is that statement correct? I just want to make sure.


Could it have been different for U-570 Vs U-995 or U926?


Regards,
Don_

[tore]

Don.
This is a typical example how the systemsketch deviates from the real thing. The sketch shows the principle, whereas the the real execution is the practical spacesaving reality. Indeed it is only one muffler for the combined port and stb systems. As the muffler only relieve the air it has ample capacity. I guess the system is applied on all VIICs.
Tore

[Don Prince]

Hello Mr. Tore,


I believe I had text issues on page 40, so I cleaned it up to make it more accurate (I hope)! I uploaded the corrected version of Skizzenbuch to drop box for your approval.  It amazing to still find issues with the text after reading it over so many times.  I guess my mind just fills in the correction as I read the book and I miss correcting the text errors!


Regards,
Don_

[Don Prince]

Hello Mr. Tore,


The locking pins for MBT 2, MBT 3, and MBT 4 vent levers in the control room were only installed when at Port... correct?  I can't imagine they would want the pins installed when on a war patrol... They could be in an emergency crash dive situation and the locking pins removal would be an unnecessary delay.


Do you remember if the locking pins were ever used on Kaura (U-995) or Kya (U-926)?


Regards,
Don_

[tore]

Don.
I checked your latest correction on the common mufflers OK. I have a feeling that proofreading of your Skizzenbuch is a never ending task. On page 260 you still let the naughty female raise and lower your periscope . Wench on the sketch two places. On page 370 you have an image of a ship with broken back, you name the ship a tanker, it looks more like a drycargo vessel look at the cargobooms and hatches.
Tore

[tore]

Don.
When a submarine leaves the harbour the CO issue an order as to the state of seaworthiness of the vessel depending upon the mission, weather etc. This order usually includes if Kingstons should be open, Q filled or vent locking pins and stanchions removed etc. the order is normally put down in the CO.s orderbook and NO1 is responsible for the execution (R Nor.N). In peace time usually the locking pins are in and only removed when the order "prepare for diving" is given. On war patrol you would always be prepared for diving hence the lockingpins are removed. In peace time we normally kept the locking pins in they were only removed at the order "prepare for diving. Note these handles were easy to grab accidentally in heavy swell for support, thus a an extra safety could be necessary. We used them all the time in peace time.
Tore

[Don Prince]

Hello Mr. Tore,


When MBT 2 and MBT 4 are in the RFO configuration, the external gate valves are shut leading to the common vent duct. 


Question - do they shut the emergency vent valves  on MBT 2 and MBT 4 also, or do they not matter since the gate valve is shut?


When MBT 2 and MBT 4 are in the RFO configuration, I believe the blowing valves for MBT 2 and MBT 4 are shut on the HP air distributor.  That would allow the crewman to use the master blowing valve on the distributor to provide HP air to the other ballast tanks MBT 1, MBT 3, and MBT 5.  Correct?


Did they ever somehow lock or disable the valves for MBT 2 and MBT 4 while in the FRO configuration on the blowing distributor; like remove the valve hand-wheel?


When MBT 2 and MBT 4 are in the water ballast configuration, then all the valves are open on the HP air distributor and the master valve provides HP air to all the ballast tanks.  Correct?


Is there a reason to selectively blow ballast tanks?


Regards,
Don_


 

[tore]

Don.
I would shut the emergency vent valves in order to prevent fuel being forced into the venting duct.
I guess you are right in your assumption that the HP air distributing valves are shut to the MBT 2 and 4 as you normally only blow MBT 1, 3, and 5 in that configuration.
I don`t think we took any further actions except shutting the air distribution valves. The control room engineer was a responsible PO and usually the only person operating the blowingpanel and was knowing what he was doing.
I guess the individual distribution valves were provided for being able to compensate for major trimdeviations fi.waterintrusion. The volume of the air admitted to the tanks is depending upon the resistance (counterpressure, the variable depths) of the tanks and some MBTs are emptied faster ( using more air) than others thus it it convenient to compensate this by having selective blowing of the tanks and you get a very flexible system.
Tore

[tore]

Don.
On blowing the MBTs by exhaust you are even more susceptible to the resistance in the ballasttanks as you are blowing with much lower pressure than HP air. In extreme situations MBT 2 and 4 might take all the exhaust leaving it impossible to blow the other tanks as the exhaustgas escape via the saddletank Kingstons unless you are able to carry out selective blowing.
Tore.
   

[Don Prince]

Hello Mr. Tore,


I corrected all the issues that you pointed out.  Previously, I did a word search but that will not find text in a graphic.  Thanks for finding those errors...  I uploaded a corrected version of Skizzenbuch to dropbox.


Regards,
Don_

[tore]

Don.
Checked your corrections OK.
Tore