MG34 Bridge Mount

[falo]

Hi Gents,


found a good example of the typeseven41 conning tower with two mounted Machine Guns. In addition look at the gas cylinder. AFAIK the gas was you used for balloons to fake the allied radar. So the radar "recognize" every single balloon as an uboat. Certainly this trick only works by night.


http://misc.kitreview.com/shipreviews/hg224previewbg_1.htm


Regards
falo

[SG]

Hey! I found this: U132 at La Pallice.
Looks like the MG-34 mount is fixed to the starboard ventilation grid. Unfortunately the hand of the commander and the rope don't allow to clarify if the mount is an "S-rune" one or a simple Y-type support.
Cheers!
SG

 

[Capt Kremin]

Hi fall et al,
Normally on a 7c/41 the hydrgen bottle would be mounted under the lower platform of the wintergarten and was used for both Aphrodite decoy and more commonly, weather balloons.
Regards
Jon

[SG]

Hi,
An update of an old post after coming across some newfounds. Different types of mounts, seen and unseen.
The "S-rune" mount is finally showing clearly (MG 15, U 333, and MG 34, U 613). Simple "Y-type" mounts for MG 34 (U 132, also see my previous post on this thread), MG 15 (U 466) and what seems to be twin MG15s (U 953), a totally different and quite elaborate mount  for MG 81z (U 262) and finally a not-so-clear but probably a simple Y-type mount for an MG 34 (late U 48). Also, different mount sitings on the tower sides: ventilation grid, mid or after part of the turret bulwarks. The individuality of Uboats is once again, more than ever true. Enjoy:




https://u.cubeupload.com/SGm/mgmounts.jpg

Cheers,
SG

[dougie47]

Hi SG,

Good work. Lots of different styles evident there. Here is a photo of U 172 which may interest you -



There were four machine guns added to U 68 at one point rather than the two which we see in other photos.

Cheers,

Dougie

[SG]

Neat detail, excellent as usual Dougie

[SG]

Hi, I received my copy of "U552, the red devil boat" today and I finally found the answer to an old guess of mine about U552 conning tower sitings for the additional MG34 that i had posted on 25 April 2014 on this thread. This amazing picture confirms that U552 was equipped with the "Y-type" mount for the MG and shows that there were multiple sitings for the mount in the fore and after part of the conning tower bulwark (arrows). I was right about the siting in the after part of the tower but i had totally ignored/failed to guess the possible presence of sitings in the fore part. Once again photographic evidence was crucial and we finally know more.



https://u.cubeupload.com/SGm/U552tower.jpg (link to bigger pic)

Cheers,
SG

[Raymic1]

Great book isn't it?
Yes I noticed the MG mounts as well.


I collect every U552 picture and Video I find so upon buying the book I found it both has a few new ones and some much clearer ones I already have.


The only slight disappointment is they didn't include every picture of U552, I've got some not in the book. Also they used video stills and called them pictures taken by the War correspondent.
But I still give it a 9 out of 10

[SG]

Hi,
just found a beautiful picture finally showing clearly the details of one of the MG 34 mount variants and the manning of the MG. The MG34 mount looks like to be of the same type as the one equipping U552. A third variant which is not the classic "pole + Y-type" nor the "S-rune + Y-type joint" seen previously. Same simple "pole-like" mount but different joint for the MG. I was wrong: not a Y-type mount for U552, something different. Now we definitely know a little more.


https://u.cubeupload.com/SGm/IMG0903.jpg (link to bigger pic)

Great book isn't it?
Yes I noticed the MG mounts as well.
The only slight disappointment is they didn't include every picture of U552, I've got some not in the book. Also they used video stills and called them pictures taken by the War correspondent.
But I still give it a 9 out of 10

Raymic1 I agree with you: a magnificent book! To me, a perfect 10 cum laude  .
I am not into book publishing but i guess sometimes the amount of pictures just exceeds the space planned on a book, or just doesn't fit with the text. Constantly hunting for pics, like most of us do, fills that gap, speaking of which am sure you have quite a treasure of U552 pics  . It's amazing how much the amount of new U-boat pictures has increased over time (i am thinking of the last 10 years alone), maybe due to the release of many private collections that are sold to antiques shops by the relatives of the late owners.

Cheers,

SG

[dougie47]

Hi SG,
Nice photo showing the gun and mount. Which boat is this?
Cheers,
Dougie

[SG]

Dougie,

Unknown. Unfortunately the picture caption doesn't say anything about the boat, just focusing on the MG 34. The position of the mount siting, aft of the last lifebelt hole, the gyrocompass forward to the periscope housing and the striped wooden panel make me think of a type VII (only the handrail is a bit odd), but the boat id number is a real mystery. Unfortunately there's not even a cap badge that can help us to identify the boat.

Cheers,

SG

[dougie47]

Hi SG,


Yes, it is the handrail near the top which is confusing me. It does look like a Type VII due to the slope near the top of the inside of the tower wall. The Type IXs were at a 90 degree angle so it isn't that type.


I was expecting to see a bit of the intake trunk at the left side of the photo rather than a handrail.


Cheers,


Dougie

[SG]

Dougie,

Assuming that the picture was taken from the main tower hatch looking toward the wintergarden the intake trunk should place itself where the sailor with the cap is standing. That's how I interpreted the picture: hatch/photographer -> gyrocompass/periscope mount -> life-belt hole/after wooden panel -> MG-mount/sailors -> wintergarden. (Nevetheless that handrail is rather unusual for a Type VII).

Does it make sense?

SG

[dougie47]

Hi SG,
Thanks, that makes sense and I get the angle we are seeing now. I have looked at a few photos and U 373 (see page 53 of Robert C Stern's Type VII U-Boats if you have it) has a handrail in this position, though the handrail is longer on U 373 than on our mystery boat.

It must be an early VII due to the rounded edge of the wooden panelling.

Cheers,
Dougie

[SG]

Dougie,

I have looked at a few photos and U 373 (see page 53 of Robert C Stern's Type VII U-Boats if you have it) has a handrail in this position, though the handrail is longer on U 373 than on our mystery boat.

Yess, I see it. Sharp eye! Very good spotting on that. U 373 handrail is definitely longer.

It must be an early VII due to the rounded edge of the wooden panelling.

I agree, an early VIIc with a turret configuration similar to that of U 96 and U 552 with the sloping extending to the aft edges of the turret bulwark and the intake (slat) located on the outer sides of the tower, or a VIIb. Notice how much space the U373 intake trunk takes. It just would't fit in with our photo. And yess, that wooden panel. Excellent analysis, as usual!
Cheers,

SG