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Photo Album

German Submarines

Pictures of submarines of the German Kriegsmarine of 1935 to 1945 on display. U 505 is in Chicago, U 995 is located in Laboe near Kiel and U 2540 in Bremerhaven. More information about these and another boat in the article German Submarines.

2010 April 7 15 / 2014 March 11

Bremerhaven (161) Chicago (155) Germany (318) Illinois (155) Laboe (157) Museum of Science and Industry (155) Rabea (1) Type IX (155) Type VII (157) Type XXI (161) U 2540 (161) U 505 (155) U 995 (157)

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Buoyancy Station

Unlike other types of boats, a submarine can adjust its buoyancy (or tendency to float) by increasing or decreasing its weight at sea. To reach a desired depth, the crew of the U-505 manipulated a series of controls that changed the weight of the sub and, in turn, forced her to either dive or surface as needed.

Submerging & Surfacing in U-505

The U-505 floated on the surface when she had positive buoyancy, meaning that she weighed less than the water she was displacing. To submerge, the crew opened a vent valve that allowed air to rush out of the top of the ballast tanks located between the sub's inner and outer hulls. As the air left, water rushed in through a floot valve at the bottom of the tanks. The water made the sub heavier, creating negative buoyancy, which caused her to submerge. To surface, the crew closed the vent valve, allowing compressed air to blow into the tanks and expel the water.

Dive Planes & Trim Tanks

The U-505's planemen adjusted the boat's movable dive planes to control the angle of the boat when she was diving and surfacing. When the sub reached her desired depth, the planes were leveled to help keep the sub level. Fine adjustments to the boat's balance were made by transferring water in or out of the trim tranks, or regulating tanks.
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Conning tower of U-505 with emblem.
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The forward torpedo room.
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One of the bunks.
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The forward torpedo room.
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The forward torpedo room.
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Red lighting in the forward torpedo room.
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Red light in the forward torpedo room.
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Bunks.
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Batteries.
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Galley.
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Berths.
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Berths.
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It was quite dark in the submarine and so some of the photos didn't quite turn out.
Slideshow