Why did German U-boats need to surface?

One U-boat would shadow a convoy and summon others by radio, and then the group would attack, generally on the surface at night. These tactics succeeded until radar came to the aid of the escorts and until convoys could be given continuous sea and air escort all the way across the Atlantic in both directions.

Why did u-boats have to surface to fire torpedoes?

During the last war, Roberts asked, would you ever have crept among the ships of a convoy to fire a torpedo? “Of course,” replied Horton. “It is the only way of pressing home an attack.” And it must have done so on the surface of the water, where it was able to travel at a faster speed than the ships it pursued.

How many U-boats did Greyhound sink?

The ship generally escorted the larger ships of the Mediterranean Fleet as they protected convoys against attacks from the Italian Fleet. She sank two Italian submarines while escorting convoys herself in early 1941….HMS Greyhound (H05)

How long would a German U boat stay underwater?

The Germans’ most formidable naval weapon was the U-boat, a submarine far more sophisticated than those built by other nations at the time. The typical U-boat was 214 feet long, carried 35 men and 12 torpedoes, and could travel underwater for two hours at a time.

What ship sank the most U-boats?

For almost 73 years, the USS England has set a record for most subs sunk by a single ship. That record remains unbroken. Destroyer escorts were the econo-warships of the U.S. Navy in World War II.

What happened to the crew of U 534?

On May 5th, the day after all German forces in Northern Europe surrendered, a R.A.F. Liberator from Coastal Command sank U 534 off the Danish Island of Anholt. Most of the crew managed to abandon the boat and were soon rescued, but five were trapped inside the U-boat and were dragged down by it.

How did the German U-boats attack convoys in greyhound?

Germany used squadrons of U-boats known as wolf packs, in addition to various warships, to prowl the Atlantic Ocean and hunt down and attack Allied convoys, which is what they do to the convoy Commander Krause’s ships are protecting in the Greyhound movie.

How many U-boats were sunk in the Tom Hanks movie Greyhound?

Approximately 41 U-boats were sunk in May 1943 alone, and as a result, Germany decided to withdraw the U-boats. A German U-boat is besieged in the Tom Hanks Greyhound movie. Is Tom Hanks’ character, Ernest Krause, based on a real commander?

Why did Germany stop using U-boats in WW2?

Deadly battles ensued, but the Germans simply didn’t have the numbers to cover the vast waters of the Atlantic. They began to take heavy losses. Approximately 41 U-boats were sunk in May 1943 alone, and as a result, Germany decided to withdraw the U-boats. A German U-boat is besieged in the Tom Hanks Greyhound movie.

What is the name of the destroyer in the movie Keeling?

Tom Hanks portrays Naval Commander Ernest Krause (named George Krause in the book), who after years of being a career officer is finally given command of a destroyer, the USS Keeling, whose radio codename is “Greyhound.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1TWFQHwfeWw