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U3  VETERANS CREW   

Torpedo Service

Torpedo petty officer, TU was responsible for the torpedo service. That included mines and equipment for handling of these weapons. TU was chief of operations in the torpedo room located forward the escape trunk.

To his help he had two torpedo men, ships number 56 and 57. They were preparing the torpedoes for launching. The weapons were handled with help of a lifting beam which could be given certain angles, moved atwartships, lifted and lowered using hand operated tackle.

The boat had three launching tubes fore. The original design of the boat also included a rear launch tube on the after deck.

Submarine U3. Loading of a torpedo.
U3. Loading of a torpedo. Photo U3 archives.

submarine U3. Torpedoman
U3. Torpedoman Rune Nilsson at starboard upper tube. Photo Rune Nilsson

After a trials shooting the launching submarine often had to recover the torpedo. In those cases a special crane on deck forward the fin was utilized. This operation was risky and required advanced seamanship.

Submarine U4 Torpedo recovery.
U4 Torpedo recovery. Photo U3 archives.