Treat From SturmTiger: U.S.S. Cobia

Another set of wonderful pictures. SturmTiger proudly presents:

USS COBIA

 

Thanks PP.This boat has been meticulously maintained.All four diesels and even the radar still work.I hope the forum members enjoy the photos.

 

I would rather enjoy taking het to sea since her engine's still work

Wonderfull pics. She does look big on the outside but how's the inside? still crampy or does 40 men inside still have some space left?

 

After having toured the U505 several times,the Cobia seems almost spacious in comparison.Gato class boats such as the Cobia had a crew compliment of 82.There was one compartment amidships that bunked 42.Nothing but bunks stacked to the ceiling.The guide was quite knowledgable being a retired submariner himself.I could have talked to him for hours.

 

PanzerProfile, if these are SturmTiger's pics, then why are you posting them?

 

Because I asked him to and he was gracious enough to do so.

 

Here is a thing i wonder. Look at the stern, you can see two of the four torpedotubes above the water. I wonder, when a Gato class submarine is fully loaded, does those two tubes get under the water or can she still fire only two torpedo's? (beeing the two tubes that are already under the water)

 

Do they need to be underwater (submerged if you like) to be fired?
I guess not (as tose torps are launched by pressure) but i'm not an expert on torpedo tubes....

 

I would think no,they don't have to be submerged.I've seen plenty of footage of ships launching torpedos off of their decks.

 

Compare the photies that Sturmtiger took of the Cobia with those of the Pampanito. They are the same class aren't they? The only difference externally I can see is that the Pampanito has a 3" gun as well as Bofors and Oerlikon. The shot of one of the torpedo rooms is almost identical to one I took on the Pampanito so I guess function lead design.

 

The deck gun on the Cobia is not the original gun.I think it was put there for show when the sub was retired.The Cobia is a Gato class boat while the Pampanito is a Balao class.My tour guide said the only difference between the Gato and Balao is the Balao class subs have thicker hulls.I don't know if he was referring to the pressure hull or the outer hull.Probably the outer.

 

Balao's were able to dive deeper then Gato's so i think it would be the pressure hull

 

In that case I would agree with you.