Dietary conditions

On the topic of the life of the officers and men of the German Navy's submarine forces, the main concern is the living environment and material treatment of the crew. Since a submarine voyage may last up to 12 weeks, the submarine usually carries about 14 tons of various provisions, fuel, torpedo weapons and ammunition in preparation for the departure of the combat patrol. Every spare nook and cranny of the boat is used as much as possible to store fresh food such as eggs, potatoes, fruits, vegetables, bread and meat, etc., as these will be consumed first. Whether it is training or wartime, the submarine officers and men can be guaranteed three meals a day. In addition to the main food, coffee, tea, milk, juice and cocoa drinks are also available. Once the fresh food is depleted, it can only be met by canned food, in addition to some necessary vitamins. Interestingly, some of the merchant ships sunk by German submarines may have carried some poultry and livestock, such as chickens and pigs. This was the case with the freighter Pan Beba, which was sunk by the German submarine U-162 in May 1942. If these animals had survived the submarine attack, there was no doubt that they would have been the most popular guests of the German submarine officers and men. It is worth mentioning that the submarine will be in a surface state for some time, on the one hand, to recharge the battery, and on the other hand, to obtain sufficient speed. However, the surface conditions were worse than those underwater, and the stove on the boat could not be used in this case. In other words, there is no hot food on board in this case. The galley is small enough to accommodate two electric stoves and a sink for washing dishes, and there are leftover and discarded food ingredients that are responsible for the food and drink of all 50 people on board. The living environment inside German submarines was very closed and wet. When a submarine is navigating on a surface in rough sea conditions, seawater will flood into the cabin with an unclosed hatch; When a submarine is underwater in tropical waters, the high temperatures generated by the strained ventilation and the operation of the power and mechanical equipment on board will accumulate up to 50 degrees Celsius inside the submarine. The combination of high temperatures and humidity makes it difficult for the crew's clothes to dry and fresh food to rot and mold. On the whole, however, the diet of the German Navy's submarine forces was still higher than that of other German combat units.

Living environment

Space on board is precious. In the case of typical Type VII and IX submarines, the submarine itself has a large displacement, but that is only the impression created by the external hull. The internal pressure-resistant hull has a maximum diameter of only 5 meters, and there is less space in the bow and stern. Most of the space inside the boat is used for diesel engines and electric motors, batteries and other necessary mechanical equipment, and there is very little space left for the crew to live and rest, and even sleeping space is very limited, and some specific compartments can only accommodate the width of one berth. The captain's living room is larger, and a curtain is installed at the door to ensure a more private space, but the captain's room is often located in the center of the submarine, because the crew members of the submarine will report to the captain in ordinary times, so it is more convenient to place, so it is difficult for the captain to calm down and rest.

The officer's cabin was also larger, with fixed small tables installed in it instead of folding tables elsewhere. Senior officers have fixed bunks, while mid-ranking officers have only hammocks. Some of the crew members on the boat are shared by two people in the same berth, because the two people rotate their shifts. Others had to rest in the torpedo compartments at the bow and stern, where they were plagued by noise and were almost never at peace.

Generally speaking, the high level of conviction and fighting spirit of the officers and men of the German Navy's submarine forces is the basis for maintaining a high level of self-discipline and mutual trust, in which case military discipline itself is often less important. Some German captains, who were known for their strict discipline, also had a more lenient approach to the enforcement of discipline on board.

The combat attire of the crew of the German Navy's submarine force was originally the traditional navy blue uniform, but it was not comfortable to wear in such a small space as a submarine. Therefore, in the opinion of most German captains, as long as the crew can effectively carry out the combat mission and be highly competent, then they can choose their own clothing at will.

As we all know, the fresh water reserves on the submarine are extremely limited, so bathing and bathing are a luxury, so the vast majority of submarine officers and men return to the sea with an unkempt face and a beard in shabby uniforms. However, they will be cleaned up quickly after disembarking, and the unkempt appearance is mostly used for photo opportunities.

There were usually two toilets on board a German submarine. During the first half of the combat patrol, one of them was to be used to store fresh food, and the other smaller one served 50 people on board. As you can imagine, this is a big burden for the already foul smell inside the submarine, and the work of flushing the toilet bowl is even more difficult and dangerous, and if it is not properly disposed of, it may cause serious consequences of seawater backfilling. According to available information, at least one German submarine (U-1206) in the Great War ended up sinking the submarine because of a mistake when flushing the toilet. At that time, the submarine was forced to float due to a large amount of water, and was suddenly attacked by Allied aircraft on the surface of the sea and sunk. However, because the incident site was very close to the coast at that time, the crew on the boat was quickly evacuated and all of them were rescued. It is conceivable that other submarines had similar encounters. When sailing on calmer seas, the crew can also use the external toilet. For German submarines, the worst working environment was the main diesel engine room. German submarines during World War II were generally equipped with two diesel engines up to 6 meters long, and the noise of diesel engines was often unbearable. Many of the long-term crew members in the engine room suffer from severe hearing loss, insomnia and anorexia.

From the above description, one can imagine how bad the smell inside a submarine that has been at sea for several weeks must be: the smoke from diesel engines, the smell of rotting food, the smell of toilets, and the smell of sweat from the crew...... It's not hard to see why cologne was so popular on German submarines.

Treatment

Salary is very important for the morale of the crew. As a matter of fact, the salaries of officers and men of the submarine force are basically the same as those of other branches and ranks of the armed forces, with the difference being some special allowances. Allowances available to officers and men of the German Navy's submarine forces include special skills-related grants such as the Raumbeschr kungszulage and the Tauchzulage, all of which add up to almost double the basic salary.

In addition to the salary, there is another important factor. That is, the high quality of special training allows talented crews to be quickly promoted, and wartime personnel losses can be quickly replenished. The promotion of military ranks also brought more generous salaries, so most of the officers and men of the German Navy's submarine force on leave during that period were generous.

The management of the leave of the crew is also a commendable feature of the submarine forces of the German Navy. At the end of the 12-week combat patrol, the submarine returns to port for overhaul and maintenance. All but a small part of the crew will be given a 12-day holiday, and eventually all will be assigned their duties on a rotational basis. A dedicated train (BdU Zug) takes the crew on leave from each port back to their hometowns on German soil, thus ensuring that the crew spends as little time as possible on the journey. According to statistics, on average, each crew member gets about 2 weeks of vacation in half a year. In this way, the officers and men of the submarine force were much more fortunate than the German troops fighting on the Eastern Front, which generally fought continuously for a year or even 18 months.

Leisure and entertainment life

Leisure and recreational activities on board the boat are also worth mentioning. During combat patrols, submarine officers and men spent most of their time searching for Allied convoys and launching attacks, which were highly stressful and tedious tasks. And the rest of the time, the crew's worst enemy is monotony and boredom. There is little else to do other than playing cards and reading books. When the submarine is underwater, the lights in the cabin are turned off as much as possible in order to save power, so even these activities cannot be carried out. That's why many crew members will pick up some records to bring to the boat before departure, and play them for everyone through the submarine's internal radio system. In wartime, listening to enemy radio was forbidden, but submarine officers and men were allowed to listen to music and news programs on American and British radio stations. Many captains also arrange competitions and give prizes to the winners, which is also very popular on the boats. The highest reward is sometimes the captain himself performing a period of work in place of the winner, which is a great reward in the harsh North Atlantic.

Whenever possible, many captains would allow their crews to go out on deck in the absolute safety of the sea (and as the war progressed, becoming less common), to get some fresh air, sunbathe or swim in the sea (but beware of sharks). When the submarine crosses the equatorial line, the crew will perform a traditional ceremony on deck. The initiator will disguise himself as a sea god and perform pranks on newcomers crossing the equator for the first time, such as forcing them to drink seawater or shave their hair. But the newcomers also get a hand-painted scroll and a homemade medallion, usually made from discarded tinplate cans.

A good submarine commander would benefit the crew, and many of the most decorated German submarine aces considered their Iron Cross and Oak Leaf to be the result of the concerted efforts of their crews. The relationship between the captain and the crew is so inseparable in the small space of the submarine, and there is often a deep combat friendship between them.