Kriegsmarine Torpedo propeller

[Jesse]

I recently purchased this propeller from a very nice collector in Iceland. He obtained it from a man that is working with a museum in Norway. This man works for a museum that got lots of old German surplus from the Norweigian Navy. The propeller may have been part of a spare parts consignment, used in on of the German U-boat bases in Norway I think.

There would be 2 of these six-bladed propellers acting in contra-rotation on the G7-a model I understand.

[2dresq]

Is there any markings or label on the propellar near the shaft housing or anywhere?

Regards,

2dresq

[Jesse]

Is there any markings or label on the propellar near the shaft housing or anywhere?

Regards,

2dresq

On the flanges, there are stamped numers "1,2,3 - no 4,5 and 6" in a serif font. In the base of one of these "dug outs" there is also "3321" stamped; maybe a casting number? Another dug-out base has what looks to be a 1 or upside down "T". The 4 grooves inside the shaft housing are also numbered "1" through "4" along the rim in a much smaller font. Its a liitle tough to make out on the photos.

Would waffenamts be used on something like this?

Thanks for the questions - always interesting to go through it all. - Jesse

[joetauchretter]

hello ,

I see this same type of propeller on ebay all the time and in my humble opinion these are at best post war . If you look at any picture of the standard type G7a and G7e both use two twin blade blade propeller that turn in a counter rotation .

Best Regards ,

Joe

[Jesse]

hello ,

I see this same type of propeller on ebay all the time and in my humble opinion these are at best post war . If you look at any picture of the standard type G7a and G7e both use two twin blade blade propeller that turn in a counter rotation .

Best Regards ,

Joe

Thank you for the feedback Joe. This on really has be boggled ? Attached is a photo of a G7-a from German wikipedia(http://de.wikipedia....=20080904180309). This one has 6 blades. (wikipedia may not be the best source, so a also attached a second photo from a musuem here in the States near my hometown).

I'd love to hear more opinions on this. Where there 2 different props. used on a G7-a ?

I'll continue to research this aswell.

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays - Jesse

[Jesse]

Another photo of a G7-a. This appears to have 6 blades as well unless I'm mistaking the photo (you may have to save and enlarge it).

Any other information will be very welcome.

Thank you again Gents - Jesse

Edited December 14, 2009 by Jesse

[Hinrik]

Dear all,

This propeller came from me. Its the only one I ever saw for sale. If you know of another one for

sale somewhere, then please post a link to it here.

I got it from a Norweigian man

that is a member onthis site, if I remember correctly. He works with a local museum and sent me

lots of photos of complete torpedos that the museum owned. I was suposed to get some special torpedo

tools with the prop, but that never materialized. I will look in my original torpedo manuals to see

if I can find more info on this. Here are photos of the torpedo tools.

[joetauchretter]

Hello ,

When I list a reply I try and base it on information / pictures that have . I attach some period pictures that clearly show two twin blades props . You can clearly see they are WWII u-boats and Kriegsmarine sailors .

Best Regards ,

Joe

[joetauchretter]

Hello ,

Here is another picture for you showing two twin bladed props .

Best Regards ,

joe

[joetauchretter]

Hello ,

I attach a very interesting photo dated 1962 and clearly shows the same 6 bladed prop you have shown here in your posting . I like this picture for two reasons ,

one it shows a 6 bladed prop

two on the board in the center of the picture shows a board with all of the torpedo tools needed .

I have seen WWII pictures tthat look like 6 blade torpedoes , I must assume that due to dark , blurry pictures that you are looking at 2 twin 2 bladed props along with the vertical and horizontal rudders or there was a late war modification to the props ?

If you like I can send a larger , better scan of this picture if you like .

Best Regards ,

Joe

[Hinrik]

I have seen wartime photos showing the loading of the torpedos into the Uboats that are not the

2 bladed twin blades but this 6 bladed version. Look at this video from the U995:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vWFwcXb_C0E&feature=related

That seams to have the 6 blades. I found a wartime video showing Uboat in action that showes this

too, which to me is proof that this was also used during the war. I need to find it and post it

here.

Reg

[Jesse]

Henrik and Joe,

Thank you both for your replies and efforts with this post. I will continue to look into it as well after the holidays and when I return from abroad. My sources are limited where I am right now. I just wanted to thank you both.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year - Jesse

[Hinrik]

Jesse,

Merry xmas to you too

Come to think of it, even though you dont see any wolfs in the forest, we know they are there...

So even if we dont see the 6 blade prop in use in the WWII photos available, does that absolutely

garantee that they did not use it? If they were using the 6 blades in 1962 (cant see any detail in

this photo by the way) then that version should be better no? Then for an example...what did the

WWII Germans use on the advanced XXI-XXIII Electroboats? Makes you wonder...

Reg

Hinrik

[joetauchretter]

Hello Henrik ,

If you send me your e-mail address I can send you a larger scan of this picture , the size limatation of this web site does make details hard to see at times .

The electro boats still used a 3 bladed prop like the other u-boats , size may be different but a 3 bladed prop was used.

I have a picture of a torpedo hanging from below a HE-111 at it may have 6 blades , hard to see as it is not a great picture . I wonder if aircraft torpedoes and S-boats used a different type of torpedo ?

Best Regards ,

Joe

[Hinrik]

Joe,

I checked my book library, I found the HE-111 photo you were talking about, and I

agree, cant really see how many blades. I have a copy of an original torpedo manual

but that has no photos of this, just a few schematics. Somewhere in my stach of too

many boxes I have old German KM magazines with lots of photos, will have to check there

I have also been trying to look at old videos at youtube.com and liveleak.com to see

but its either 2 or 4 blade or you cant really tell for sure because of the fin arrengement

around the props.

I was in a nice museum in Brussels last week. They had a G7 Torpedo there, but sadly this one

was missing it rear end. Also makes me wonder if 6 blades was interchangeble with 4 blades?

Does any member here have a 2 or 4 blade versions to compare with?

Reg

Hinrik

[joetauchretter]

Hello Henrik ,

I have the same problem when looking at all these photos , is that the fins or a prop blade ! ? It seems like the photographer liked the nose section better than the tail section on torpedoes !

I get very nervous with certain museum items ! There is a museum in Europe that has several German midgit subs and in one glass case they have a k-man in a leather jump suit and tauchretter , but the tauchretter is a post war TR60 !!!

I will keep looking for clear detailed pictures of the tail section .

Best Regards ,

Joe

[Gordon Williamson]

I have had a quick look through my references for photos of torpedoes and on both E-Boat and U-Boats can only find photos of either 2 blade or 4 blade screws. The 4 blade screws were definitely later so its possible the six blade screws were very late war, but I can't find any period photos that clearly show a six blade screw.

[Max]

Hi Guys

Just for information. The G7 Acoustic pictured, is displayed at the U-534 (U-boatstory) exhibition. This was one of the very last torpedoes produced in the War and this particular one would have been loaded on to the U-534 in the last days of the WW2.

..but check out this postcard from the U-995 exhibition at Laboe

Cheers

Max

Edited December 22, 2009 by Max

[Jesse]

The last photo is real curious - thanks much Max.

I´m going to try to contact the exhibition in Laboe and see what they have to say about that particular torpedo and the question of the 6 bladed prop.

Thanks again Gents. This is turning into an interesting post / hunt, hahaha - Jesse

[joetauchretter]

The last photo is real curious - thanks much Max.

I´m going to try to contact the exhibition in Laboe and see what they have to say about that particular torpedo and the question of the 6 bladed prop.

Thanks again Gents. This is turning into an interesting post / hunt, hahaha - Jesse

Hello ,

I too have seen this picture before ! I wounder as the color is not corrext and the shape of the tail section like different to me I wonder if this is a post war torpedo or a post war modification to a WWII torpedo ? I have a East German Navy Handbook on torpedoes and the 6 bladed prop looks almost the same as this picture . One must also remember that this boat was used post war for a long time with the Norwegian Navy and the boat was heavily modified .

Best Regards ,

Joe

[Max]

Very valid point Joe. I think that there may be something in what you say. It would have been unusual for the Norwegian Navy to have used the exact torpedoes without any modification.

I thought the last picture would get you thinking....

Cheers

Max

[Norby]

Dear all.

Greetings from Denmark! I found this forum while searching for info on torpedo propellers. In 2007 I bought the upper propeller and a few month ago I bought the lower one. They seems to be a pair. There is no sign at all on the small one but on the bigger one (which is like Jesse's) there is a 15031 from the cast forme and a "89" stamped in the metal. Now I need the rest of the torpedo! Just joking - but I thought you would like to see the pair. I have "a few" more normal propellers but I could not resist to buy these two ones.

Best season greetings to all!

Toke

http://www.norbyhus.dk/

[joetauchretter]

Hello ,

I hope all had a wonderful Holiday !

This is a very nice looking torpedo prop , but it does look different than the one originally posted here ! This prop looks to has have very pointed " teeth " for lack of a better description on the inside hub ?

Also the number 89 gets me nervous as in most cases a 2 number means the date of manufacture , in this case it would mean 1989 . You can find this on M.G. belts etc . Germany used the same same metal link MG belt and nearly the same MG42 post war and you find these MG parts for sale on ebay . Germany post war retained the same manufacturing date codes as in WWII ( at least items found on or relating to machine gun parts ) so if you find a metal MG belt with say 65 that means it was stamped in 1965 .

I cannot find any clear picture of a pre 1945 picture with this type of prop , but I find it on all post war props from almost all countries !

Best Regards ,

Joe

[Norby]

.. it does look different than the one originally posted here ! This prop looks to has have very pointed " teeth "....

Hello Joe,

You are right but it's the smaller prop you see more clear than the bigger prop below, so I have taken a few photos and uploaded them to my home page:

http://www.norbyhus.dk/maritime/torpedos.html

The photo below is not from our sitting room (!) but from our Danish Naval Museum - as far as I remember. I couldn't find the mail with the link, though - but i'll find it later.

The pointed teeth are very sharp as the prop probably hasn't been in use ever. The bigger to the left seems to have been mounted and has some repairs here and there on the blades/wings.

The number 15031 on the small photo is also stamped in the metal like the "89" - and not from the casting mould, sorry.

Mvh

Toke

[Norby]

Dear all,

Please take another look on my page but scroll down to the bottom as my third torpedo prop arrived an hour ago (the seller had mounted a watch in it!). It seems to fit to the small one I show above as they both have the "pointed teeth". But I have no idea of how old they are? probably post war props.

http://www.norbyhus....e/torpedos.html

Mvh ("Kind regards" in Danish)

Toke