# Why did U-Boats have a serrated bow? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [May 17, 2005, 3:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-u-boats-have-a-serrated-bow/304190 "2005-05-17T03:37:08Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Whack-a-Mole](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whack-a-mole/32/141_2.png) [@Whack-a-Mole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whack-a-Mole)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2005, 12:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-u-boats-have-a-serrated-bow/304190/21 "2005-05-18T12:12:30Z")
> [@hermann](#): > > **Whack-a-Mole** , that’s a pretty good picture, BTW. I’ve been in the U-505 and the one in your picture looks in great shape. Any idea of where it is? Just seems odd that it’s not in some museum. From the link **matt** provided above it looks as if this is where that u-boat is… > [@](#): > > Suomenlinna, where the boat is now, is a small Island in the Helsinki harbour. Soumenlinna is the biggest sea fortress in the world founded in 1748 and built by Augustin Ehrensvärd on five islands off the coast of Helsinki. > > SOURCE: [Finnish boat Vesikko - German U-boats of the Kriegsmarine - uboat.net](http://www.uboat.net/boats/vesikko.htm) ---
**Author:** ![dropzone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dropzone/32/7515_2.png) [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2005, 2:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-u-boats-have-a-serrated-bow/304190/22 "2005-05-18T14:12:14Z")
So the serrations are for cutting the ribbon at the Finnish line? ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2005, 2:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-u-boats-have-a-serrated-bow/304190/23 "2005-05-18T14:52:15Z")
> [@dropzone](#): > > So the serrations are for cutting the ribbon at the Finnish line? \ ---
**Author:** ![flight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/bbce88/32.png) [@flight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flight)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2005, 2:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-u-boats-have-a-serrated-bow/304190/24 "2005-05-19T14:19:44Z")
> [@OttoDaFe](#): > > And in this picture, U-99999 is trying not to be seen . . . [python]BOOOM![/python] ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2005, 2:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-u-boats-have-a-serrated-bow/304190/25 "2005-05-19T14:25:50Z")
I think you have mistakenly linked to an early prototype Husqvarna chainsaw, probably the HUSKY. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2005, 2:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-u-boats-have-a-serrated-bow/304190/26 "2005-05-19T14:36:30Z")
Maybe they were inspired by the _Nautilus_: [http://images.search.yahoo.com/search/images/view?back=http%3A%2F%2Fsearch.yahoo.com%2Fsearch%3Fp%3DDisney%2BNautilus%2Bpicture%26toggle%3D1%26ei%3DUTF-8&h=225&w=550&imgcurl=www.psubs.org%2Fpsub\_pic%2Fnemo\_pic%2Fnautilus1.jpg&imgurl=www.psubs.org%2Fpsub\_pic%2Fnemo\_pic%2Fnautilus1.jpg&size=27.4kB&name=nautilus1.jpg&rcurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.psubs.org%2Fpsub\_pic%2Fnemo\_pic.html&rurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.psubs.org%2Fpsub\_pic%2Fnemo\_pic.html&p=disney+nautilus&type=jpeg&no=2&tt=286&fr=FP-tab-web-t-226](http://images.search.yahoo.com/search/images/view?back=http%3A%2F%2Fsearch.yahoo.com%2Fsearch%3Fp%3DDisney%2BNautilus%2Bpicture%26toggle%3D1%26ei%3DUTF-8&h=225&w=550&imgcurl=www.psubs.org%2Fpsub_pic%2Fnemo_pic%2Fnautilus1.jpg&imgurl=www.psubs.org%2Fpsub_pic%2Fnemo_pic%2Fnautilus1.jpg&size=27.4kB&name=nautilus1.jpg&rcurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.psubs.org%2Fpsub_pic%2Fnemo_pic.html&rurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.psubs.org%2Fpsub_pic%2Fnemo_pic.html&p=disney+nautilus&type=jpeg&no=2&tt=286&fr=FP-tab-web-t-226) (And, yes, I know that this is based on a 1954 film, and doesn’t really look like the original engravings for Verne’s book) ---
**Author:** ![ElectricZ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/58f4c7/32.png) [@ElectricZ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElectricZ)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2005, 6:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-u-boats-have-a-serrated-bow/304190/27 "2005-05-19T18:13:35Z")
As has been speculated here, those are net cutters. Fishing nets or traps, these things were to reduce the chances that the sub would get tangled underwater. Here’s a website with some pics and details.[Here’s a website with some pics and details.](http://www.bosun.net/page9a.html) Look for the Type 1A for an example. EZ ---
**Author:** ![NE\_Texan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/e99b99/32.png) [@NE\_Texan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NE_Texan)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2005, 6:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-u-boats-have-a-serrated-bow/304190/28 "2005-05-19T18:38:15Z")
> [@Kizarvexius](#): > > Thus the addition of the net saw at the bow. Which obviously makes it a bow saw. ---
**Author:** ![Kizarvexius](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/da6949/32.png) [@Kizarvexius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kizarvexius)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2005, 6:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-u-boats-have-a-serrated-bow/304190/29 "2005-05-19T18:45:39Z")
:smack: ---
**Author:** ![Quasimodem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/e274bd/32.png) [@Quasimodem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quasimodem)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2005, 12:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-u-boats-have-a-serrated-bow/304190/30 "2005-05-20T00:28:57Z")
**Duckster!** LMAO! Q [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-u-boats-have-a-serrated-bow/304190.md?page=1)