And it is done

Kapitan · 03-25-18, 01:51 PM

Today marks another chapter closed for me and my goals, many of you know i have traveled around the world because of my love for ships and submarines, well today i completed probably my biggest goal to date.

Most of you are aware that i have been to see the U995 at Laboe, that i have also seen U2540 (Wilhelm Bauer) and last year with the Mrs help U505 in Chicago.

Now these were the main trio of complete and intact submarines of world war two but notably there is one that is absent and today i can finally mark her off my rather long list.

Our Journey begins from London England a trek that will see us drive over 220 miles along the three major motorways of the UK (M25 M1 M6) we are heading to the Northwest and a very famous part of it Birkenhead.

Birkenhead located on the opposite bank of the River Mersey to Liverpool again another important port city is home to Camel Laird, today the area is run down and in desperate need of regeneration it seems only the yard is there on hand for steady employment but even that has cut back.

Birkenhead once a proud industrial port now barely even registers ship traffic, the main employer Camel Laird are currently servicing two RFA AOR's (Fort Victoria being one of them) and thats about the highlight of it all.

That being said its little known the area played a key role along with Liverpool during world war II in the hunt for German U boats, and today we are going to see one of these prisoners of war.

Tantalizingly close to the water front entombed behind brick walls and glass lies the broken prisoner, as if to forever torment he soul she can only but peek at the passing traffic, the traffic she once set out to destroy.

Next to the ferry pier lies the now broken remains of a German World war II U boat, she would never claim an allied ship (except two bombers) in combat but would herself be sunk, her story is one of needless waste untold carnage and a hollow dream.

IMG_8155 by B S, on Flickr

Commissioned in 1942 the submarine was assigned to training duties a rather mundane job for a powerful type IXC/40 and unlike her 85 other sisters she would barely get to stretch her legs, she made just two combat patrols in her life.

Her first duty was plagued by bad weather and a persistent oil leak her task was weather reporting she returned to Bordeaux for repairs.

In 1944 she was the last U boat to leave and escape from Lorient after the advances of the Allies from the Normandy landings.
She would curiously be the last submarines to leave Stettin Poland before it fell to the Russians in 1945.

Moved to Kiel her luck was to run out, on the 5th May 1945 a partial surrender was in force and the Harbor master at Oersund informed U534 of this.

IMG_8172 by B S, on Flickr

Later the same day a flight of Liberators would attack the submarine damaging her fatally, she sank in the Kattergat in 65 meters of water, while most of her crew survived and jumped overboard several were still trapped in side, it wasn't until the boat hit the bottom that they could floor the compartment and make a free assent, sadly on the way up the 17 year old radio operator failed to exhale and died due to the injuries in his lungs, of the 52 men on U534 49 were saved two died of exposure.

3 days later Germany capitulated

The U534 slipped away from memory and also unaccounted for by Danish and German naval records and lay undiscovered, in 1986 she was found by Danish explorer Aage Jensen, unable to penetrate the wreck he sought the help of someone to raise her, that person was Karsten Raee a wealthy media man who funded the recovery of the wreck.

As U534 has no souls on board she is not classified as a war grave and in 1993 the finally decision taken by the Danish MOD gave the go ahead for dutch company Smit Tak (who would later raise Kursk) to complete the salvage.

On the 23rd august 1993 U534 broke the surface for the first time in nearly half a century, on board was numerous ammunition including 3 near perfect T11 Torpedoes the only ones in the world.

It was decided she would be sea fastened to a barge and sent to Liverpool England there she lay broken and twisted as if she was a trophy for the victors.

IMG_8197 by B S, on Flickr

In 2007 the warship trust (home to HMS Plymouth & Onyx) went into liquidation her future remained uncertain, she was instead cut up into 5 pieces and put on display near the Ferry Pier.

Her hulk is not accessible to the public only a brief glimpse through the glass is all you can get from this once mighty war machine, she sits battered and broken forever entombed in her final resting place overlooking the sea she once would have hunted in and all her secrets laid bare.

More pictures here: https://www.flickr.com/photos/131313...h/40116873865/

Mr Quatro · 03-25-18, 02:02 PM

Congratulations Kapitan for visiting and reporting back to subsiim your fourth German World war II U boat exhibit visited.

This part was very sad to me ...

Quote:

In 2007 the warship trust (home to HMS Plymouth & Onyx) went into liquidation her future remained uncertain, she was instead cut up into 5 pieces and put on display near the Ferry Pier

Catfish · 03-25-18, 02:09 PM

Thanks once more for one more of your interesting posts!

I hope your visits to those special places are not over..

Happened to be at the U2540 (Wilhelm Bauer) today

Eichhörnchen · 03-25-18, 02:33 PM

Wonderful post, Kapitan

Schroeder · 03-25-18, 03:02 PM

Thanks for sharing.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kapitan

She would curiously be the last submarines to leave Stettin Poland before it fell to the Russians in 1945.

One little mistake here: Stettin was part of Germany back then and never a part of Poland until after the war... My grandfather was from that city.

(fun terminated...)

Catfish · 03-25-18, 04:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Schroeder

[...] One little mistake here: Stettin was part of Germany back then and never a part of Poland until after the war... My grandfather was from that city.

(fun terminated...)

Well.. if Poland goes on with its nationalism and strive for ditatorship we may well have a situation soon again. B.t.w. does England still have some.. treaty with Poland except NATO?

Nah, only joking

Sailor Steve · 03-25-18, 04:52 PM

Kapitan · 03-25-18, 04:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Schroeder

Thanks for sharing.

One little mistake here: Stettin was part of Germany back then and never a part of Poland until after the war... My grandfather was from that city.

(fun terminated...)

I knew it was occupied by the Germans and was part of Germany the only reason behind my connotation was so people could find it on the map as today Stettin is in Poland and very close to the German Border and also Peenemunde

Jimbuna · 03-26-18, 06:27 AM

Great update on your travels

There is hardly a day goes by when one cannot see a scholl trip to this great site.

Many people believe cutting her up was a crime but the reality was, this actually saved the boat from being scrapped.

Kapitan · 03-26-18, 10:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jimbuna

Great update on your travels

There is hardly a day goes by when one cannot see a scholl trip to this great site.

Many people believe cutting her up was a crime but the reality was, this actually saved the boat from being scrapped.

Not only that but being whole and having spent nearly 50 years underwater access inside for the public would have been an insurance nightmare let alone panic stations for HSE

This way at least you can get a glimpse inside the submarine where as before you couldn't.

Skybird · 03-26-18, 11:08 AM

Finally home, thought Odysseus.

03-25-18, 01:51 PM	#1
Kapitan Sub Test Pilot Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: UK + Canada Posts: 7,090 Downloads: 68 Uploads: 7	And it is done Today marks another chapter closed for me and my goals, many of you know i have traveled around the world because of my love for ships and submarines, well today i completed probably my biggest goal to date. Most of you are aware that i have been to see the U995 at Laboe, that i have also seen U2540 (Wilhelm Bauer) and last year with the Mrs help U505 in Chicago. Now these were the main trio of complete and intact submarines of world war two but notably there is one that is absent and today i can finally mark her off my rather long list. Our Journey begins from London England a trek that will see us drive over 220 miles along the three major motorways of the UK (M25 M1 M6) we are heading to the Northwest and a very famous part of it Birkenhead. Birkenhead located on the opposite bank of the River Mersey to Liverpool again another important port city is home to Camel Laird, today the area is run down and in desperate need of regeneration it seems only the yard is there on hand for steady employment but even that has cut back. Birkenhead once a proud industrial port now barely even registers ship traffic, the main employer Camel Laird are currently servicing two RFA AOR's (Fort Victoria being one of them) and thats about the highlight of it all. That being said its little known the area played a key role along with Liverpool during world war II in the hunt for German U boats, and today we are going to see one of these prisoners of war. Tantalizingly close to the water front entombed behind brick walls and glass lies the broken prisoner, as if to forever torment he soul she can only but peek at the passing traffic, the traffic she once set out to destroy. Next to the ferry pier lies the now broken remains of a German World war II U boat, she would never claim an allied ship (except two bombers) in combat but would herself be sunk, her story is one of needless waste untold carnage and a hollow dream. IMG_8155 by B S, on Flickr Commissioned in 1942 the submarine was assigned to training duties a rather mundane job for a powerful type IXC/40 and unlike her 85 other sisters she would barely get to stretch her legs, she made just two combat patrols in her life. Her first duty was plagued by bad weather and a persistent oil leak her task was weather reporting she returned to Bordeaux for repairs. In 1944 she was the last U boat to leave and escape from Lorient after the advances of the Allies from the Normandy landings. She would curiously be the last submarines to leave Stettin Poland before it fell to the Russians in 1945. Moved to Kiel her luck was to run out, on the 5th May 1945 a partial surrender was in force and the Harbor master at Oersund informed U534 of this. IMG_8172 by B S, on Flickr Later the same day a flight of Liberators would attack the submarine damaging her fatally, she sank in the Kattergat in 65 meters of water, while most of her crew survived and jumped overboard several were still trapped in side, it wasn't until the boat hit the bottom that they could floor the compartment and make a free assent, sadly on the way up the 17 year old radio operator failed to exhale and died due to the injuries in his lungs, of the 52 men on U534 49 were saved two died of exposure. 3 days later Germany capitulated The U534 slipped away from memory and also unaccounted for by Danish and German naval records and lay undiscovered, in 1986 she was found by Danish explorer Aage Jensen, unable to penetrate the wreck he sought the help of someone to raise her, that person was Karsten Raee a wealthy media man who funded the recovery of the wreck. As U534 has no souls on board she is not classified as a war grave and in 1993 the finally decision taken by the Danish MOD gave the go ahead for dutch company Smit Tak (who would later raise Kursk) to complete the salvage. On the 23rd august 1993 U534 broke the surface for the first time in nearly half a century, on board was numerous ammunition including 3 near perfect T11 Torpedoes the only ones in the world. It was decided she would be sea fastened to a barge and sent to Liverpool England there she lay broken and twisted as if she was a trophy for the victors. IMG_8197 by B S, on Flickr In 2007 the warship trust (home to HMS Plymouth & Onyx) went into liquidation her future remained uncertain, she was instead cut up into 5 pieces and put on display near the Ferry Pier. Her hulk is not accessible to the public only a brief glimpse through the glass is all you can get from this once mighty war machine, she sits battered and broken forever entombed in her final resting place overlooking the sea she once would have hunted in and all her secrets laid bare. More pictures here: https://www.flickr.com/photos/131313...h/40116873865/ __________________ DONT FORGET if you like a post to nominate it by using the blue diamond Find out about Museum Ships here: https://www.museumships.us/ Flickr for all my pictures: https://www.flickr.com/photos/131313936@N03/ Navy general board articles: https://www.navygeneralboard.com/author/aegis/

03-25-18, 02:09 PM	#3
Catfish Dipped Squirrel Operative Join Date: Sep 2001 Location: ..where the ocean meets the sky Posts: 16,904 Downloads: 38 Uploads: 0	Thanks once more for one more of your interesting posts! I hope your visits to those special places are not over.. Happened to be at the U2540 (Wilhelm Bauer) today __________________ >^..^<)))>{ All generalizations are wrong. Last edited by Catfish; 03-25-18 at 04:15 PM.*

03-25-18, 02:33 PM	#4
Eichhörnchen Starte das Auto Join Date: Aug 2014 Location: The Fens Posts: 15,782 Downloads: 5 Uploads: 0	Wonderful post, Kapitan __________________

03-25-18, 04:52 PM	#7
Sailor Steve Eternal Patrol Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: High in the mountains of Utah Posts: 50,369 Downloads: 745 Uploads: 249	__________________ “Never do anything you can't take back.” —Rocky Russo

03-26-18, 06:27 AM	#9
Jimbuna Chief of the Boat Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: 250 metres below the surface Posts: 181,344 Downloads: 63 Uploads: 13	Great update on your travels There is hardly a day goes by when one cannot see a scholl trip to this great site. Many people believe cutting her up was a crime but the reality was, this actually saved the boat from being scrapped. __________________ Wise men speak because they have something to say; Fools because they have to say something. Oh my God, not again!! GWX3.0 Download Page - Donation/instant access to GWX (Help SubSim)

03-26-18, 11:08 AM	#11
Skybird Soaring Join Date: Sep 2001 Location: the mental asylum named Germany Posts: 40,636 Downloads: 9 Uploads: 0	Finally home, thought Odysseus. __________________ If you feel nuts, consult an expert.