GoldenRivet
03-31-07, 11:07 PM
Using data i have researched on the internet i have made (well almost made it is a few days from completion) a google earth file which pinpoints the approximate position of every u-boat loss from September 1939 to May 1945.
Each U-boat is represented by a small placemark thumbtack, each wreck can be accessed one at a time OR you can bring up every boat for a specefic month or year.
Going through month by month it is staggaring the number of U-boat wrecks that dot the atlantic and even the gulf of mexico!
Each U-boat comes with a brief history and an explaination of what happened - for example: if you were to click the spot on the map that says "U-581"
you will see...
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U-581
Sunk 2 Feb, 1942 in the mid-Atlantic south-west of the Azores, by the British destroyer HMS Westcott. 4 dead and 41 survivors. On 2 Feb, 1942 the U-581 was sunk near the coast of Pico Island, in front of a place called Guidaste. One of the officers, Ltn. Walter Sitek, managed to swim 6 km to shore where he was picked up by the locals. He then managed to pass through neutral Spain and make his way to Germany when he again went to sea on a U-boat. Oblt. Walter Sitek commanded 3 boats (U-17, U-981 and U-3005) during the rest of the war and survived the fighting. The rest of the crew, 37 men, were picked up by the British destroyer and taken to POW camp being finally released in 1947. This was the subs 2nd patrol, it claimed the sinking of 1 warship.
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or when you click the placemark for U-501 you will read....
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U-501
Sunk at 2330hrs on 10 Sept, 1941 in the Straits of Denmark south of Angmagsalik, Greenland, by depth charges and ramming from the Canadian corvettes HMCS Chambly and HMCS Moosejaw. Most of the crew escaped...11 dead and 37 survivors, 1 canadian was killed in the battle. After the first depth charge run U-501 surfaced right next to HMCS Moosejaw during her turn. Then something really amazing happened; the commander of U-501 leaped some 9 feet from his sub and onto the deck of the HMCS Moosejaw without even getting his feet wet! Fearing another boarding attempt the corvette opened the range and then closed rapidly, ramming the U-boat causing enough damage to cause her to start sinking. The Canadians attempted to board the boat but they found its insides totally trashed either from the depth charges or by the German crew. One Canadian did not manage to escape the boat as she sank. This was the U-501's only patrol, it destroyed 1 cargo ship.
====================
I hope to be finished with this project within the next 8 to 10 days, if anyone is interested in a copy of the file to use with Google Earth!
Each U-boat is represented by a small placemark thumbtack, each wreck can be accessed one at a time OR you can bring up every boat for a specefic month or year.
Going through month by month it is staggaring the number of U-boat wrecks that dot the atlantic and even the gulf of mexico!
Each U-boat comes with a brief history and an explaination of what happened - for example: if you were to click the spot on the map that says "U-581"
you will see...
=========================
U-581
Sunk 2 Feb, 1942 in the mid-Atlantic south-west of the Azores, by the British destroyer HMS Westcott. 4 dead and 41 survivors. On 2 Feb, 1942 the U-581 was sunk near the coast of Pico Island, in front of a place called Guidaste. One of the officers, Ltn. Walter Sitek, managed to swim 6 km to shore where he was picked up by the locals. He then managed to pass through neutral Spain and make his way to Germany when he again went to sea on a U-boat. Oblt. Walter Sitek commanded 3 boats (U-17, U-981 and U-3005) during the rest of the war and survived the fighting. The rest of the crew, 37 men, were picked up by the British destroyer and taken to POW camp being finally released in 1947. This was the subs 2nd patrol, it claimed the sinking of 1 warship.
=========================
or when you click the placemark for U-501 you will read....
=========================
U-501
Sunk at 2330hrs on 10 Sept, 1941 in the Straits of Denmark south of Angmagsalik, Greenland, by depth charges and ramming from the Canadian corvettes HMCS Chambly and HMCS Moosejaw. Most of the crew escaped...11 dead and 37 survivors, 1 canadian was killed in the battle. After the first depth charge run U-501 surfaced right next to HMCS Moosejaw during her turn. Then something really amazing happened; the commander of U-501 leaped some 9 feet from his sub and onto the deck of the HMCS Moosejaw without even getting his feet wet! Fearing another boarding attempt the corvette opened the range and then closed rapidly, ramming the U-boat causing enough damage to cause her to start sinking. The Canadians attempted to board the boat but they found its insides totally trashed either from the depth charges or by the German crew. One Canadian did not manage to escape the boat as she sank. This was the U-501's only patrol, it destroyed 1 cargo ship.
====================
I hope to be finished with this project within the next 8 to 10 days, if anyone is interested in a copy of the file to use with Google Earth!