Coming to Kiel/Hamburg next week.

[Rosencrantz]

Hello, all German members!


I'm coming from Finland to visit Hamburg and Kiel next week with my girlfriend. Together with other things our plan is to visit Marine-Ehernmal and also Tango-class ex-soviet boat in Hamburg. Am I right there is only guided tours in U-995 availible? I'm asking this because I would like to take some pics and "study" the boat a bit, not just walk it through. Pics from the net seems to show there is a beach nearby the boat...? (Just planning the place where I could drop my girl for awhile, if she founds the boat being dull... ;) ....:hmm: ...:o dull???)


-RC-

[Mr.Fleck]

As far as I am informed you can take a look at U-995 without a guided tour. At least it was so last summer when I visited the boat. I stayed 1,5 hours onboard and took my time to inspect everything.

There is also a museum at the Ehrenmal. I think you can buy a combined ticket for the boat and the museum.

In case your gf gets bored you can also send her up the Ehrenmal tower (by stairs) Will take a while and she'll have a nice view of the Kieler Förde. But maybe she turns out to be like my wife and gets interested in your hobby and starts to ask questions. I think this would be the prefered outcome...

Have a nice stay in Germany!

[Rosencrantz]

Hello Fleck!


Thanks for the information!
I really was somewhat worried about the practise in the U-995. It's great you can research the boat just on your own. And yes, my girlfriend will be joining to me when going to the boat and yes, she is interested in my hobby, as I plan to write a book in Finish about the boats and the U-boat war. But you know the girls... interests towards old submarines can be somewhat limited... :lol:
I'll bet we'll enjoy our trip, GF lived a year in Hamburg when she studied there few years ago!

[Rosencrantz]

BTW,

if someone else from the subsim community will be in U-995 next tuesday, 15th of July 2008, just come to say "hello" to us! Probably I'll be easy to recon. as I'll be carrying not only the camera but also a small sound recorder and talking odd language with quiet voice! :lol:
It would be always nice to meet other sub enthusiasts and maybe even have a bear or a cup of coffee with them!


Greetings,
-RC-

[Zakalwe]

Have fun!

Small hint:

When you`re outside of the boat, watch how many people are before the counter, where the tickets are sold. Try to get there, when there are very few guests before you, better no one at all for several minutes.

Inside of the boat it is very narrow and it is very difficult to shoot pics without some damn tourists getting into your way.

And as already mentioned, buy the ticket for Laboe Ehrenmal aswell. They have a good collection of ship-models, the underground "Ehrenhalle" is chilling. The view from the top of the tower is great.

And as you`re only a few miles away, think about visiting the U-Boot memorial at Möltenort. A plate with all names of the crew for every Boot lost in WWI + II.

Another chilling experience. You`ll read a lot of known names.

Greets from 25 km north of Laboe and Möltenort (I`m regularly once a year there)

Z.

[Blohm und Voss]

While you're in Hamburg why not take a tour of the Blohm and Voss shipyard where many of the U Boats were built? The Bismarck was also built here and there is a huge model of it that was bricked up until the year 2000 to hide it from the allies. It is now displayed with pride in the main building. There is a model of every ship built by Blohm and Voss as well including the U Boats. You may need permission to see the model though so do enquiries.

A huge piece of the armour plate intended for the Bismarck is on display near the heliport and you can still see the entrances to the air raid shelters. The facades of the workshops still display bomb damage.

Also in Hamburg try to visit the Peter Tamm museum on the Elbe Chausee. It may be difficult because it is a private museum and permission is required from the reclusive billionaire. There are apparently 10 000 models of ships and even actual vessels in the grounds of the museum. The museum has uniforms worn on the HMS Victory and those of famous Naval Characters as well. The ceremonial staffs of Grand Admirals also reside here including those of Raeder and Doenitz. The paintings alone must be worth a fortune. Every naval weapon from the stone age to the present day is displayed as well.

In Kiel try to visit the Howaldts Deutsche Werke (HDW) Shipyard where U Boats were also built and present day German and Client nation submarines are presently built. See if you can spot the new and revolutionary U212 type submarines that have got many nations operating nuclear submarines interested and concerned.

[Zakalwe]

Peter Tamm has given his collection to (and is one of the founders of) the "Internationales Maritimes Museum Hamburg" which has opened it`s doors last month.

I haven`t visited it yet, but from reports on TV it is VERY Impressive.

Website:

http://www.internationales-maritimes-museum.de/

Z.

[gord96]

Have fun on your trip! I would love to check out a U-Boat. I just visited the USS Bowfin last week in Hawaii and was blown away how small even a US Fleet Boat sub was inside. I cannot imagine the smaller U-boat and how the crew got along in there for so long.:doh:

[Rosencrantz]

Hi Zakabe, B&V and gord96!


Thank you for the great info, advices and greetings! Möltenort is must be and we'll be looking for to see Tamm's collection and maybe even visit in B&V or HDW, if that could be possible. :up:


Best greetings fm Finland,
-RC-