German U-Boat UC/42 Rediscovered in Cork Harbour

[Matador.es]

http://www.afloat.ie/watersport/diving/item/14853-german-u-boat-rediscovered-in-cork-harbour/

[joea]

Very nice, and from WWI to boot! Pretty rare. Not sure how intact it would be after so long, plus the fact it sank after I guess one of its mines going off??

[UnderseaLcpl]

Reminds me of my own U-boat in GWX: The English never discover it unitil it's way too late, but they sure take pains to remember it.:DL

In all seriousness though, this is an amazing find. I can't imagine that much of the wreck is left after such a lenghtly immersion in the ocean, but I'd love to see the wreck myself. This site is more than a war grave; it's a piece of history that will soon be gone forever. I hope those responsible will recover some of the remains so that the sacrifices of those men will be more to future generations than writing in a textbook.

[Feuer Frei!]

w This site is more than a war grave; it's a piece of history that will soon be gone forever. I hope those responsible will recover some of the remains so that the sacrifices of those men will be more to future generations than writing in a textbook.
Well, it is a war grave, ie it should be left alone, out of respect to those 27 sailors who died.
R.I.P. :salute:

[UnderseaLcpl]

Well, it is a war grave, ie it should be left alone, out of respect to those 27 sailors who died.
R.I.P. :salute:

What better way to show them respect than to preserve their memory for future generations? Leaving the wreck to rot in the sea and be forgotten does nothing for them. We remember our fallen by marking their passage, one way or another. Leaving them to rot is not an acceptable course of action on land, so why should it be so at sea?

[Matador.es]

What better way to show them respect than to preserve their memory for future generations? Leaving the wreck to rot in the sea and be forgotten does nothing for them. We remember our fallen by marking their passage, one way or another. Leaving them to rot is not an acceptable course of action on land, so why should it be so at sea?

I agree :up:

Their actions were not remebered by many all these year they were down the water line, out of sight. Just now, their actions becomes know.

Btw, i appologise since it was allready in our news board @ the homepage www.subsim.com with this link: Great War U-boat discovered off Irish coast (http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/local-national/republic-of-ireland/great-war-uboat-discovered-off-irish-coast-15063300.html)

But, i am kind of to used to head straight to the forum instead via the main page checking the news

[Feuer Frei!]

War graves (and in this case, Sea) should be left undisturbed, no matter how inaccessible. It is our obligation to empower civil society to nurture and conserve our heritage. It is only when essential developments such as new roads or dams threaten a place of burial that human remains should be disinterred to a cemetery or another burial ground.
But even then i disagree with disturbing remains of the fallen.
From a historical point of view, it is vital that resting sites are not disturbed. The location and marking of an individual’s grave tells a life story, where he/she died defending (or attacking) a particular place situation and makes it easier to understand the circumstances of his/her death.

[Matador.es]

I seriously respect your opinion, but after time passes, things get forgotten while they might as well be remembered. I think an "in between" solution would be an option, like, after 100 years you can retrieve it for cultural proposes.

[August]

From a historical point of view and for research purposes, it is vital that resting sites are not disturbed. The location and marking of an individual’s grave tells a life story, where he/she died defending (or attacking) a particular place situation and makes it easier to understand the circumstances of his/her death.

My own great grandfather August was a WW1 German infantryman who was killed in action on Oct 3rd 1918. As far as our family knows his body was never recovered.

Now while I appreciate your sentiments I have to say that if they ever discover his body I'd rather see it exhumed and given a proper burial at his home in Altenbuch with the rest of the family. I'd hate to see them leave him laying in a patch of weeds somewhere for just research purposes.

The one thing that all soldiers or sailors want is to go home when it's over. I think those WW1 U-boat men deserve that if it's possible.

[Feuer Frei!]

I seriously respect your opinion, but after time passes, things get forgotten while they might as well be remembered. I think an "in between" solution would be an option, like, after 100 years you can retrieve it for cultural proposes.

My own great grandfather August was a WW1 German infantryman who was killed in action on Oct 3rd 1918. As far as our family knows his body was never recovered.

Now while I appreciate your sentiments I have to say that if they ever discover his body I'd rather see it exhumed and given a proper burial at his home in Altenbuch with the rest of the family. I'd hate to see them leave him laying in a patch of weeds somewhere for just research purposes.

The one thing that all soldiers or sailors want is to go home when it's over. I think those WW1 U-boat men deserve that if it's possible.

I respect both of your view points, i just hope i didn't come across wrong with the word 'research', it probably made me sound a little inhumane, far from it, infact i have edited this word out from my original post.

[Growler]

After 93 years, are there actually human remains of the crew left? Ballard noted that his survey of Titanic showed no remains, and that ship went down only a scant 6 years before this one - in deeper, colder water suspected to harbor less marine life than 27m would. It may be a moot point; even if there are remains of those poor souls left, I wonder if they've be capable of making the transition to a land-side burial.

I'm glad the boat's been found, don't get me wrong. As long as there are folks like us, with kids to teach, people will not forget. That is our solemn responsibility to all veterans.

[August]

After 93 years, are there actually human remains of the crew left? Ballard noted that his survey of Titanic showed no remains, and that ship went down only a scant 6 years before this one - in deeper, colder water suspected to harbor less marine life than 27m would. It may be a moot point; even if there are remains of those poor souls left, I wonder if they've be capable of making the transition to a land-side burial.

Well they found bury-able remains on the CSS Hunley and that sank over 50 years earlier and in a lot warmer water than what you'd find in Cork Harbor, so it's quite possible i'd say.

[Growler]

Well they found bury-able remains on the CSS Hunley and that sank over 50 years earlier and in a lot warmer water than what you'd find in Cork Harbor, so it's quite possible i'd say.

Good point; I'd not thought of NUMAs Hunley expedition. Granted, Hunley was also a smaller boat and hadn't had the severity of hull breach you might expect from a mine, so aquatic life intrusion might have been lessened.

I don't know; it's a curious conundrum. Since I haven't seen the wreck in question, I'm only asking questions.

[August]

I don't know; it's a curious conundrum. Since I haven't seen the wreck in question, I'm only asking questions.

Yeah me as well.

I also wonder about the lack of human remains on the Titanic, have they really all disintegrated or did Ballard and co just not uncover enough silt to expose them?

[Growler]

After so many teams have dived Titanic, and I've heard nothing in the 20-some years since it was found, I'm going to assume no, but that's only an assumption.

There's a picture in Ballard's Titanic book of two shoes laying side by side, heel-to-heel, as they might have laid down there as the body inside them disintegrated; that picture has stuck with me.

Cameron and his crew never reported remains when they dove the wreck for his movie, and salvors have gone down there as well. I'd have thought that and remains discovered would have elicited some media response.

But, like you said, they did find remains on Hunley, in far warmer water than the deep north Atlantic, where the marine life would be far more abundant. As I'm not a marine biologist, I can only speculate.

[August]

Cameron and his crew never reported remains when they dove the wreck for his movie, and salvors have gone down there as well. I'd have thought that and remains discovered would have elicited some media response.

Eh you're probably correct, unless I suppose the announcing the discovery of human remains could possibly complicate salvage rights.

[Sailor Steve]

An amazing find, and an interesting discussion. I don't have any ideas or suggestions, but you've all presented enlightening ideas. :sunny:

[Growler]

Eh you're probably correct, unless I suppose the announcing the discovery of human remains could possibly complicate salvage rights.

Hadn't thought of that; did it do so for the Hunley salvage? Makes sense that it could.

So here's a question - why was Hunley salvaged, and not treated as a war grave, but the one we're discussing here is considered such? Is it because there's only one nation involved in the case of the Hunley, and two sovereign nations for the U-boat?

[August]

Hadn't thought of that; did it do so for the Hunley salvage? Makes sense that it could.

So here's a question - why was Hunley salvaged, and not treated as a war grave, but the one we're discussing here is considered such? Is it because there's only one nation involved in the case of the Hunley, and two sovereign nations for the U-boat?

Maybe but the the Hunley actually was treated as a war grave. All the remains that were recovered in the boat when they took the silt out were identified and reburied with full military honors.

http://www.hunley.org/main_index.asp?CONTENT=CREWB

One interesting note is before reburial they made casts of the crews skulls which allowed them to recreate what they looked like in life.

http://www.hunley.org/main_index.asp?CONTENT=CREWB_PROFILES

Don't think i'd want that done to my Great Grandfathers bones...

[ETR3(SS)]

Leave them there, in their final resting place. Would you remove the dead from the Arizona?


We therefore commit his body to the deep, to be turned into corruption, looking for the resurrection of the body, when the Sea shall give up her dead, and the life of the world to come, through our Lord Jesus Christ; who at his coming shall change our vile body, that it may be like his glorious body, according to the mighty working, whereby he is able to subdue all things to himself.

[Sailor Steve]

Don't think i'd want that done to my Great Grandfathers bones...
I would. In the past they used to take 'Death Masks' of the recently departed. I'd love to know what my ancestors looked like.

Would you remove the dead from the Arizona?
That's actually a tough call for me. If it was a relative of mine, yes I would, but others don't feel the same and their wishes should also be respected. As I said, tough call.

I see nothing wrong with attempting to identify and reinter the remains of the boys who died on that sub so long ago.

[August]

I would. In the past they used to take 'Death Masks' of the recently departed. I'd love to know what my ancestors looked like.

I see your point. We have a picture of my Great Grandfather so we don't have to wonder.

[Matador.es]

Divers ask that maritime grave be respected (http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/ireland/2011/0125/1224288249568.html)

Check the link, the divers have their opinion as well.

[Feuer Frei!]

Divers ask that maritime grave be respected (http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/ireland/2011/0125/1224288249568.html)

Check the link, the divers have their opinion as well.

I do believe it will be a magnet for divers. But it is a grave. We have treated it as such, we have made a plaque for the crew. Anyone who dives it we would urge them to look but to not touch and to respect it as such.

Good call :up:

[Buddahaid]

I would think this boat would be covered in nets like the Lusitania is.

[Dan D]

My own great grandfather August was a WW1 German infantryman who was killed in action on Oct 3rd 1918. As far as our family knows his body was never recovered.


August,
I know a guy whose grandfather was mia since Oct. 7th 1918.
Almost 90 years later, in 2007, the German War Graves Commission informed the family that they had found the grave.
The story behind:
The Brits had buried the identified German soldier with full military honours on one of their cemeteries by the end of WW I but it took all those many years to pass the information from the British to the German War Graves Commission to the family.

My point is:

With your great-grandfathers name, surname, birth date and birth place, you could do a research in the German archives.

The important part is that the Commission would keep your request in their data base and that way you can be sure that if they should ever find out something about your great-grandfather, they will contact you, even 100 years later.

If you need assistance, feel free to contact me via pm.