U-550 found

[Gargamel]

http://m.apnews.com/ap/db_268743/contentdetail.htm?contentguid=XYtUnMmA

And unlike our other recent story about a sunken uboat, this one looks like a uboat on the side scan. And given the fact there was a recorded sinking in the area, it seems they found her.

[Platapus]

Awesome, now that they found it, I hope they leave it alone. Please let the German sailors rest in peace.

They did not mention the depth but said it was far off shore. I hope it is far enough and deep enough to prevent people from diving that wreck.

[August]

I think they'd say it was deep and far off shore even if it wasn't.

[Gargamel]

http://www.uboat.net/boats/u550.htm

They put in a not so diver friendly area.

http://i289.photobucket.com/albums/ll203/goestrider/29993bed.jpg

[August]

According to the article they did some "quick dives" on it so it can't be that deep. Google maps puts those coordinates at - 316ft. That's diveable with the right equipment but certainly not something done quickly.

[Gargamel]

I believe these coordinates are from the war reports. The search area may have fallen off the shelf. And a quick dive may have been with an rov.

With other more accessible subs to dive on, I don't see this becoming a dive spot.

[CaptainHaplo]

There is little reason to disturb the wreck. The finders are intent now on contacting the families of those lost to advise them of the resting place of their loved ones.

[August]

If it does lay within sport diving depths then maybe the Germans ought to send a detail to recover whatever crew remains still exists like the Japanese did at Truk lagoon. I'd imagine those sailors would prefer going home if they could be asked. I know that I would.

[Seth8530]

I know im about to sound very unceremonious here.. But, why do we care so much about dead people? Why shouldn't we be able to explore the u-boat? The dead people are dead? why should they care?

[BossMark]

I know im about to sound very unceremonious here.. But, why do we care so much about dead people? Why shouldn't we be able to explore the u-boat? The dead people are dead? why should they care?
Respect for the brave men who lost there lives, also it just doesn't seem right does it

[Sailor Steve]

I know im about to sound very unceremonious here.. But, why do we care so much about dead people? Why shouldn't we be able to explore the u-boat? The dead people are dead? why should they care?
So it's okay for me to dig up your dead grandparents to see if they have any gold on them?

[Buddahaid]

So it's okay for me to dig up your dead grandparents to see if they have any gold on them?

Yes it's OK for you to dig up "his" Grandparents and look for gold. :D

It does bring up what the statute of limitations is about this. How old must a wreck be before it's OK to disturb the dead? I'm sure it's OK for the Spanish armada war graves now for most of us so where does one draw that line?

[August]

The country that sent them there ought to mount an expedition to search the wreckage and locate, remove and return any human remains for proper burial in the home country.

Then it's not a war grave anymore. We do it for plane crash victims all the time, including war losses even decades after the fact. There's one going on up in Alaska right now for a larger crew than what was on the 550. They just finished bringing back a bunch of WW2 aircrew remains from Burma. I don't see why small ship crews should be treated any differently. You're talking about just 40 bodies not 40,000 like on some large land battlefield.

Otherwise in order to stop civilian divers from disturbing the wreck and remains you will have to secure it and guard it. That will be expensive and oppressive and imo we have enough of both in government lately.

Besides. I never met a sailor or soldier, myself included, who would prefer having his remains left where they fell. Everybody wants to go home. I think we owe it to them to make sure it happens.

[Sailor Steve]

August makes a valid argument for this. It bears discussion.

[u crank]

I agree with August.

I think it would also be appropriate to remove an artifact that could be made into a memorial that family members could visit to pay their respects as they are able.


Besides. I never met a sailor or soldier, myself included, who would prefer having his remains left where they fell. Everybody wants to go home. I think we owe it to them to make sure it happens.

Well said.

[Seth8530]

So it's okay for me to dig up your dead grandparents to see if they have any gold on them?

It would be ok as long as I got a cut of the gold. Dead to me is dead. I dont care where I end up when Im dead. Stick me in a flower pot for all i care. Cremate me and use me as the secret ingredient of your rib rub. makes no difference to me.

[Sailor Steve]

It would be ok as long as I got a cut of the gold. Dead to me is dead. I dont care where I end up when Im dead. Stick me in a flower pot for all i care. Cremate me and use me as the secret ingredient of your rib rub. makes no difference to me.
Fair enough. I feel pretty much the same way where my own remains are concerned. I don't want to take up space that can be used by the living. That said, most people have some regard for remains. I'm not sure why myself, but I respect their feelings about the subject.

[Rhodes]

Human remains have a lot to offer to the living! :know:

[Seth8530]

Human remains have a lot to offer to the living! :know:

necro-philiac? hehe.

@ steve

I agree with ya, I believe that the corpses should be respected out of respect for other's but.. Its not like the sailors in the u-boat are overly fond of thier watery coffin. Why not let us poke around for insight into our history? Isnt that the deepest form of respect for the dead?

[August]

An interesting tidbit from Wikipedia:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/German_submarine_U-550

There is a grisly postscript to the sinking of U-550. According to the Eastern Sea Frontier's War Diary account of the sinking, some of the crew apparently survived the sinking and were trapped in a forward compartment. They tried to leave the U-boat as it lay on the ocean floor using their escape apparatus.[4]
At 1515 on 5 May 1944, the Coastal Picket Patrol CGR-3082 recovered a body from the sea at 39° 51***8242; NN. 71° 58***8242; W., about 93 miles (150 km) ESE of Ambrose. The body was clothed in a German-type life jacket. From the markings on his clothing it was possible that the man's name was "Hube".[5] A German escape lung was found near his body as well. An autopsy performed on the body indicated that the individual died only five days before his remains were discovered – U-550 had been sunk on 16 April, the corpse was found 19 days later.
Two other bodies were subsequently found. The first, picked up by another picket boat, CGR-1989, at 1730 on 11 May, was fully clothed, had an escape lung and life jacket on. He was found in a rubber raft. Identification marks indicated the man was a German sailor named Wilhelm Flade, aged about 17.[6] The body was transferred from CGR-1989 to CGR-1338 on the morning of 12 May 1944 and was brought to Tompkinsville on Staten Island.
On 16 May a third body was sighted and picked up by USS SC-630. It was stated that the uniform and insignia indicated the victim had been a German crewman, although he carried no identification; he had been in the water more than 18 days.[5]
The War Diary report continued:
Further evidence is lacking to complete the apparent story of successful attempts made by certain men to escape from compartments in the vicinity of torpedo tubes or escape hatches. Curiously, the area was not entirely deserted by patrol vessels. On the day following the torpedoing of the Pan Pennsylvania, a vessel was sent to the area to effect salvage operations or to sink the derelict [tanker] in order to remove such a menace to navigation. This vessel spent some time in trying to sink with gunfire the still buoyant and burning hulk of the Pan Pennsylvania. No survivors were sighted during these operations. Questions were raised as to the possibility of some survivors having been able to reach the southern shore of Long Island, since the sub sank only 150 miles from Montauk Point; only 70 miles from Nantucket. Although such considerations should not be dismissed, it is doubtful that men aboard the smallest type rubber rafts would be able to cover so great a distance without being detected before they reached shore.

[Rhodes]

necro-philiac? hehe.


No, anthropologist!:03: