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Originally Posted by Happy Times
Great find with these pics  I was also looking for better pictures of the Vesikko..Im really concerned that its left in the outdoors  It really should be conserved properly and put indoors.Is this the only suviving type II? |
Yes it is. It's a great miracle that one of each major uboat types has survived:
- Vessiko - Typ II prototype in Helsinki (Finland) used by the Finnish Navy against Russia. Now a museum.
- U 505 - Typ IX in Chicago (USA) captured by US Forces near the African coast.
- U 995 - Typ VII in Laboe (Germany) interned in Norway after the war and used by the Norgwegian Navy. Later given back to Germany for use as a memorial.
- U 2540 - Typ XXI in Bremerhaven (Germany) scuttled by crew in 1945. Raised and restored by the German Navy and used as a modified test uboat.
Two Typ XXIII which also were scuttled by their crews in 1945 were raised in the 50s by the German Navy and used for testing (U-Hecht and U-Hai) But both sank trgically due to accidents. The small boats were prone to capsizing and unstable in high waves.
BTW: all boats except U 505 are kept in the open. U 2540 is even still afloat.