[RustySubmarine]

U534 was part of the Historic Ships Museum set up in Birkenhead in 1999 on an old dockside warehouse site. Due to re-development of the old warehouses into penthouse flats, the Museum was forced to close in 2006. There were four ships on display at the HSM, HMS Plymouth, a Rothsay Class Frigate, which saw action in the Falklands War. HMS Bronnington, a Ton Class Minesweeper, which Prince Charles had command of during the 1970s. HM Submarine Onyx, of the Oberon Class and U534. The German U boat U534, was raised in the Kattegat off Denmark in 1996 by a Danish millionaire and through negotiations with the Historic Ships Museum in Birkenhead, it was decided to bring it to England, by barge, where it was put on display.

Finally, HMS Plymouth went to Plymouth Dockyard, where it is now on public display. HMS Onyx went back to Barrow-in-Furness where it was built and put on public display. Not sure where HMS Bronnington went, but it could be Chatham, where there are several other Royal Navy ships on view including HM Submarine Oberon, at Chatham Historic Dockyard.

After the removal of the other three ships in 2007, U534 remained on site at the former HSM for several years, whilst negotiations were going on about what to do with it.

It was decided with the help of The Historic Ships Museum Trust, Cheshire County Council & Birkenhead Borough Council, to build a new Museum to re-house the submarine (I think the original owner also contributed quite another large sum towards it, so that it could remain where he originally intended). Anyway, it was finally cut up into five sections and moved on a crane barge to the new site. Two of the sections were joined together, so it now remains in three sections.

This was the only option, otherwise it would have had to be scrapped. Whilst it was on display at the Historic Ships Museum, it was possible to go aboard in parties of 20 for a tour through the whole boat. This had to be pre-booked by timed ticket, which allowed four tours per day and six on Sundays. Now it is in the new Nautical Museum close to the Birkenhead Ferry Terminal. It is not possible to go inside any of the three sections. The ends of these have been closed off with glass panels, so that you can see cross sections of the forward torpedo room, the control room and engine room. The exterior has been painted grey and there are many exhibits taken from inside the boat which are on display at the site. There are no plans to rejoin it, nor are there any plans to allow visitors to actually go inside.

So, although not in one piece as originally intended to display, it has been saved and is well worth a visit if you are in the area. Besides U505, which was captured by the Americans in 1944, and put on display at the Chicago Museum of Science & Technology, U534 is the only other Type IX40C submarine in existence.

If you want to read all about her sister sub U505, then read the book Steel Boat Iron Hearts by Hans Goebler. He was an ordinary crew member who went on every patrol of U505 from 1941 to her capture in 1944 and then emigrated to America, where he became a guide aboard the submarine which is on display. Unfortunately, Hans died in 1999 just two years before his book was published, but it is a brilliant read. It's not often a book like this is written by an ordinary crew member and you get to see what life aboard was like from the lower deck.