Where can one see restored WWII uboats?

kanolsen · 12-30-09, 08:11 PM

Sorry for posting here, but couldn't find a suitable forum.

I wonder where I can see real uboats (both German and American or others) from WWII and newer?

I would hate to know after I come home from a holiday just to find out there was a submarine museum or something nearby.

Kanolsen

D.E · 12-30-09, 08:36 PM

No clue on how accurate this list is as of today but here you go;

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_submarine_museums

I've only paid visit to U-995 in Laboe and it was a nice tour. There's also a Marine Memorial in Laboe well worth a visit.

Unfortunately I had no time for U-2540 in Bremerhaven but I'll be sure not to miss it next time.

And if i ever visit the U.S I sure won't miss a tour on a Gato or Balao.

Torplexed · 12-30-09, 08:38 PM

Are you anywhere near Chicago? There's the U-505.

http://www.msichicago.org/whats-here/exhibits/u-505/

Wolfgang42 · 12-30-09, 08:48 PM

The U-505 Exhibit in Chicago is amazing! Fully restored and sitting in a bunker along with all kinds of displays. It's awesome. You have to go on a guided tour to see the interior. You can't roam around at will, and like many subs the conning tower is off limits. The guides are fairly knowledgeable, but I was surprised that ours did not know about one of the earlier commanders of U-505 who shot himself during a depth charge attack and then was smothered with pillows by crew members to shut him up...and died in his captain's cabin. I guess they leave out those little morbid details for the tour...

U-995 is a Type VII in Germany near Laboe

And then there is the one in Britain that some idiots decided to cut up into sections. U-534 I think

frau kaleun · 12-30-09, 09:00 PM

Ya, the U-505 is way cool. I was there a few years back, before I even got interested in *cough* obsessed with *cough* that aspect of WWII warfare, but it still was the first "must see" exhibit on my list once I knew it was there. And I was utterly fascinated by it.

The thing that struck me the hardest when going through the boat was how unbelievably small the interior was. I remember getting to the end of the tour and thinking, "okay, so where's the rest of the boat?" and then looking around and realizing - there IS no "rest of the boat." And then wondering how anybody withstood living like that, with a full crew, for weeks on end - not even figuring in the potential hazards of enemy contact.

Basically about all I remember about that day is the u-boat and the NASA exhibit, because I'm a hopeless geek. I did not know that story about one of her captains shooting himself though. Yikes.

CaptainNemo12 · 12-30-09, 11:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by frau kaleun

The thing that struck me the hardest when going through the boat was how unbelievably small the interior was. I remember getting to the end of the tour and thinking, "okay, so where's the rest of the boat?" and then looking around and realizing - there IS no "rest of the boat." And then wondering how anybody withstood living like that, with a full crew, for weeks on end - not even figuring in the potential hazards of enemy contact.

U-505 was a Type IX... now imagine living through a patrol in a Type VII...

Sgtmonkeynads · 12-31-09, 05:51 AM

" They are small inside"
That's what i thought about the B-24 and B-17 I got to crawl around in a few years ago. They always looked so massive from the outside,
and definitely look bigger in the movies. Being 6', there was no way for me to fit in the ball turrets.

I was in the sub near the Baltimore aquarium once, same story, small. I lost way to many brain cells from all the hits I took that day,
from low pipes. Unfortunatly none of the pics turned out.

frau kaleun · 12-31-09, 08:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CaptainNemo12

U-505 was a Type IX... now imagine living through a patrol in a Type VII...

Lol, I know, that was one of the first things I looked up after I saw "Das Boot" - kind of like, hey, was that boat just like the one I saw in Chicago?

Realizing the one I went through in Chicago was BIGGER - wow.

I think I would go crazy in a situation like that. I need too much "time off" from constant "in your face" contact with other people, otherwise I get a bad case of social burnout... and that kind of down time must've been nonexistent for those guys.

tonschk · 12-30-09, 10:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Wolfgang42

And then there is the one in Britain that some idiots decided to cut up into sections. U-534 I think

Really sad ,

cutted into four or five sections

gimpy117 · 12-30-09, 11:38 PM

yea but it was either scrap u534 or cut it up for display. lesser of two evils i suppose

snakeyez · 12-30-09, 11:46 PM

I think there are only 5 WWII era German U-boats remaining in the world (on display for the public). One of those 5 is the U-505 in Chicago. That's the only one I know of in the US.

Schroeder · 12-31-09, 06:16 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by snakeyez

I think there are only 5 WWII era German U-boats remaining in the world

There are a few more if you count the midget subs as well. But I believe there are only four Atlantic subs left.
Two Type IX: U 505 and the one in the UK (though I believe that one is still in the condition it was when they raised it from the bottom of the sea.)

One Type VII: U 995 in Laboe

and one Type XXI: U 2540 in Bremerhaven

There is also a Type II somewhere in Finland.

12-30-09, 08:11 PM	#1
kanolsen A-ganger Join Date: Oct 2006 Posts: 71 Downloads: 5 Uploads: 0	Where can one see restored WWII uboats? Sorry for posting here, but couldn't find a suitable forum. I wonder where I can see real uboats (both German and American or others) from WWII and newer? I would hate to know after I come home from a holiday just to find out there was a submarine museum or something nearby. Kanolsen

12-31-09, 05:51 AM	#7
Sgtmonkeynads Ships Secretary Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: MilesCity Montana Posts: 583 Downloads: 614 Uploads: 0	" They are small inside" That's what i thought about the B-24 and B-17 I got to crawl around in a few years ago. They always looked so massive from the outside, and definitely look bigger in the movies. Being 6', there was no way for me to fit in the ball turrets. I was in the sub near the Baltimore aquarium once, same story, small. I lost way to many brain cells from all the hits I took that day, from low pipes. Unfortunatly none of the pics turned out. __________________ Just help someone.....it makes a difference

12-30-09, 11:38 PM	#10
gimpy117 Ocean Warrior Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Kalamazoo, MI Posts: 3,243 Downloads: 108 Uploads: 0	yea but it was either scrap u534 or cut it up for display. lesser of two evils i suppose __________________ Member of the Subsim Zombie Army

12-30-09, 11:46 PM	#11
snakeyez Last Man Down Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Mississippi, USA Posts: 242 Downloads: 6 Uploads: 0	I think there are only 5 WWII era German U-boats remaining in the world (on display for the public). One of those 5 is the U-505 in Chicago. That's the only one I know of in the US. __________________ SUBMARINEMUSEUMS.ORG - These are the submarines in your neighborhood! Get involved, they need you. Doyle Blalock - the life of my WWII submarine veteran grandfather. Drum228.org - devoted to the Gato-class museum sub USS Drum (SS-228) complete with war patrol reports, historical info, and restoration progress.

12-30-09, 08:36 PM	#2
D.E Nub Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Sweden Posts: 4 Downloads: 13 Uploads: 0	No clue on how accurate this list is as of today but here you go; http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_submarine_museums I've only paid visit to U-995 in Laboe and it was a nice tour. There's also a Marine Memorial in Laboe well worth a visit. Unfortunately I had no time for U-2540 in Bremerhaven but I'll be sure not to miss it next time. And if i ever visit the U.S I sure won't miss a tour on a Gato or Balao.

12-30-09, 08:38 PM	#3
Torplexed Let's Sink Sumptin' ! Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Seattle, WA Posts: 5,823 Downloads: 43 Uploads: 0	Are you anywhere near Chicago? There's the U-505. http://www.msichicago.org/whats-here/exhibits/u-505/

12-30-09, 08:48 PM	#4
Wolfgang42 Swabbie Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Grid AN16 Posts: 13 Downloads: 46 Uploads: 0	The U-505 Exhibit in Chicago is amazing! Fully restored and sitting in a bunker along with all kinds of displays. It's awesome. You have to go on a guided tour to see the interior. You can't roam around at will, and like many subs the conning tower is off limits. The guides are fairly knowledgeable, but I was surprised that ours did not know about one of the earlier commanders of U-505 who shot himself during a depth charge attack and then was smothered with pillows by crew members to shut him up...and died in his captain's cabin. I guess they leave out those little morbid details for the tour... U-995 is a Type VII in Germany near Laboe And then there is the one in Britain that some idiots decided to cut up into sections. U-534 I think

12-30-09, 09:00 PM	#5
frau kaleun Rear Admiral Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Skyri--oh who are we kidding, I'm probably at Lowe's. Again. Posts: 12,706 Downloads: 168 Uploads: 0	Ya, the U-505 is way cool. I was there a few years back, before I even got interested in cough obsessed with cough that aspect of WWII warfare, but it still was the first "must see" exhibit on my list once I knew it was there. And I was utterly fascinated by it. The thing that struck me the hardest when going through the boat was how unbelievably small the interior was. I remember getting to the end of the tour and thinking, "okay, so where's the rest of the boat?" and then looking around and realizing - there IS no "rest of the boat." And then wondering how anybody withstood living like that, with a full crew, for weeks on end - not even figuring in the potential hazards of enemy contact. Basically about all I remember about that day is the u-boat and the NASA exhibit, because I'm a hopeless geek. I did not know that story about one of her captains shooting himself though. Yikes.