German National Maritime Museum Bremerhaven 7 Sep 13

[Wreford-Brown]

After three weeks away from home running a training course in the UK I was hoping for a quiet weekend, but Mrs WB thought it would be a good idea to take the little WBs away for a day trip. She suggested Bremerhaven (a little over 90 mins away) but I had little idea that she was taking me to see the German National Maritime Museum and this:

[Schroeder]

The museum is pretty sweet and the Wilhelm Bauer is definitely worth a visit.

[Wreford-Brown]

Wilhelm Bauer first

She was built during WW2 and commissioned as U-2540 but scuttled near the Flensburg lightship as Allied forces approached.

After 12 years on the bottom it was realised that salvaging the boat (along with two type XXIII) was cheaper than building boats from scratch so she was raised and commissioned as a research boat, initially in the Bundesmarine then as a civilian vessel. After being released from service in 1982 she was bought by the museum and restored to WW2 condition.

As you approach the boat you can see how streamlining would have increased her underwater performance:



You enter through the forward torpedo room which has four of the original torpedo tubes left (the other two were removed during Bundesmarine service).



You then walk through a series of crew accommodation areas and wardrooms:

[Wreford-Brown]

Next is a section where they have cut through the decks so you can see into the battery compartment.

[Jimbuna]

That's a great start D but we need much more fuel/pictures

[Wreford-Brown]

Into the control room:





The conning tower is closed to the public so there's a model to show what it should look like.



The galley was inside the control room which surprised me: