i think we took a wrong turn sir (pics)

[Kapitan]

I was on my travels as of late and decided to stop by rochester in kent england, as i went over a bridge to enter the town i noticed a remarkable sight one ive seen a few times before but never here.

We are not far from the chatham naval base home of HMS Ocelot and HMS Cavalier.

but that is some 5 miles up river this odd sight that stood before me was not no where near a dock just moored up next to a bouy listing slightly to starboard with her only crew pigeons.

Dead in the water and looking worse for wear, on the verge of sinking but making for a striking resemblace of what she once was, she was the most notorius group of vessels ever build by any nation built in a large number only to be later matched by the 688's with very few copies left in the world in any shape she stood a sorry sight in the water.

Beeched possibly dead almost rusted to the bone deteriorating and unable to look presentable, in her hayday she may have been pride of her fleet but today she sits rusting on the river medway a sorry sight but the sorry sight that she is she can now only offer her last grant her metal.
Worth thousands in scrap i believe this is going to be her fate in the near future a vessel that has traveled the globe and has been around since the 1960's is to be no more.

she lays on the strood side of the river medway just on the left hand side of the bridge stood poised ready for her fate.

The vessel is none other than the 475 foxtrot class submarine

[Takeda Shingen]

Long time no see, Kapitan. Nice pics. Hope things are well for you.

[jumpy]

ooh..

51.395487,0.503657 in google maps (it appears to be a sunny day )

If you place the virtual camera on the nearby canal rd, you can stalk Kapitan from where he took the photos

http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?f=q&so...,121.82,,1,4.6

So, what's in the brown paper bag, eh Kapitan?

Good find though, ta.

[UnderseaLcpl]

Saved to virtual museum. Thanks, Kap

[Oberon]

Aye she is in a sorry state. There's quite a few uboat wrecks from both world wars nearby as well Kap which I don't know if you know about.



http://www.kenthistoryforum.co.uk/in...p?topic=2336.0

Bit hard to get to if you don't have a boat though.

Google Earthians should look at the follow co-ords:

51o25'49.65"N 0o37'55.50"E

51o25'25.48"N 0o37'37.00"E

Best dates are the pictures taken on March 5th 2003 or 21st April 2007 as they show the Medway at low tide.

Oh...and if you spot a wooden chair floating past anytime you're near the Medway, let me know...I chucked it in there in '88-'89

[Oberon]

Also, according to a site I just read on the 'Black Widow' (as she was dubbed when she was a museum boat) some submarine experts were called over from the States to hopefully try and stop her listing, I don't think it's flooded the internal structure because I've seen photos from the inside taken not so long ago, so if they manage to fix the hole and get her trimmed again they might be able to move her somewhere a bit better and perhaps get her a new home...but in the current economic climate I must admit I wouldn't put too great a hope on that sadly.

[bookworm_020]

I saw her sister when she was part of the Australian Maritime Museum. An interesting experience as she was tied up next to a destroyer that had chased her when both had been on active service!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soviet_submarine_B-427

[TarJak]

I wondered what happened to it when the museum let her go. The Oberon class that is there now is far less interesting IMHO.

[Oberon]

Originally Posted by TarJak

The Oberon class that is there now is far less interesting IMHO.

[papa_smurf]

Shame to see vessels in such a deteriorating state. Nice pics btw.

[Kapitan]

I want to get on board her i wont say how but im having a talk with someone and to see if it can be done then maybe get some pics of the inside.

Sorry about the quality but they were taken on my phone i was a bit shocked to see her acctually, but i have seen others in far worse condition a couple in a worse state than the pics you posted oberon.
I think it would be fitting to put her up river in chatham just so people could make a comparison and to see what the british obie hunted occasionally.

All is well new job means im away alot so hence why i havnt been on here.

[momo55]

If you cross the channel to Zeebrugge (Belgium) Kapitan you'll find another Foxtrot from 1960 .
I still have to visit her myself one day .
http://www.seafront.be/foxtrot.asp?taal=UK&

[Kapitan]

Originally Posted by momo55

If you cross the channel to Zeebrugge (Belgium) Kapitan you'll find another Foxtrot from 1960 .
I still have to visit her myself one day .
http://www.seafront.be/foxtrot.asp?taal=UK&

Yes quite right i have been in and out of zeebrugge alot over the years and did notice her never went on her but i shall someday soon.

[jumpy]

linked from another forum:
http://www.28dayslater.co.uk/forums/...ad.php?t=45398

and later on in the thread:

http://www.noeljenkins.co.uk/subpano/subPanorama.html go to full-screen and use the zoom buttons

Thread is a good read. From some of the contributors to the thread it seems like the visit was official, unofficially.

Somewhere for the forum to go visit properly one day perhaps?