Why did the British scuttle all the captured U-boats?

[Ronguil]

I think I remember only a couple of years ago they found a Type VIIC/41 in a U-boat sub pen in France. I think a Type VIIC was laying on top of it. Can anyone remember this?

Not in France all the U-bunkers (Bordeaux, Brest, la Pallice, Keroman, Saint-Nazaire) have been explorated for long.
But in Hamburg, yes, the collapsed U-bunker ELBE-II has been searched in 1985 and the exploration team has found ... Four typ XXI !

[NZSnowman]

Hi Ronguil

Thanks for the update It nice to get the correct information.

Also welcome aboard!

Simon

[FoxbaT]

I think I remember only a couple of years ago they found a Type VIIC/41 in a U-boat sub pen in France. I think a Type VIIC was laying on top of it. Can anyone remember this?

Not in France all the U-bunkers (Bordeaux, Brest, la Pallice, Keroman, Saint-Nazaire) have been explorated for long.
But in Hamburg, yes, the collapsed U-bunker ELBE-II has been searched in 1985 and the exploration team has found ... Four typ XXI !

Incredible! and what have they done with them?





Karel

[Ronguil]

Incredible! and what have they done with them?





Karel

The four U-booten had been looted during years, huge parts were missing. Finaly a car park has been constructed over the wrecked base, but three XXI are still under.
Follow these links, gents :
http://www.geschichtsspuren.de/artikel/42/168-u-boot-bunker-hamburg.html
http://uboat.net/history/hamburg_elbe2.htm
http://uboat.net/flotillas/bases/hamburg_bunkers.htm

Regards

[FoxbaT]

Thank you very much, this is so interesting 




Karel

[Ronguil]

Hi Ronguil

Thanks for the update It nice to get the correct information.

Also welcome aboard!

Simon

Thanks a lot.

Thank you very much, this is so interesting 




Karel

You are welcome.

[NZSnowman]

Hi All

There a picture of a Type VIIC laying on it side in this article (below). Does anyone know the date and/or the U-boat number? As she looks like that she have a early style balcongerat



http://www.geschichtsspuren.de/artikel/42/168-u-boot-bunker-hamburg.html

[Ronguil]

Hi All

There a picture of a Type VIIC laying on it side in this article (below). Does anyone know the date and/or the U-boat number? As she looks like that she have a early style balcongerat



http://www.geschichtsspuren.de/artikel/42/168-u-boot-bunker-hamburg.html

Picture taken right after the 9th april 1945 RAF bombing. Two VIIC were piered in one of the pen : U-667 and U-982.

[NZSnowman]

Hi Ronguil

I check U-982 and yes it was a training boat, so this fix the picture (the strip around the CT) and this is very likely why she could have what I believe is a first version of balcongerat for the Type VII.

I just had another look at this picture and it not at balcongerat but just the hydrophone


However, several web sites list U-667 as lost on 25 Aug 1944 So if this is correct, the other boat can not be U-667.

http://www.uboat.net/boats/u667.htm
http://www.ubootwaffe.net/ops/boat.cgi?boat=667
http://www.number59.com/new_59/uboats/u667.html
http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/U_667

Dougie, do you know which information is correct? Also it is a good example of the Atlantic bow. You can really see the change of angle in the bow section.

[dougie47]

Hi Simon,

Yes, I agree. Unlikely to be U 667 if the photo was taken in April 1945. And yeah, you really can see the profile of the Atlantic bow in that photo.

Cheers,

Dougie

[Ronguil]

However, several web sites list U-667 as lost on 25 Aug 1944 So if this is correct, the other boat can not be U-667.

My bad. 
The U-667 has been lost in a Lorient approach minefield, you're right.

[NZSnowman]

No worry Several other web sites, also listed it as U-667.

[VonStigler]

Hello,
The Elbe II bunker in Hamburg housed 3 type XXI boats (U-2505, U-3004, U-3506) at the end of hostilities. U2501 (Type XXI) is recorded as scuttled outside the bunker in 1945, as well as the U-684 and U-685 (Type VII's). The bunker was partially destroyed in 1945.  During the 1950's, U-2501 was removed for scrap, and the sterns were blown off the others.  In 1995 the boxes were filled with gravel and today the whole area is paved over.  (modified due to misinformation)
Some good pictures of the bunker immediately after the war: http://uboat.net/gallery/Elbe-1945/
Regards,
Brian

[Enigma]

Now the question I want to know is... if there are still some u-boats hidden away in time capsules out there, anyone else want to exercise the great maritime art of salvage and commandeer a sample? We seem to have enough people here to do it!

I have no hard evidence to back this up, but I have heard that during WWII the Italians developed a part or method to keep the spent casings. It'd make for a cleaner battlefield and they could then have been recycled! Much easier than devising a tool to automatically collect spent tanks, ships and subs though...

[Rokket]

VonStigler: thanks for the link, interesting pix. Love the XXIs, so funky and modern!

Engima: didn't you ever see the Frank Sinatra movie "Assault on a Queen?" They raised her with one man (Frank) and used car batteries...totally believable