UK's only full-size World War II German U-boat

[cloudspotter]

german sub

maybe a good idea to check out this one:

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

it was made in january 45, sunken, brought back for overhauling and re-commissioning as testing-platform. now it's a museum - i've been in it several times and it's really impressive!

 

[cookie]

Thanks ..fabulous!

 

[Young fogey]

Type XXI

Yes, the Type XXI was the most advanced sub of its day and an apotheosis of the design style of this board. The Americans copied much of it when modernising their WWII boats shortly after the war (the Guppy programmes), most notably, besides streamlining, adopting the Schnorkel so the diesels could breathe underwater, and when building its first atomic subs, before switching around 1958 to the more blimp-like streamlined look today.

The US had a few XXIs manned by Navy crews to operate and thus study them but regrettably didn't save any.

More good sub movies:

Gray Lady Down about an American nuclear boat sunk in a collision with a Russian freighter with the crew alive and the attempts to rescue them.

And of course The Hunt for Red October (entertaining book too) if you can get your head round hearing a Russian sub captain with a Scottish accent.

 

[Diamondback]

Quite... my understanding is the XXI's bigger sibling the Type XXIII was advanced enough to still be dangerous even today, over sixty years later.

 

[Young fogey]

Type XXIII

The Type XXIII Elektro boats were smaller.

 

[Diamondback]

Thanks--I knew the Elektroboot family had a large and a small version, but have trouble keeping 'em straight sometimes. So, scratch the XXIII and my comments were meant to describe the XXI.

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Now playing: George Martin - Gunbarrel / Snakebit
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[Young fogey]

Understood

I can imagine a Third World navy, the kind that had one or two Guppies until relatively recently, would love to have a Type XXI, so advanced it's still a threat as you say.

 

[Diamondback]

Let's put it this way, I wouldn't want to take one on without at least a late Permit-class minimum... and I'd feel a lot better about it with an early Los Angeles, particularly USS Dallas if I can get Jonesy on the sonar.lol
"A whale, Beaumont, a whale. A marine mammal that knows a Hell of a lot more about Sonar than you do..."--I love that line... lol

Trust me, an experience to have is touring an Ohio-class boomer in drydock, especially if you can sit in on a missile-drill in the launch control center. (Mom's boss was a former boomer-driver, so back in pre-9/11 days he got some of us a tour of Alaska. Should probably look her up sometime and see what's happening with "my boat", even though I know her days are numbered...)

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Now playing: John Williams - Duel Of The Fates
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[Young fogey]

Boomers

Can't say I've been aboard a boomer (doomsday weapon... I should think you'd need security clearance to be allowed to visit) or even a nuclear attack boat - just cool German and American WWII boats - but have met a retired boomer-driver.

 

[Diamondback]

Different world back then, though. We did have to fill out a buttload of paperwork and have background checks before we were allowed to do it, but the boat was in drydock, not going anywhere under heavy maintenance and it sounded like the missiles were pulled for the duration of the overhaul IIRC. Sitting through the drill was a weird blend of both creepout seeing how the unthinkable would happen plus reassurance that it wouldn't "just happen", it takes a lot of deliberate actions to set the wheels in motion and all it takes is one officer to stop it.
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Now playing: Larry Greene - Through The Fire
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[Young fogey]

Reminds me of another great sub movie

Reminds me of another great sub movie, Crimson Tide, sort of The Caine Mutiny meets Fail-Safe underwater: captain Gene Hackman vs XO Denzel Washington. The launch order is interrupted mid-transmission: to nuke or not? BTW I just looked it up: in Navy regs the XO is the only man on board who can arrest the captain.

 

[Diamondback]

Yeah, saw that a while after my tour--and immediately proceeded to annoy everyone in my crew with a detailed analysis of all the factual errors. Very realistic sets, though...

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Now playing: John Williams - The Imperial Probe - Aboard the Executor
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[Danleon]

Further to Dave's recommendation / comment, visiting both the U-505 in Chicago’s science and Industry museum and the USS Silversides in Muskegon Michigan - I did just that and it was fantastic! Located less than 3 hrs apart from each other.

Ironically family was in visiting from Germany and we toured both cities, Chicago is truly an amazing city, I'd suggest taxing the water taxi to tour the downtown proper, there's no fighting with traffic and a spectacular tour view.

Now back to the subs - the Silversides exhibit is a hidden gem, it's a self guided tour which allows you to spend as much time as you please. You really get a true sense of what life would have been like onboard. Almost nothing has been modified, bolted / welded shut as you'd expect for an exhibit. Light switches still work, pantry doors open and close, sirens in the control room still ring the different tones depending on the situation (under attack, submerging, etc).

Both a must see...

 

[BellyTank]

Russian submarien.

There's a complete, 1960s Russian sub. at the Thames barrier, London.
I haven't been on it, but it's open for inspection. It's so long! must be almost 100m long! I don't live in South London anymore and not seeing it is something I truly regret.

Edit: OK. it's at Folkestone now, not in London. Moved while I still lived there!

Here it is:

http://www.sovietsub.co.uk/about.html


B
T

 

[Aristaeus]

In Mobile AL you have the U.S.S. Drum SS-228 which was the first of the Gato class and the only one in service at the outbreak of WWII.
In Muskogee OK you have the U.S.S. Batfish SS-310 Balao class which is credited with six kills three of which were submarines.

 

[stevyn]

Well, theres always EBay. Althought the shipping might be a bit er, large?

 

[filfoster]

Das Boot

What Chicago did with U-505 must be the best treatment I have ever seen! I have to get up there to see it.

Agreed. The Chicago sub is easy to access and allows a very comprehensive tour and still conveys the 'claustrophobia' feeling. One nice display.

 

[The Lonely Navigator]

From what I've heard of the U-Boat Society's visits to Germany to see the U-Boat Memorial and the U 995 ...it's all worth the visit.

 

[Phantomfixer]

Boats can be displayed OUTSIDE! There are many old US fleet boats on display outside in the USA!

In Philadelphia and Baltimore they are still in the water. great tours

 

[ukali1066]

It takes a very brave man to go to war in these things.....heroes whatever side they were on in my book....