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

[Story]

For those traveling on I-95

The USS BECUNA (SS-319) is berthed at Penn's Landing, Philadelphia
http://www.ushistory.org/tour/tour_landing.htm

See also
www.becuna.com
or
http://www.hnsa.org/ships/becuna.htm

 

[Hawk_Eye]

Yes, its a shame a way couldnt be found to display her intact, but if you read up on her recent history this is probobly the best outcome that was possible. The owner was just about to scrap her entirely before this new idea was proposed. The U-Boat is now in its new home, has been weather treated, painted, partially restored, and is getting better treatment now than its ever gotten since she was raised. And while she has been cut into sections, lets not forget that there is absolutely nothing to stop them from welding her back together again at a later date. In fact, they have already demonstrated it. She was cut into five pieces for transport, and at least 2 sections have already been welded back together for display. With the new paint, the seam is almost invisable. So lets not weep for U-534, let us rejoice that she has been saved from the scrapman and permanent oblivion, and in a place where she will be cared for and appreciated. And who knows, in 20 or 30 years she may be re-assmembled again and displayed in a manner similar to U-505 in Chicago.

 

[byronic]

i have visited this sub a few years ago, and it did indeed look as if it was'nt going to last much longer without some help. but what an impressive and spooky sight it was! i was visiting my great uncle who lived but a mile from it, and as a matter of interest he had worked at cammell lairds shipyard, which had been close to where the sub was on display. he had even helped to build subs- but on our side of course!

 

[RudyN]

Close to me in San Francisco is the USS Pampanito. It is a WWII Balao class Fleet Submarine. I went through it once (will have to go again). It is great and boy are they small! Gives you an idea of what the crew had to go through.

 

[Mr. K.L.Bowers]

USS Torsk

The USS Torsk, a Tench Class Submarine, is located in the Inner Harbor at Baltimore. It was launched in 1944.

http://www.usstorsk.org/history/423hist.htm

It is very humbling to imagine living in such close quarters for months at a time.

 

[Diamondback]

And you can find many more listed at http://www.hnsa.org/index.htm , for those so oriented. I'd suspect that the Gato/Balao/Tench family are one of the best-preserved large-population classes of warship in history...

 

[Warden]

For those of us in the sunny England, as well as the U boat in Liverpool, at the other end of the country at the Chatham Dockyard is HM Submarine Ocelot.

For link click here

HM Submarine Ocelot was the last warship built for the Royal Navy at Chatham Dockyard. An 'O' Class diesel electric submarine, she was launched in 1962 and saw service with Royal Navy throughout the height of the Cold War until she paid off in 1991.

Harry

 

[benstephens]

Bring back diesel electrics I say! (From a UK point of view!)

So, do people actually pay to spend a night on a Submarine?

Kindest Regards

Ben

 

[Warden]

Well there are a lot of funny people about

Harry

 

[Unlucky Berman]

For the ones with claustrophobia could be this one the real nightmare.
http://www.deutsches-museum.de/ausstellungen/verkehr/schifffahrt/panoramabilder/u-boot/
It's part of the museum in Munich and was one of the smallest submarines in german marine.

 

[skbellis]

USS Cobia

There is also the USS COBIA (SS-245) [ GATO-class in Manitowoc, Wisconsin.

http://www.wisconsinmaritime.org/sub.htm

Cheers,

---Scott

 

[Dudleydoright]

Jeesh

You'd have though that Duxford would have had enough room to store this beauty.

A great shame indeed.

DDR

 

[Dragon Soldier]

I was fortunate enough to get a look at the Jerry boat a couple of years ago while waiting for the boat back to NI. The museum had closed, but a caretaker saw me trying to get photos from the road and let me in for a quick personal tour round her an the other vessels in the collection.

There are plans locally to raise the U778 from where she lies off the coast of Donegal.

 

[Warden]

Wow, not the sort of thing I find in my bath

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/7972476.stm

Harry

 

[DustMite]

One Piece

Had the great fortune to have a guided tour round this u-boat a few years ago at Berkenhead, when it was in one piece, it was fantastic to walk, hunched up with 10 other people, from end to end , in a 1 1/2 hour talk/walk through. It is a great shame that the public will never know the crampt conditions these men worked, fought, and died in.

 

[MPicciotto]

I've heard that their are reenactors who do spend the night aboard the Cod. Has anybody here done that?

Matt

 

[MPicciotto]

Also in Providence RI is the Diesel-electric Soviet Sub that was used in the making of the K19 movie. Very neat. Unfortunately it sank at the dock, but has since been raised and is not open to the public at this time. I did get to take a tour of her, the ship's name/number escapes me at the moment.

Matt

 

[irb]

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

Erm, Chicago's Museum of Science and Industry tried this with the aforementioned U-505, and it very nearly destroyed the boat. I would love to see it preserved, but if cutting it up is the only way to preserve it, I'd say it has my support.

Unless some fantastically wealthy FedLounger would care to cover the costs of my moving it to Arizona and building an underground museum beneath my house...? Hmm? Any takers? I'll throw in a strand of the highest quality Chinese Faux Pearls free of charge....

 

[benstephens]

There are still a number of O boats at Rosyth I think, waiting to be scrapped. Devonport naval base have a lot of old subs as well, mainly old nuclear boats, again, all awaiting to be cut.

Kindest Regards

Ben

 

[Young fogey]

WWII subs

Ever since there was briefly a TV series based on the movie Operation Petticoat I've been interested in these boats. Of course I've seen The Enemy Below and Das Boot (read the book as I did Run Silent, Run Deep and several others).

(A pulp novel from a few years back, Ghost Boat, might be of interest here, about a haunted US WWII fleet boat that reappears after decades.)

Been aboard several, most recently the U-505 four years ago after its overhaul.

Others:

The Ling in Hackensack, NJ, an intact WWII fleet boat complete with its deck guns. (Boats used only for Naval Reserve training sometimes were never Guppied.)

The Becuna and the Torsk, very similar early to mid-period Guppy refits.

The Lionfish in Fall River, Mass., another intact WWII boat. Wish I'd had more time to see the battleship Massachusetts, the main attraction there.

Saw the Croaker, another Guppy boat, from a distance in New London, Conn.

And...

The original WWII conning tower of the Balao at the Navy Yard in DC (the actual boat they briefly painted pink in 1959 for Petticoat).

I'm with the purists who'd rather see the U-534 intact but agree this is better than scrapping it.