raising a U-boat...

[GoneToTheCanner]

Hi all
There's a story in today's Sunday World of a local councillor, in Donegal, proposing that a U-Boat be raised for public display.Allegedly, there is interest from the Irish, German and Royal Navies. Are there any viable wrecks out there and is it feasible?
regards
GttC

[ZULU]

The owner of the Cowloon Bridge is trying to salvage the iron ore and the ship itself for scrap. Looking in the region of 70million euro + for the iron alone. If there is enough money or interest involved it'll happen. A 250ft U-Boat shouldn't be too difficult. The problem is the original damage and the amount of growth on it. This could make it break up on recovery. That and it might be a War Grave

[Slacker]

Where's Dirk Pitt when you need 'im?

[GoneToTheCanner]

hi Zulu
It could be one of the surrendered U-Boats that were scuttled by the RN after WW II.They'd be free of combat damage, if nothing else.
regards
GttC

[ZULU]

The British scuttle techniques were often target parctise by their destroyers and MTBs as well as their Maritime recon/attack planes. If it's just another local council member wishing it could be done I dont think much is going to happen. Even with the respective Navy involved, its going to take investment of cash.

I remember my father help raising two 40ft barges off ballycotton. Must try and dig out photos when I get the chance.

[Muzzle]

The U Boat off Baltamore in West Cork was scuttled by its crew. It was damegd enough that they couldnt make it back to a German Port and they scuttled it to stop it falling in to allied hands. The crew made it safely ashore so its not a grave. Im sure its not the only one like that.

[ZULU]

Have you dived on that? The amount of growth and embedded coral makes part of the sea bed by now. Up north the colder waters will slow down the decay rate to an extent. The Liberty ships sunk in Nova Scotia are testament to this

[Muzzle]

Have you dived on that? The amount of growth and embedded coral makes part of the sea bed by now. Up north the colder waters will slow down the decay rate to an extent. The Liberty ships sunk in Nova Scotia are testament to this

No, bit deep for an amature like me. My brother does fairly regualrly and shot a few vids, its decaying rapidly alright but im sure it could still be rasied im sure. There must be some amazing artifacts inside some of these wrecks. The baltimore one is probably better left as a dive site but like i said im sure there are others.

[ZULU]

Ya and some dodgy WW2 explosive warheads too

[Marius]

Urban Legend time. I heard of a diver on a sub wreck who entered for'd and found the torpedo tubes open. Deciding to use the classic cave diving technique for narrow spaces of removing his gear and pushing it through the gap ahead of him, he entered the tube. He made good progress until he came to the outer hull and pushed the gear out the tube where it fell to the seabed, ripping the regulator from his mouth and leaving him to drown in the tube. What an inglorious way to go!

[Goldie fish]

That was silly of him. Where was his buddy?

[ZULU]

Sounds like a Darwin award to me.

[Test Pilot]

The owner of the Cowloon Bridge is trying to salvage the iron ore and the ship itself for scrap. A 250ft U-Boat shouldn't be too difficult. The problem is the original damage and the amount of growth on it. This could make it break up on recovery. That and it might be a War Grave

Zulu,
I remember the U boats tied up in Derry in the early 1970’s. They were simply towed out to sea and sunk off the Donegal coast.
Regarding the kowloon Bridge, I dived her when she was more or less intact, (when the so called exclusion zone was in place), and I remember that some of the vast holds had split and the iron ore, which looks like gravel from ones drive way, was partially spilt on the sea bed. The remainder of the space in the hold was colonised by huge shoals of fish, which swam around in a giant shoal. A few years ago I had the opportunity to take a ROV down to the site from the ILV Granuaile, and was very surprised to find that the ship had been broken down in to a ‘flat pack’. The iron ore gravel was completely dispersed across the seabed. It would be, in my opinion, not feasible or economically viable to recover. Like wise, any submarine that has been on the sea bed since the war, would be well past its sell by date, in terms of lifting it for display. There is a wonderful exhibit at Laboe, in Kiel, Germany, a submarine called U995. It was hauled up on to the beach to become a permanent exhibit. It was never sunk though! She was simply left over from the war. While in her engine room, I met an Indian man, who was an ex commander of such a vessel, and he explained that some of the U boats were sold on to India after the war!
And I thought that accommodation was tight on a CPV! I do have some wonderful photos of her, both inside and out, which I would happily display if I could figure how to attach such photo’s. Would any one help here!

[Test Pilot]

Found some!

[ZULU]

Excellent photos Test Pilot!

Ya, I've dived the Cowloon a few times, last in 2004. The bow section was pretty intact. Penetrated the wreck a small bit, limited by Torch power and visibility. There is one mother of a Lobster down around the area that we saw every dive. Has to be at least 4ft. Barnacles and every thing on him.

I have some of the Iron ore pellets in my hand. As you said, their pretty unremarkable. I think given the nature of the rising metals cost, she'll still be targete for salvage.