possible german 3/4 man sub discovered in river foyle

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berlin1945
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possible german 3/4 man sub discovered in river foyle

Post by berlin1945 »

recently a body recovery unit was sent to scan the foyle for the body of a missing guy and they brought ultra sound equpment to survey the river bed , apparently on doing so they discovered what they thought was a british x1 mini sub but on further analysis it appears it may be a german mini sub from ww2 . however on monday they are going to dive to survey this sub
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Re: possible german 3/4 man sub discovered in river foyle

Post by Jonny »

Is there an article or something in a newspaper I am intrigued..
berlin1945
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Re: possible german 3/4 man sub discovered in river foyle

Post by berlin1945 »

Jonny wrote:Is there an article or something in a newspaper I am intrigued..
radio ulster featured this today at the end of their talk back programme at about 13.25 today you could listen to it , the guy was vague on it but points towards it being a german type mini sub and not the british x1 type , here is an article i just googled however it does say a full sized one, but clearly the guy talks about a large type mini 3 to 4 man sub on the radio programme which is avaiable on i player radio ulster talk back

http://newswireni.com/content/possible-wtom prendevilleorld-war-ii-submarine-found-bottom-river-foyle

thats all i can get for now however i am going up as one of my friends was involved in this initial search, next friday i may well know some more, but the search or a dive is to resume on monday morning if the weather permits so perhaps a greater understanding of what is there will be uncovered, they did say the sonar or whatever was used to detect it indicated a large intact object that may or may not have bodies still in it, and if so could be considered a war grave... i think next week should tell the tale clearly if i get any word from my friend i will post or if any other media reports come out ill update
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berlin1945
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Re: possible german 3/4 man sub discovered in river foyle

Post by berlin1945 »

Possible 'World War II submarine' found at bottom of River Foyle
.Wed, 04/04/2012 - 16:23 -- Editor


A large object, thought to be a World War II submarine, has been found on the bed of the River Foyle.

The discovery was made by a search and rescue team from Cork who had been assisting Foyle Search and Rescue in an operation last week.

The large object, picked up by sonar swipe scanners, has all the appearances of a WWII vessel. The location of the find remains top secret but a spokesperson for Foyle Search and Rescue said the object is within the River Foyle.

"We uncovered it last week when we were doing a massive sweep of the Foyle," he said.

"It appears to us to be a submarine, not a mini one, a full-size submarine. We don't know if it is American, British or German. Nor do we know if there are still bodies on board. If that is the case it would be considered a war grave.

"We can't assertain exactly what it is until expert divers go in. All the proper procedures have to be carried. We are not revealing the location of the vessel as we don't want people venturing down with snorkels and the like. The Foyle is a very dangerous river. I would urge people to leave it to the experts."

A spokesperson for Derry City Council confirmed that the Museum and Heritage Service have been made aware of the discovery and is currently reviewing it. Any further progress on this matter would have to come before Council for discussion.

During WWII, Derry was the most westerly Allied Naval Port.

When Germany surrendered in May 1945 all U-boat captains were ordered to surrender their boats to the nearest Allied warship. Around 60 German U-Boats were brought to Lisahally. Some were taken uprive to the city and tied up near the Guildhall so that the public could view the vessels which had almost won the war for Germany. Then, gradually, the boats were towed out to sea in Operation Deadlight and sunk by gunfire, torpedoing or bombing although some broke their tows, filled with water and sank.
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berlin1945
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Re: possible german 3/4 man sub discovered in river foyle

Post by berlin1945 »

http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/ ... 40918.html

this was discussed yesterday and one of the principle organisers refutes it being a british x type craft
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berlin1945
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Re: possible german 3/4 man sub discovered in river foyle

Post by berlin1945 »

just back from derry and went to place the suispected sub was , very interrestinhg weekend chatting to some of the lads on the dive heres some information about what it may or may not be lol general chat is that three u boats were scuttled in lough foyle itself one being found mid 2000's the other two remain undiscovered as per friends who know the area , it remains to be seen what the craic is .

Mini submarine

However, BBC Northern Ireland Environment Correspondent Mike McKimm said that was unlikely.

"Sources say it is unlikely to be a full-sized submarine.

"A German U-boat, for example, would sit almost 10 metres high and would have been visible, even at high tide in the Foyle, which has an average depth of just over five metres."

He said there was speculation that the vessel could be a mini or midget submarine from the war.

"These would be just a couple of metres high. In 1944 the German navy operated a very successful two-man mini-sub, the Seehund.

"It saw operations in the English Channel and the North Sea.

"Piggy-backing on a large U boat, the Seehund had the capability of reaching the Foyle where there was intense naval and merchant navy activity," he said.

"The river and its estuary also offered the nearby shelter of a neutral country if it all went wrong.

"Another World War II German mini-submarine, the one-man Biber, specialised in river and estuary attacks but had a very limited range."

At the end of the war, German submarines surrendered in the Foyle from where they were taken out to see and destroyed or sunk.

The vessel could also be a British two-man mini submarine - known as an X craft, a small boat or even a private yacht - one is known to have sunk in the area many years ago.

"It's all speculation until divers can reach the wreck," Mike McKimm said.

"Diving is not expected to start for a week or so. Underwater visibility in the Foyle is very poor at the best of times making identification difficult


http://www.u.tv/News/Submerged-vessel-m ... 7accee0de9
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Re: possible german 3/4 man sub discovered in river foyle

Post by Tychsen »

http://www.rte.ie/news/2012/0427/lough- ... arine.html

A false alarm , a bogus sonar return. (So it seems the nearest sub in Derry is the local "Sub-way" outlet.) :)

A lot of speculation in the news when this broke and afterwards, as far as the three U Boats which are in the Foyle goes , it is more than certain that there are none there.

At the end of the war the "Great Powers" had to account to each other for every submarine, they had to be sunk or handed over as agreed to each of the "Powers" , no one was going to be allowed to "keep one" all had to be disposed of as agreed, and within all surrendered boats were so earmarked.
U Boats in the Foyle system , certainly none of the "Deadlight Boats" they were all sunk or foundered en route by the Royal navy or used as target practise by the RAF, none are missing. Stories abound about wrecks and submarines
As far as midget subs in the Foyle goes a high risk adventure which is unlikely (as a wartime operation) and as no such subs came to Lisahally in 1945 itwais unlikely that this was going to be one.
X-Craft again unlikely but in all cases you never know until you actually look.
The smallest craft mustered to Lisahally was the XXIII this "return" was too big even for that small craft.
berlin1945
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Re: possible german 3/4 man sub discovered in river foyle

Post by berlin1945 »

During the week divers went out to explore the so called sonar blip and were recalled back from diving because of health and safety concerns as I listened to the report done by radio Ulster, these divers were and are convinced that it is not a sonar anomoly and the water conditions were good that day, they do intend to dive again and perhaps the truth of what is there and what is not there will be proven or disproved, only time will tell on this one. :D
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Re: possible german 3/4 man sub discovered in river foyle

Post by Tychsen »

The chances of it being a German miniature submarine are more against than for and it is unlikely that it is an X Craft.
I see no reason why it should be an unrecorded Mini sub. taken to Lisahally post war , these craft were not in short supply in post war Europe and the rational in bring one beyond mainland UK ports eg around Scotland does not make much sense.
Having seen an inventory of the boats assembled there nothing smaller than a Type XXIII is mentioned.
I do think a lost 2/3 man boat is more unlikely than likely.
As far as an attack boat lost on a mission goes, I feel this is even more unlikely Lisahally more an operational base than it was a merchant shipping centre Liverpool and other more developed ports offering a much greater potential in terms of target volume.
As far as a small submarine with two torpedoes in the river Foyle goes , it is a long way to come to fire two torpedoes.

An X Craft, why allow one to be lost and not recover it in such shallow waters ?
(If this is an X craft side charges were its main weapon or mines to be placed on shipping by divers, why have an armed craft in your own base ? Again very unlikely)
Not out of the question but again unlikely , why bring one to Lisahally ?

Diving I hope it may be possible , on the other hand remote control options are to hand to provide footage of what may or may not be there.
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Tychsen
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Re: possible german 3/4 man sub discovered in river foyle

Post by Tychsen »

Seems that the question has been answered , a false return , no submarine.
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Re: possible german 3/4 man sub discovered in river foyle

Post by berlin1945 »

Tychsen wrote:Seems that the question has been answered , a false return , no submarine.

oh ok.
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Re: possible german 3/4 man sub discovered in river foyle

Post by Tychsen »

Speculation over and case closed.
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