Kriegsmarine U534, Birkenhead
One of the last U-boats to leave Germany after the surrender, U534 was sunk by a Liberator bomber. There were rumours of a high-level German official escaping the crumbled Nazi empire inside the vessel, but no documents or artefacts relating to this rumour were found when the ship was salvaged.
I managed to get these photos during one of the last tours when it was at the Historic Warships museum in Birkenhead.
Kriegsmarine U-534, Birkenhead
Make of this what you will. My attempt to have a last walk through the U-boat before it gets cut up for 'display'. No doubt plenty will disapprove, but if they're going to just let it sit around and rot then they can't expect everyone to live with it. I find it rather shocking that there are so few internal pictures available in the public domain, despite the fact it was open for tours for several years.
Naturally no damage was done to the boat, and if anyone is in any doubt about just how historically important I consider the boat to be, then read my full report. It really was quite an adventure. Those brave men who lived (and died) in the U-boat flotilla have my eternal respect.