Kriegsmarine U-534, Birkenhead

[snappel]

The British never systematically went through villages killing the inhabitants as the Germans did. We never had death camps and made death a production line. We never never said we were the master race and attempted to make all other subservient to us. We never attempted genocide.

I hear you on that, but your average German submariner wasn't running the death camps. You're probably getting confused between the Kriegsmarine and the Nazi dictatorship. There were some interesting stories of insides of U-boats being tantamount to treason once they were at sea, as lots of the crews detested the Nazi movement.

[Waterways]

I hear you on that, but your average German submariner wasn't running the death camps.

They all had the same mentality. Few never.

You're probably getting confused between the Kriegsmarine and the Nazi dictatorship.

The Kriegsmarine was a tool of the Nazi regime.

There were some interesting stories of insides of U-boats being tantamount to treason once they were at sea, as lots of the crews detested the Nazi movement.

Then why were they sinking Allied ships? If I hated a regime and was enlisted I would go to the most inert part of the military I could. U-Boat crews "volunteered". Many German sailors did not do too much during WW2, as their navy couldn't do that much at all. I would have wanted to be one of those men.

[snappel]

For someone who claims to be an amateur WW2 historian, you don't know much do you?

[Waterways]

For someone who claims to be an amateur WW2 historian, you don't know much do you?

Keep going and I'll educate you.

[snappel]

Ah, this was what I read...

WATERLOO, Aug 26, 1993 - A former German officer of a sunken World War II U-Boat rumored to be loaded with gold, art treasures or even escaping Nazi officials says that his boat was on no other mission than to surrender when it was sunk in the last days of the war.

"I don't think any U-boat would have taken a Nazi aboard at that time," says William Brinkmann, 82, who was first officer on board the U-534, which was raised from the bottom of the sea near Sweden by a Dutch salvage company this week. "The Nazis were never that popular among people in the navy."

Brinkmann was born in Hesse, Germany but lived in Danzig Free State before the war, now the cityof Gdansk in Poland. "We were a free city for 200 years - we only became part of Germany in 1939 after Hitler had invaded us. We knew what was going on in Germany before the war because we got the papers from Berlin and Sweden." Speaking of life under the Nazis he said "We knew that there was something wrong, but it was a total dictatorship. You were a dead man if you said anything against them."

http://www.geocities.com/lostnprofound/u534.htm

[Kev]

THE future of one of the last remaining German U-boats has been safeguarded on Merseyside after a new visitor attraction to house it was given the go-ahead. Read

[snappel]

Thanks Kev.

Well, it's interesting to see that they've given a clear explanation for cutting it up. As I thought, moving it in one piece would cost an astronomical amount. Much as I'm going to hate to see it cut up, it's better than it being left to rot further, or worse, be scrapped. If there's a proper visitor centre, and it's looked after and marketed properly, then I think it'll be a worthwhile attraction.

[ChrisGeorge]

THE future of one of the last remaining German U-boats has been safeguarded on Merseyside after a new visitor attraction to house it was given the go-ahead. Read

Nice to know. Thanks, Kev!

Chris

[lindylou]

that's a bit of good news.

[HollyBlack]

that's a bit of good news.

Yes, I was interested to see in the same article that the new Pier Head building will be used partly for historic exhibits related to the ferries. Hopefully the builder's models that used to be in glass cases at Seacombe will be shown at Pier Head.

I wonder how many builder's models of Cammell-Laird ships are collecting dust somewhere and need a decent home. Of course they went to the ship owners, so they were dispersed (which is probably a good thing).

I don't suppose there was ever a model of the Wallasey Belle as it was not bought new.

[Waterways]

Yes, I was interested to see in the same article that the new Pier Head building will be used partly for historic exhibits related to the ferries. Hopefully the builder's models that used to be in glass cases at Seacombe will be shown at Pier Head.

I wonder how many builder's models of Cammell-Laird ships are collecting dust somewhere and need a decent home. Of course they went to the ship owners, so they were dispersed (which is probably a good thing).

I don't suppose there was ever a model of the Wallasey Belle as it was not bought new.

A model of the CSS Alabama and her plans would be nice, although I think Lairds have a recent one somewhere. CSS Alabama was build at Lairds and is the most successful ship in world naval history in ships sunk - about 60 of them. It had a Liverpool crew with mainly Southern American Confederate officers, although some English, fought for America and not once dropped anchor in an American port. I believe Lairds archive is with Wirral Council now.

[scouse smurf]

I work right by the u-boat. I kept thinking, I should take a photo while it's still there, but left it too late and now they're working on it.

Am gonna miss walking past it every day once it's been moved. I noticed they've taken the guns off it. I wonder if there'll be much left there when I go back to work after xmas

[chippie]

Hope they do a good job on her, I,m in favour of keeping her but the plans could have been a bit more effective in keeping her a submarine instead of a cut up fish on a slab.

[chippie]

Does any old timers remember this little piece of Heyworth Street? On the left was the entrance of St Benedicts Church in Kepler Street. My gramps got married in there in 1924 I think it was.

Photo curtesy of records office.

[Kev]

Submarine’s new lease of life

Feb 5 2008 by Kevin Core, Liverpool Echo

A “GIANT wire cheese cutter” sliced into a piece of Merseyside’s naval history today.

Work began this morning dividing the German submarine U-534 into four sections.

Tourist officials hope it will become a major attraction at Mersey Ferries’ Woodside terminal.

Engineers were using a state-of-the-art diamond wire cutter to cut up the 240 ton U-boat.

It was sunk en-route to Norway by depth charges dropped by a Liberator aircraft from RAF 547 Squadron.

The operation is expected to take up to one month.

Each section will make a day-long journey by floating crane from Mortar Mill Quay to Woodside.

Cuttings were designed with such precision the sub could be reassembled in one piece.

But visitors at the new attraction will be able to walk around the hull parts on raised platforms.

The first section to be removed will be a 23-metre length of the bow.

Work so far has concentrated on painting the exterior and removing rotten timbers and steelwork from the top deck.

Due to open in summer, the exhibition area will include artefacts such as tools found on the sub and memorabilia portraying the history of undersea warfare.

Fifteen thousand litres of diesel remained in the U-534’s storage tanks which had to be pumped out.

Neil Scales, chief executive and director general of Merseytravel which owns and operates Mersey Ferries, said: “We’re now moving on to the next stage in what is an exciting project to boost tourism on Merseyside.

“More people than ever will be able to view the sub in its new location with superb viewing areas so that everyone will be able to see what it is like inside.”

Saved from the breaker

A PROJECT to restore a 105-year-old coal-powered Merseyside tugboat which was saved from the scrapyard has been given a funding boost.

The Daniel Adamson is being brought back to its former glory by a team of volunteers.

Now the project has landed a £10,000 donation from the Merseyside Lightship Preservation Society (MLPS).

The charity, originally formed to save the historic Mersey Bar lightship Planet, decided that their remaining funds should be spent on the tug after Planet was purchased privately.

MLPS chairman Stan McNally said: “It was the natural choice, based on Merseyside with the best prospect of success.”

Built in Birkenhead, the Daniel Adamson is the only surviving steam powered tug tender in the UK.

History of a relic

Launched in February 1942 U-534 was most probably a training boat in the Baltic

She never saw active combat and was used for meteorological purposes

In May 1944, U-534 was released for operational duty avoiding contact with the enemy to ensure regular weather reports

On May 5, 1945 while in the Kattegat, north-west of Helsingor, it refused Admiral Dönitz’s order for all U-boats to surrender.

Heading north towards Norway, with no flag of surrender, she was attacked by a Liberator aircraft from RAF 547 Squadron which dropped depth charges.

U-534 took heavy damage and began to sink, 49 of 52 crew members survived.

It was discovered in 1986 and was thought to be carrying Nazi gold. It was given to Merseyside by Karsten Rae.