Guest 643- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
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The wreck of a german u boat is to be moved from its present position 8 miles off the coast of Dover to the south of the Varne sandbank. The U-boat, which has been in the Dover Strait since 1918, is 23.5m (77ft) below the surface, which does not leave enough clearance for modern ships. Lighthouse authority Trinity House requires a minimum clearance depth of 26.5m (87ft). The U-boat, which is a classified as a war grave, is one of dozens of similar vessels sunk off the coast of Britain during the war.
Several options were considered to reduce the danger it posed in one of the busiest shipping lanes in the world, used by hundreds of ships every day.
"The increasing deep draught vessels navigating the straits now means the wreck is restricting the available sea room," said Trinity House.
Work is to be carried out shortly and will be visible from Dover if conditions are clear.
There's always a little truth behind every "Just kidding", a little emotion behind every "I don't care" and a little pain behind every "I'm ok".
Thank you - intriguing!
Guest 649- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
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Yes thank you fo that.
Guest 649- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 14,118
Sorry abut that it should read FOR not fo, I think I need a new key pad.
Vic Matcham
Guest 657- Registered: 13 Mar 2008
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How fascinating that it's classified as a war grave, very interesting.
Guest 643- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
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A bit more information.
A German submarine from World War I is threatening to surface again after it sank 89 years ago. Unterseeboot 33 is lying in shallow waters directly below the world's busiest shipping lane, and it is feared that, unless a salvage operation is launched, passing tankers, cargo and passenger ships could have an unwelcome run-in with the ghostly sub.
The U-Boat is lying in just 77 feet of water on the Varne sandbank, just eight miles from Dover. After hitting a mine on April 11, 1918, she sank with all 28 crew on board. And this is the crux of the problem: U-33 has been designated a war grave, which makes it impossible to just blow the problem out of the water.
The possibility of placing a buoy above the wreck was also mooted, but it was thought to be as useful as "putting a speed hump in the fast lane of a motorway," (the UK equivalent to a freeway, where cars travel upwards of 50 mph) as the Varne Bank area is so congested with shipping.
The current plan is to move the sub gently to deeper waters. A vessel has temporarily been stationed above the U-Boat by Trinity House, the body in charge of British shipping lanes and lighthouses, and divers sent down to recce the wreck. The move is expected to take place in the next few weeks.
There's always a little truth behind every "Just kidding", a little emotion behind every "I don't care" and a little pain behind every "I'm ok".
Guest 643- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
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Just seen that Ed Connell has posted some photos of the crane that will lift the sub which is in the harbour at the moment.
http://shipsintheportofdover.fotopic.net/c1532591.htmlThere's always a little truth behind every "Just kidding", a little emotion behind every "I don't care" and a little pain behind every "I'm ok".
howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
interesting stuff there jacqui.
i would imagine the german authorities would have records of the victims.
the grandchildren or great grand children may have a chance to mark up some kind of memorial.
Guest 649- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
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Again Thank you for that,it all made good reading.
Vic Matcham
Guest 644- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
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Guest 673- Registered: 16 Jun 2008
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It is actually UB38 which they are going to move. UB33 was a similar submarine also sunk by contact with a mine in the same vicinity. UB indicates that it is a small coastal submarine as opposed to the more familiar U prefix denoting an oceangoing submarine.
They both came to grief on the Dover Barrage which was an immense line of nets and mines stretching from Folkestone to Cap Gris Nez, maintained by a huge fleet of drifters from the Dover Patrol. In the early years of the war, this used British mines which were of a most unsatisfactory design. The German mine was much more effective and this was subsequently copied and used in great numbers in the Dover Barrage so it is more than likely that these submarines were sunk by German designed mines.
All British sunken warships are designated as war graves which must not be disturbed and it looks as though they have accorded the same respect to the German wreck. Curiously, merchant ships are not similarly protected although there has been a recent test case which may change that.
The submarines present location potentially presents a problem to deep draught vessels, meaning very large tankers and bulk carriers. Container ships, passenger vessels, ferries, etc, have a much smaller draught.
http://www.trinityhouse.co.uk/media_centre/press_releases/press_release.html?id=88331
http://www.uboat.net/wwi/boats/index.html?boat=UB+38
http://shipsintheportofdover.fotopic.net/c1532591.htmlGuest 657- Registered: 13 Mar 2008
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Thanks for the information Ed.
Guest 640- Registered: 21 Apr 2007
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I second that and a big thanks to Jacqui for getting the excellent story up
Guest 655- Registered: 13 Mar 2008
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fascinating stuff.....
Guest 641- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
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A great read, very interesting and informative
Guest 640- Registered: 21 Apr 2007
- Posts: 7,819
The heavy duty crane returning to the harbour last night after a days submarine lifting.
Guest 651- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
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Not a particularly good images, but not bad considering it is 7 miles out !!
Must be a difficult job to still be out there ??
http://flickr.com/photos/doverpast/2664073959/sizes/o/Been nice knowing you :)
Guest 690- Registered: 10 Oct 2009
- Posts: 4,150
20 January 2010
18:3638376Found this post from the forum archives so very interesting, I thought a little airing would be in order. A great pity these historic vessels whether the enemy or not, are just left to rot away beneath the waves. I know they`re war graves but perhaps in decades to come, one or two may be raised before it`s too late. I don`t know if there is some sort of maritime law regarding how long, (if at all), before they can be touched. Imagine today, finding an 18th century battleship well preserved in the Goodwin sands with a few skeletons in the hold. Would you leave it there? I`m just talking here about the future generations of historians, who may wish we`d have done something now before these important wrecks are gone forever. It was a very appalling act when that WW2 U boat was cut up a while back at Birkenhead. Perhaps their notoriety still fresh in our minds, but not the minds of future generations. I`m sure the long dead crew would approve.
Tell them that I came, and no one answered.
Guest 649- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 14,118
20 January 2010
21:1738385Colin I see where you are coming from but you said it yourself they are war graves,you would not dig up war graves on the land,so they must stay where they are,if they have no crew on them Yes go ahead,but a grave is a grave,and if you asked the familys of the dead ones I think they would all say the same.
