New Sub wrecks

[Ron Young]

Hi Guys

Is there anybody in the Dungeness area or living down the south of England, or anywhere else for that matter, on this forum who would be interested in trying to identify some U-boat wrecks, if I supplied location information?

Cheers Ron

[Rob Evans]

Oooh yeah gimme gimme!
Hastings based, I dive with a club that has a RIB but if they're interesting enough marks & around the Southeast, I don't mind diverting a club hardboat charter over that way.

[Ron Young]

Okay Rob

But I will need feed back too, otherwise it will not be of any use to us. We need to establish what some submarines are for historical reasons.

I'll get back to you if you are serious.

Cheers Ron

[Paul Oliver]

Ron

I take it you are talking about UC50? I have marks and was going to try and do that last weekend, our boat was missfireing though. You get a double slack off Dungeness even on springs so even more reason to go down there. It may be in the Range Danger area as well, but i can find out about firing days.

I am also planning to satisfy myself on the location of B2 as i think i have a good position. U16 is still being a pain though and i want to try and solve that one this year.

I am up for sub diving but i am a bit of a sub jonah, and i have access to a Flotilla of ribs.

Safe sub hunting,

Paul

PS I dive out of Dover every weekend.

[Ron Young]

Paul

All help is welcome, I will come back to you both shortly

Cheers Ron

[Andy the Coastie]

Hi Ron,

Dover divers can help, plus can join up with Paul i'm sure.

Nice hard boat to feed all the divers  

Andy.

[Rob Evans]

Perfectly serious Ron; look forward to hearing from you.

[Michael Lowrey]

I'm working with Ron on this.

Paul is correct. One of the wrecks is the "UC 50" off Dungeness. Our research suggests that that ID is wrong though -- the submarine attacked by HMS Zubian on February 4, 1918 was UC 79, not UC 50. UC 50 was almost certainly lost before that date, and is probably off Griz Nez.

As for the real identity of the U-boat wreck off Dungeness, likely the only way to know is to get a number off her propellers.

The second wreck is in Rye Bay between Hastings and Dungeness. In September 1917, the Royal Navy found a submarine wreck. They never identified it -- in fact we don't even know what class of U-boat it was they found!

Best wishes,

Michael

[Rob Evans]

Sounds really interesting - dived UC65 earlier this year & diving a WWII boat this weekend.  U-boats are..... different (duh) from the sort of wrecks I normally circulate, but the history is absolutely fascinating. If you can let me know the depths we're talking about I'll see who I can get enthused in the Hastings clubs.

[Paul Oliver]

Hi Michael

Very Good to see you on this forum, and i look forward to clearing up some fog of war. I am sure the site will be all the better for your depth of knowledge on all things U Boat.

I had a superb dive on UB55 a couple of weeks ago, what a story on that one. Suicides, Free assents from 30m (I had 33m on the seabed) then many dieing of exposure during the night long drift down the channel. And 6 still survived, tough guys or what.

The sub is upright on a firm seabed (you can look underneath it at one point). Conning tower and perescope still in place. We had about 10-12m of vis and our shot tied off on the perescope so as we came down the whole sub was there to see. Plenty of damage so you can see into the hull. Top dive and tons of sea life.

Regards

Paul