German WWII Submarine Walkthrough & Tour- The U995

[Buckshot Bear]

German WWII Submarine Walkthrough & Tour- The U995 

 

Amazing that the Allies and the Axis could build these seriously complicated subs so quickly, the walk through was brilliant and really showed the complexity.

 

 

 

[Subdeacon Joe]

That must have been thoroughly miserable duty.  Cramped, stinking, stifling atmosphere, and scary as heck.

 

Thanks for posting

 

[Sedalia Dave]

14 hours ago, Subdeacon Joe said:

That must have been thoroughly miserable duty.  Cramped, stinking, stifling atmosphere, and scary as heck.

 

Thanks for posting

 

 

One of the best movies depicting life aboard a WWI German Sub. I have watched the original German language version and the version dubbed in English. The German language version is much better as you get to hear the emotion in their voices.

 

below is a documentary about the making of the movie.

 

 

[Subdeacon Joe]

1 hour ago, Sedalia Dave said:

 

One of the best movies depicting life aboard a WWI German Sub. I have watched the original German language version and the version dubbed in English. The German language version is much better as you get to hear the emotion in their voices.

 

below is a documentary about the making of the movie.

 

 

 

The first time I watched that movie was with a guy who had been a submariner in WWII.   We watched it twice, second time with his own commentary on it comparing what was depicted with US Navy practice.

[Sedalia Dave]

Just now, Subdeacon Joe said:

 

The first time I watched that movie was with a guy who had been a submariner in WWII.   We watched it twice, second time with his own commentary on it comparing what was depicted with US Navy practice.

 

That must have been very informative.

 

I was unaware that a 6 hour TV mini series was also made. Going to have to find and watch it 

[Jonathan Slim Chance]

There is a German Submarine on display at Chicago's Museum of Science and Industry (MSI), the U505.  They offer a very interesting tour of it, along with a story of it's capture and the journey it took to eventually be displayed in Chicago.

 

There's also a US Submarine museum, the USS SIlversides in Muskegon, Michigan. 

[Denali Drifter]

I toured that U-Boat in Laboe many years ago.  It sits out on the beach like a sore thumb.  The naval museum that is just up the hill from it is amazing.  You enter and head downwards into a large room with a stained glass window for the small ceiling.  It gives the impression of being submerged underwater and looking up.  Along the walls are engraving of all the ships lost during the first and second wars.  If you take the ferry boat back to Kiel you also pass the current naval shipyards and also the destroyed WWII U-Boat pens that still stick out of the water.

[Sacramento Johnson #6873]

 I have toured the U505 in Chicago; the museum did a fantastic job of refurbishing it and displaying it indoors. (It had sat outside in Chicago weather for decades prior.) I heard they even brought over German sailors to get the diesels into working condition. 
I then also toured the USS Pampanito (it 'starred' in "Down Periscope", I believe) in SF bay and the USS Bowfin in Hawaii.  The US  boats were of newer design and much more 'spacious'. While touring through the Pampanito a number of years ago, there was an elderly gentleman with his son ahead of us. We got to the officer's section and the names of the original officers assigned to the boat were listed next to where they bunked.  Turns out one of those was that elderly gentleman!  I was very honored to greet him and thanked him!

Edited March 8 by Sacramento Johnson #6873

[Bailey Creek,5759]

I toured U505 in Chicago twice.

They built a room around it. It doesn,t sit outside now.

In the video they show, it says the Boat has to be kept sea worthy.

 

[Marshal Dan Troop 70448]

On the U-505 in Chicago. Was able to Tour it after it opened, in 1958 again with the 8th Grade class and in 64. Then not till the early 90s, and was surprised how much had changed. During the early years, the original bed sheets, Captains papers and personal belongings along with many personal items were in the submarine along with charts and maps. Was shocked in the last tour that so much was missing and mentioned it to the guide. He said that during the 80s, items were stolen and damaged so they had to remove all and start putting up plexiglass to protect much of what was left and also display in-doors.

[Red Gauntlet , SASS 60619]

One of my senior partners in the practice of law was a WWII submariner. He did four war patrols on the USS Pogy, and had many interesting stories to tell. He remained in the Naval Reserve after the War and retired as a Captain USNR. He practiced law for 40 years and died at 94. A great man, really.

 

He watched Das Boot when it came out. He was not particularly impressed. He said that the German boats as depicted were much more disorderly than the US subs. I think he was mostly talking about the conditions aboard in general.

[Abilene Slim SASS 81783]

Conditions aboard US subs were better than the U-boats.  They were 60-90 feet longer and air-conditioned. (The Pogy was 311’ long vs 220’ for the U-995.) The A/C was mainly to keep moisture out of the electronics, as opposed to the crew’s comfort. It was nice benefit for them though, as no surface vessels had it. 
 

Of the roughly 4,000 German U-boat sailors who put to sea, 3,000 never returned. 
 

 

Edited March 9 by Abilene Slim SASS 81783