Hitchcocks Forum

Hi guys----------- I joined the RN back in 1965 and had to travel to Pompey (Portsmouth--- pronounced "Ports muff" for our USA friends !!)....regularly by train from Reading, Berkshire for interviews and trade tests.... For the last few miles the railway ran parallel to the coast and I can distinctly remember seeing the wreck of a submarine resting on the sands...... Does anyone know the history etc of this boat ?????

alan the wreck you refer to at the northern end of Portsmouth Harbour on the mud flats, and had as I recall been there since WW2. I can't remember if it was British or German. The wreck was eventually removed around the time they started to redevelop and tidy up to northern part of the harbour at Portchester near to the ship building facility that was Vospers. Probably in the late 60's or early 70's. This was many years before the marina was built nad even before the motorway was created by infilling part of the harbour. I have some photos and a magazine showing the wreck somewhere, and will dig them out. The other sumarines alongside the harbour were at Harry Pounds scrapyard at Tipner, opposite the mine disposal training area at Horsea Island and next to the navy rifle ranges and eventually alongside the M275. They were not visible from the railway though. HTH

Hi MIKE and many thanks indeed for that info..Whilst "Trawling" around Google,( nice maritime link there, eh ? ) I found this from the RN..... Latest news/photos etc on the two new aircraft carriers (or is it one now---and one into mothballs ??) being built...... http://www.royalnavy.mod.uk/The-Fleet/S ... beth-Class --------------- and this, the biggest submarine in the world--------------- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Borei_class_submarine ---------------- How many Enfields can you get in one of those ????

Hi guys-------- did a "clik and drag" on Harry Pounds Scrapyard and came up with a surprising amount of material.... Have a look at this and the short video clip that it contains....Those ASR12 diesels look slightly different viewed from the "Bilges" as it were ! ------------ http://www.strong-island.co.uk/2011/11/ ... ubmarines/ -------------

Alan, I know Hasting is down the
road from Portsmouth, and you were
a mere pup then, but the 29/2013
'Spiegel' has a superb pix of a
stranded WWI 'U' boat taken in
1919 with nonchalant holiday-
makers resting in it's shade.
Article is about 41 WWI 'U' boots
currently still sitting on the
English Channel floor. Will try
to access that Harry Pound link
as still intrigued with the motors
utilized, both diesel and two stroke

Hello GORDON-------- Thanks for that info.....A submarine is technically a ship ie fully enclosed decks BUT it's the exception to the rule, being known as a "Boat" hence the German Unterseeboot or U-Boat for short.... This next link is from an American viewpoint ( are you from New Hampshire ??) but applicable to most, non the less}---------------------- http://www.perch-base.org/glossary.htm ---------------------

---------------- just found this}------ ------------------

------------ and this gives the full story .. Nice one, GORDON-------------- http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article ... rance.html ------------------

Thanxs, Alan, for those web sites
will work my through them in next
day or two as have to type the full
addresses in Google, Have had some
deutsch reference material on WWI
and WWII U boots for some time,
and read the novel 'Das Boot' in the
original twice as once was quite
intrigued with them.

Hi GORDON----------- whilst in the "Trawl Google" mode do some research on the American sub. THRESHER and on the Russian boat KURSK .....nasty stuff !!..............Submariners environment is parallel to a spaceman's one, except the pressure is inwards instead of outwards.....hence all that training they do in those huge water tanks.....Not for me, I'm a "skimmer" by nature LoL !!!