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WW2? German? minisub found on Argentinian coast


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Looking at the size of it - a bit over 10 metres? and conning tower amidships the best match would be type XXVIIB "Seehund" - The Seehund vertical fin extends forward fromn the rudder, level with the top of the hull, until it blends with the hull, but this wreck appears to have a separate vertical fin with a space forward where the hull expands to full diameter, so has lost the skin (leaving the more substantial rudder post) or is not a perfect match to the Seehund - a photo of the front end (round and torpedo like in the earlier German mini-submarines Molch and Hecht, pointed in Biber, or a sharp vertical edge in Seehund) would help to confirm or shed further doubt!

 

See:

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seehund

 

which has links to the others at bottom and

 

http://www.uboat.net/types/midget.htm

 

http://speyer.technik-museum.de/de/highlights-im-museum/ausstellungsbereiche/marineausstellung-u-boote/kleinstunterseeboot-seehund.html

 

The numbers made would strongly suggest that anything German of that size likely to be found was a Seehund (200+ made compared with 50 or less Hecht) - and only the Seehund was diesel/electric and able to travel far. The other mass produced boats (Biber and Molch) were smaller and single seat. I don't think it is a Biber (no cutaway sides for torpedos) and the Molch conning tower was far aft where as this one seems to have projecting metal remains amidships.

 

What is odd is that none of these boats had the range to get that far under its own power and only Seehund had 2 crew positions of the mass produced minisubs, so they could only really have been used as a taxi to ferry something inshore from a larger ship or U-Boat. It did have significant external load capacity for 2 torpedos which could have been reused for cargo, I suppose.

 

Iain

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And a quick search reveals the source of the original pic...

 

http://coastkid.blogspot.co.uk/2013/01/a-saturday-cycle-to-sub-wrecks-at.html?m=1

 

Actually having just read the comments on the original story they have been well and truly rumbled including by the blogger whose pic they nicked so maybe there is some justice!! :D

Edited by timbo
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