U-534 is a Type IXC/40 U-boat of Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine built for World War 2. She was used mainly for training duties and didn't sink any allied ships. She is sat in Birkenhead as a museum ship as part of the U-Boat Story, but there's an even bigger story behind that.
U-534 is one of only 4 German WW2 submarines in preserved condition (even though she's been chopped in pieces and falling apart) remaining in the world and, I believe, the second IXC boat preserved another being IXC boat U-505 in Chicago's Museum of Science and Industry.
On 5th May 1945, she was attacked by the RAF Liberator aircraft (G/86 and E/547) in the Kattegat off Anholt, Denmark. U-534 managed to shoot down one of the bombers but later received a direct hit from a depth charge dropped by G/86 from 86 Squadron. All escaped (52), but only 49 survived.
U-534 lay at the bottom for almost 48 years before she was finally discovered 67 metres down in 1986 by the Danish wreck hunter, Aage Jensen. She was then raised. The raising was sponsored by Karsten Ree. I guess those rumours of Nazi gold were too irresistible! There was no Nazi gold on board at all.
U-534 was raised on 23rd August 1993 by Dutch salvage company Smit Tak.
U-534 was then transported to Birkenhead in 1996 to form part of the Warship Preservation Trust's collection. Now she sits at Woodside falling apart under Merseytravel.
Link to a photo of the attack taken by the attacking aircraft -
upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/5a/U_534_under_a...
Anti-sonar counter-measures:
Just above the propeller shaft on the starboard side was the exit chute of a Pillenwerfer. It could deploy an anti-sonar decoy called Bold, named after Kobold, a goblin in German folklore. This made a false target for the enemy's sonar by creating a screen of bubbles from the chemical reaction of calcium hydride with sea water.
Info sourced from Wiki - en.wikipedia.org/wiki/German_submarine_U-534
Info -
Name: U-534
Ordered: 10 April 1941
Builder: Deutsche Werft AG, Hamburg
Yard number: 352
Laid down: 20 February 1942
Launched:3 September 1942
Commissioned: 3 December 1942
Sunk by aircraft, 5 May 1945
Salvaged, 1993
Museum ship, February 2009
Class and type: Type IXC/40 submarine
Displacement: 1,144 t (1,126 long tons) surfaced, 1,257 t (1,237 long tons) submerged
Length: 76.76 m (251 ft 10 in) o/a, 58.75 m (192 ft 9 in) pressure hull
Beam: 6.86 m (22 ft 6 in) o/a, 4.44 m (14 ft 7 in) pressure hull
Height: 9.60 m (31 ft 6 in)
Draught: 4.67 m (15 ft 4 in)
Power:
4,400 PS (3,200 kW; 4,300 bhp) (diesels)
1,000 PS (740 kW; 990 shp) (electric)
Propulsion:
2 shafts
2 × MAN (Maschinenfabrik Augsberg Nuremberg) 9-cylinder 4-stroke M9V 40/46 diesel engines with Büchi superchargers
2 × electric motors
18.3 knots (33.9 km/h; 21.1 mph) surfaced
7.3 knots (13.5 km/h; 8.4 mph) submerged
Range:
13,850 nmi (25,650 km; 15,940 mi) at 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph) surfaced
63 nmi (117 km; 72 mi) at 4 knots (7.4 km/h; 4.6 mph) submerged
Test depth: 230 m (750 ft)
Complement: 4 officers, 44 enlisted
6 × torpedo tubes (4 bow, 2 stern)
22 × 53.3 cm (21 in) torpedoes
1 × 10.5 cm (4.1 in) SK C/32 deck gun (180 rounds)
1 × 3.7 cm (1.5 in) SK C/30 AA gun
1 × twin 2 cm FlaK 30 AA guns
Tags: Vehicle Ship Water Wirral Liverpool Kriegsmarine War Display UK Britain Marine Vessel River Mersey Merseyside Sea Shore Waterfront Maritime Boat outdoor Birkenhead Docks Harbour U-534 Nazi Germany World War 2 England IXC/40 Gun Damage Old U-Boat Story Merseytravel
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U-534's anti-aircraft guns point towards the skies never to be used again.
U-boat story at Woodside, Birkenhead.
www.u-boatstory.co.uk/history/Pages/default.aspx
Tags: Story Uboat Woodside Birkenhead German Submarine U-534 Gun Antiaircraft city outdoor Boat Maritime Sea Merseyside Vessel Marine Britain Great UK Kingdom United England Wirral Water Ship Vehicle Mersey
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This is the damage that eventually led to her sinking. Damage from a depth charge dropped by RAF G/86 of 86 Squadron
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U-534 is a Type IXC/40 U-boat of Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine built for World War 2. She was used mainly for training duties and didn't sink any allied ships. She is sat in Birkenhead as a museum ship as part of the U-Boat Story, but there's an even bigger story behind that.
U-534 is one of only 4 German WW2 submarines in preserved condition (even though she's been chopped in pieces and falling apart) remaining in the world and, I believe, the second IXC boat preserved another being IXC boat U-505 in Chicago's Museum of Science and Industry.
On 5th May 1945, she was attacked by the RAF Liberator aircraft (G/86 and E/547) in the Kattegat off Anholt, Denmark. U-534 managed to shoot down one of the bombers but later received a direct hit from a depth charge dropped by G/86 from 86 Squadron. All escaped (52), but only 49 survived.
U-534 lay at the bottom for almost 48 years before she was finally discovered 67 metres down in 1986 by the Danish wreck hunter, Aage Jensen. She was then raised. The raising was sponsored by Karsten Ree. I guess those rumours of Nazi gold were too irresistible! There was no Nazi gold on board at all.
U-534 was raised on 23rd August 1993 by Dutch salvage company Smit Tak.
U-534 was then transported to Birkenhead in 1996 to form part of the Warship Preservation Trust's collection. Now she sits at Woodside falling apart under Merseytravel.
Link to a photo of the attack taken by the attacking aircraft -
upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/5a/U_534_under_a...
Anti-sonar counter-measures:
Just above the propeller shaft on the starboard side was the exit chute of a Pillenwerfer. It could deploy an anti-sonar decoy called Bold, named after Kobold, a goblin in German folklore. This made a false target for the enemy's sonar by creating a screen of bubbles from the chemical reaction of calcium hydride with sea water.
Info sourced from Wiki - en.wikipedia.org/wiki/German_submarine_U-534
Info -
Name: U-534
Ordered: 10 April 1941
Builder: Deutsche Werft AG, Hamburg
Yard number: 352
Laid down: 20 February 1942
Launched:3 September 1942
Commissioned: 3 December 1942
Sunk by aircraft, 5 May 1945
Salvaged, 1993
Museum ship, February 2009
Class and type: Type IXC/40 submarine
Displacement: 1,144 t (1,126 long tons) surfaced, 1,257 t (1,237 long tons) submerged
Length: 76.76 m (251 ft 10 in) o/a, 58.75 m (192 ft 9 in) pressure hull
Beam: 6.86 m (22 ft 6 in) o/a, 4.44 m (14 ft 7 in) pressure hull
Height: 9.60 m (31 ft 6 in)
Draught: 4.67 m (15 ft 4 in)
Power:
4,400 PS (3,200 kW; 4,300 bhp) (diesels)
1,000 PS (740 kW; 990 shp) (electric)
Propulsion:
2 shafts
2 × MAN (Maschinenfabrik Augsberg Nuremberg) 9-cylinder 4-stroke M9V 40/46 diesel engines with Büchi superchargers
2 × electric motors
18.3 knots (33.9 km/h; 21.1 mph) surfaced
7.3 knots (13.5 km/h; 8.4 mph) submerged
Range:
13,850 nmi (25,650 km; 15,940 mi) at 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph) surfaced
63 nmi (117 km; 72 mi) at 4 knots (7.4 km/h; 4.6 mph) submerged
Test depth: 230 m (750 ft)
Complement: 4 officers, 44 enlisted
6 × torpedo tubes (4 bow, 2 stern)
22 × 53.3 cm (21 in) torpedoes
1 × 10.5 cm (4.1 in) SK C/32 deck gun (180 rounds)
1 × 3.7 cm (1.5 in) SK C/30 AA gun
1 × twin 2 cm FlaK 30 AA guns
Tags: Vehicle Ship Water Wirral Liverpool Kriegsmarine War Display UK Britain Marine Vessel River Mersey Merseyside Sea Shore Waterfront Maritime Boat outdoor Birkenhead Docks Harbour U-534 Nazi Germany World War 2 England IXC/40 Gun Damage Old U-Boat Story Merseytravel
© All Rights Reserved
U-534 appears to be falling apart. These newer pics compared to ones taken last year, show more plate work falling off and rotting away. Very sad.
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U-534 is a Type IXC/40 U-boat of Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine built for World War 2. She was used mainly for training duties and didn't sink any allied ships. She is sat in Birkenhead as a museum ship as part of the U-Boat Story, but there's an even bigger story behind that.
U-534 is one of only 4 German WW2 submarines in preserved condition (even though she's been chopped in pieces and falling apart) remaining in the world and, I believe, the second IXC boat preserved another being IXC boat U-505 in Chicago's Museum of Science and Industry.
On 5th May 1945, she was attacked by the RAF Liberator aircraft (G/86 and E/547) in the Kattegat off Anholt, Denmark. U-534 managed to shoot down one of the bombers but later received a direct hit from a depth charge dropped by G/86 from 86 Squadron. All escaped (52), but only 49 survived.
U-534 lay at the bottom for almost 48 years before she was finally discovered 67 metres down in 1986 by the Danish wreck hunter, Aage Jensen. She was then raised. The raising was sponsored by Karsten Ree. I guess those rumours of Nazi gold were too irresistible! There was no Nazi gold on board at all.
U-534 was raised on 23rd August 1993 by Dutch salvage company Smit Tak.
U-534 was then transported to Birkenhead in 1996 to form part of the Warship Preservation Trust's collection. Now she sits at Woodside falling apart under Merseytravel.
Link to a photo of the attack taken by the attacking aircraft -
upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/5a/U_534_under_a...
Anti-sonar counter-measures:
Just above the propeller shaft on the starboard side was the exit chute of a Pillenwerfer. It could deploy an anti-sonar decoy called Bold, named after Kobold, a goblin in German folklore. This made a false target for the enemy's sonar by creating a screen of bubbles from the chemical reaction of calcium hydride with sea water.
Info sourced from Wiki - en.wikipedia.org/wiki/German_submarine_U-534
Info -
Name: U-534
Ordered: 10 April 1941
Builder: Deutsche Werft AG, Hamburg
Yard number: 352
Laid down: 20 February 1942
Launched:3 September 1942
Commissioned: 3 December 1942
Sunk by aircraft, 5 May 1945
Salvaged, 1993
Museum ship, February 2009
Class and type: Type IXC/40 submarine
Displacement: 1,144 t (1,126 long tons) surfaced, 1,257 t (1,237 long tons) submerged
Length: 76.76 m (251 ft 10 in) o/a, 58.75 m (192 ft 9 in) pressure hull
Beam: 6.86 m (22 ft 6 in) o/a, 4.44 m (14 ft 7 in) pressure hull
Height: 9.60 m (31 ft 6 in)
Draught: 4.67 m (15 ft 4 in)
Power:
4,400 PS (3,200 kW; 4,300 bhp) (diesels)
1,000 PS (740 kW; 990 shp) (electric)
Propulsion:
2 shafts
2 × MAN (Maschinenfabrik Augsberg Nuremberg) 9-cylinder 4-stroke M9V 40/46 diesel engines with Büchi superchargers
2 × electric motors
18.3 knots (33.9 km/h; 21.1 mph) surfaced
7.3 knots (13.5 km/h; 8.4 mph) submerged
Range:
13,850 nmi (25,650 km; 15,940 mi) at 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph) surfaced
63 nmi (117 km; 72 mi) at 4 knots (7.4 km/h; 4.6 mph) submerged
Test depth: 230 m (750 ft)
Complement: 4 officers, 44 enlisted
6 × torpedo tubes (4 bow, 2 stern)
22 × 53.3 cm (21 in) torpedoes
1 × 10.5 cm (4.1 in) SK C/32 deck gun (180 rounds)
1 × 3.7 cm (1.5 in) SK C/30 AA gun
1 × twin 2 cm FlaK 30 AA guns
Tags: Vehicle Ship Water Wirral Liverpool Kriegsmarine War Display UK Britain Marine Vessel River Mersey Merseyside Sea Shore Waterfront Maritime Boat outdoor Birkenhead Docks Harbour U-534 Nazi Germany World War 2 England IXC/40 Gun Damage Old U-Boat Story Merseytravel
© All Rights Reserved
WIKI Source:
The U-534 carried the rare Twin 3.7 cm Flakzwilling M43U on the DLM42 mount. This was one of the best AA weapons of Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine. The DLM42 mount was used mainly on the Type IX as it was too heavy for the Type VII U-boats. The 3.7 cm Flak M42U was the marine version of the 3.7 cm Flak used by the Kriegsmarine on Type VII and Type IX U-boats.
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U-534 is a Type IXC/40 U-boat of Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine built for World War 2. She was used mainly for training duties and didn't sink any allied ships. She is sat in Birkenhead as a museum ship as part of the U-Boat Story, but there's an even bigger story behind that.
U-534 is one of only 4 German WW2 submarines in preserved condition (even though she's been chopped in pieces and falling apart) remaining in the world and, I believe, the second IXC boat preserved another being IXC boat U-505 in Chicago's Museum of Science and Industry.
On 5th May 1945, she was attacked by the RAF Liberator aircraft (G/86 and E/547) in the Kattegat off Anholt, Denmark. U-534 managed to shoot down one of the bombers but later received a direct hit from a depth charge dropped by G/86 from 86 Squadron. All escaped (52), but only 49 survived.
U-534 lay at the bottom for almost 48 years before she was finally discovered 67 metres down in 1986 by the Danish wreck hunter, Aage Jensen. She was then raised. The raising was sponsored by Karsten Ree. I guess those rumours of Nazi gold were too irresistible! There was no Nazi gold on board at all.
U-534 was raised on 23rd August 1993 by Dutch salvage company Smit Tak.
U-534 was then transported to Birkenhead in 1996 to form part of the Warship Preservation Trust's collection. Now she sits at Woodside falling apart under Merseytravel.
Link to a photo of the attack taken by the attacking aircraft -
upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/5a/U_534_under_a...
Anti-sonar counter-measures:
Just above the propeller shaft on the starboard side was the exit chute of a Pillenwerfer. It could deploy an anti-sonar decoy called Bold, named after Kobold, a goblin in German folklore. This made a false target for the enemy's sonar by creating a screen of bubbles from the chemical reaction of calcium hydride with sea water.
Info sourced from Wiki - en.wikipedia.org/wiki/German_submarine_U-534
Info -
Name: U-534
Ordered: 10 April 1941
Builder: Deutsche Werft AG, Hamburg
Yard number: 352
Laid down: 20 February 1942
Launched:3 September 1942
Commissioned: 3 December 1942
Sunk by aircraft, 5 May 1945
Salvaged, 1993
Museum ship, February 2009
Class and type: Type IXC/40 submarine
Displacement: 1,144 t (1,126 long tons) surfaced, 1,257 t (1,237 long tons) submerged
Length: 76.76 m (251 ft 10 in) o/a, 58.75 m (192 ft 9 in) pressure hull
Beam: 6.86 m (22 ft 6 in) o/a, 4.44 m (14 ft 7 in) pressure hull
Height: 9.60 m (31 ft 6 in)
Draught: 4.67 m (15 ft 4 in)
Power:
4,400 PS (3,200 kW; 4,300 bhp) (diesels)
1,000 PS (740 kW; 990 shp) (electric)
Propulsion:
2 shafts
2 × MAN (Maschinenfabrik Augsberg Nuremberg) 9-cylinder 4-stroke M9V 40/46 diesel engines with Büchi superchargers
2 × electric motors
18.3 knots (33.9 km/h; 21.1 mph) surfaced
7.3 knots (13.5 km/h; 8.4 mph) submerged
Range:
13,850 nmi (25,650 km; 15,940 mi) at 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph) surfaced
63 nmi (117 km; 72 mi) at 4 knots (7.4 km/h; 4.6 mph) submerged
Test depth: 230 m (750 ft)
Complement: 4 officers, 44 enlisted
Arms:
6 × torpedo tubes (4 bow, 2 stern)
22 × 53.3 cm (21 in) torpedoes
1 × 10.5 cm (4.1 in) SK C/32 deck gun (180 rounds)
1 × 3.7 cm (1.5 in) SK C/30 AA gun
1 × twin 2 cm FlaK 30 AA guns
Tags: Vehicle Ship Water Wirral Liverpool Kriegsmarine War Display UK Britain Marine Vessel River Mersey Merseyside Sea Shore Waterfront Maritime Boat outdoor Birkenhead Docks Harbour U-534 Nazi Germany World War 2 England IXC/40 Gun Flakzwilling M43U Damage Old U-Boat Story Merseytravel
© All Rights Reserved
