German submarine at Dunston 1949

German submarine at Dunston 1949

Postby brianh » Thu Apr 24, 2014 3:11 pm

A U boat was towed into the Tyne by the tug Guardsman on 4 June 1949 from Londonderry and moved up river to Dunston on 9 June. The details reported at the time were that it was U192 - however U192 was lost on 14 June 1943. It has been suggested that it might have been U 953 but this is believed to have been scrapped at Hayle, and the likeihood is that the Dunston boat it was U 712. I understand that there is a picture of the boat at Dunston but the owner for some reason is reluctant to release a clear view as he convinced that it is neither 712 or 953 based on the circumstantial evidence of some artifactss when the boat was at Dunston. I wondered whether there might be a picture in the Arthur Weller collection, even of a partial view related to the tug.

I should add that Guardsman brought the British boat P61 Varangian up to King`s on 24 May 1949, of which there is a picture.
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Re: German submarine at Dunston 1949

Postby Hornbeam » Mon Dec 21, 2020 5:42 pm

Is it possible that this Submarine was not a U Boat but a U Class RN Submarine and one of a number returned to the RN from Lend/Lease with Russia in such a state that they were immediately scrapped. My understanding is that the German U Boats at Londonderry were all sunk on "Operation Deadlight" due to an agreement with the Allies and in particular Russia.
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Re: German submarine at Dunston 1949

Postby northeast » Mon Dec 21, 2020 6:01 pm

Ex Soviet V-2 the former UNBROKEN was broken up at Gateshead but date given as May 1950, so not this vessel (from Wikipedia).
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Re: German submarine at Dunston 1949

Postby Hornbeam » Tue Dec 22, 2020 9:55 am

G.M. N.E. My reasoning for offering the above suggestion is that around the same year I went aboard a Submarine which was being scrapped at Stockton, for years I believed it was a former U Boat. It was only in later years when they found what was left of her whilst constructing the Barrage that it came to light possibly through John Proud that it was a former RN U Class Submarine the name of which presently escapes me. This Submarine had also 'suffered' badly whilst in the hands of the Russians and was only fit for scrap when it was returned to the RN.
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Re: German submarine at Dunston 1949

Postby Hornbeam » Tue Dec 22, 2020 12:02 pm

Had a look at Wikiwaki and found the Submarine at Stockton to be HMS Unison, Comm in 1942, Transferred to the Soviets in 1944 as V3, returned to RN in 1949, scrapping in 1950 at Stockton. The problem with Wiki is that it does not say if the scrapping started in 1950 or ended 1950.
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Re: German submarine at Dunston 1949

Postby buggins » Tue Dec 22, 2020 4:10 pm

2 submarines were scrapped at Stockton - Vigorous in 1949 and Unison in 1950. There is no doubt that a U boat was scrapped at Dunston arriving on 9th June 1950 only precisely which one. A couple of V class followed but not till 1958. Several were also scrapped by King and by Dorkin.
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Re: German submarine at Dunston 1949

Postby Hornbeam » Wed Dec 23, 2020 11:08 am

G.M. To you Buggins, I was aware of the Vigorous also being scrapped at Stockton, all I wanted to suggest was that there may be some confusion in regards to U Boat and U Class as there does not at this moment appear to be any hard evidence as to which U Boat it was. The 'Potsdam Agreement' was very clear on how most of the U Boats were to be disposed of Post War and that was by sinking even though they contained valuable metals and of course Post War and well into the 1950's there was a great deal of the surface Fleet to be disposed of. Even as late as the 1990's when a Salvage Company wanted to seek permission to salvage the 'Operation Deadlight' Submarines because of the Pre Nuclear Steel they contain no Salvage Rights were given because of concerns about objections from Russia, America and apparently G.B.
There was a U Boat on the Tyne, U 776 one of two (the other being U1023 which visited Ports up the West Coast) that were used to raise Collections for the King George's Fund for Sailors both ended up at Loch Ryan with other U Boats to be taken out to sea and sunk although both were working Boats which from what I can gather they remained on the surface during their Fund raising tour.
HMS Graph was not scrapped in the N.E. after her Srevice in the RN and bearing in mind the restraints of the 'Potsdam Agreement' in the years immediately following WW2 it's difficult to say which U Boat it could be unless it was a Wreck causing an obstruction although it is accepted that some U Boats have been salvaged in recent times ending up as Museum exhibits. It also seems a bit odd that the only apparent photograph of the mysterious U Boat we are seeking seems for some reason to be unobtainable, I can't see the benefit of withholding the photograph and apparent souvenirs unless the keeper is wanting to sell it/them on some televised antiquities programme.
In the 1950's during the height of the Cold War the RN went round the coast of GB and blew up/flattening the the known
wrecks.
When you write several were scrapped are you indicating they were German U Boats or RN V Class Boats.
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Re: German submarine at Dunston 1949

Postby buggins » Wed Dec 23, 2020 4:19 pm

I have posted some lists of naval vessels scrapped post 1945 on the Tyne. The various U and V class submarines are accounted for by these and at other UK yards. HMS Graph was as you are aware wrecked on Islay and scrapped in situ. 4 other German U Boats were scrapped in UK yard s in addition to the one which reached Dunston.
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Re: German submarine at Dunston 1949

Postby magoonigal » Wed Dec 23, 2020 10:38 pm

Thanks for the Lists Brian. I think I have a copy somewhere so you have saved me from turning the house upside down looking!
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Re: German submarine at Dunston 1949

Postby Hornbeam » Thu Dec 24, 2020 10:33 am

buggins wrote:I have posted some lists of naval vessels scrapped post 1945 on the Tyne. The various U and V class submarines are accounted for by these and at other UK yards. HMS Graph was as you are aware wrecked on Islay and scrapped in situ. 4 other German U Boats were scrapped in UK yard s in addition to the one which reached Dunston.

Thank You for your reply any background on those U Boats scrapped in British Yards, were they the Boats that were used for Trials or Gunnery purposes which were allotted to the RN under the Agreement or the refloated Boats. My interest is in the fate of U 793 and U 792, I am aware of the fate(S) of 953,1108,1171,1407,3017.
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