In Reply to: Re: WWI sub off Venice Fl
posted by Peter Smitt on March 25, 1998 at 18:25:29

Hi Peter,

Yes, I believe the database will not be complete, no doubt some of the german archives will have been destroyed by allied bombing.

I have been thinking. Assuming that the ship Nunzer really existed and towed this Uboot, it is very likely the Uboot will be listed as destroyed/sunk.

The Americans will certainly not have informed the Germans that a Uboot was captured.

The database will not be complete, but most Uboots are listed. So the chance that your Uboot is listed in there is very probable, but listed as sunk.

I believe the Uboots were every day in contact with their homebase in Germany. Some of the coordinates listed are probably the coordinates the commander last sent to base. Perhaps you can pick the coordinates of those Uboots that were lost without valid coordinates. (i.e. no coordinates that originate from destroyers/planes.)

Take these coordinates and draw a circle with a radius of 200 miles. 200 miles will be about the maximum range considering running 12 hrs at 13kts surfaced and 12 hrs at 5 kts submerged. This would be a very good run for a Uboot in enemy waters.(12 hrs surfaced ...)

See if you find Uboots do not have 'valid' coordinates that could be near where your Uboot was found.

If that is not the case, than I would think this article/Uboot was a hoax.

But then.... I have been known to be wrong.... more than once actually :-)

Have fun Jan

P.S. What makes a Uboot worth $50.000 ? The North Sea is littered with them, I might start a small buisiness hehe

• Re: WWI sub off Venice Fl rhodium 12:48:22 6/14/98 (0)