Boat ID needed.
Is this the U 234 or U 873 ?
Web site: http://www.uscg.mil/history/webcutters/Argo_1933.html
Is the 12th photo down states this is the U 234. I believe this is the U 873.
U 873
U 873
- Attachments
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- U 873 and US Navy tugs.jpg (71.66 KiB) Viewed 3087 times
Just finished out adding 3 more pages about the U 873.
http://hometown.aol.com/u873/myhomepage/U873.html [/url]
http://hometown.aol.com/u873/myhomepage/U873.html [/url]
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Simon Gunson
- Member
- Posts: 784
- Joined: 23 Mar 2004, 01:25
- Location: Wellington, New Zealand
When I saw the first photo with the pinched decking, U873 I thought you were mistaken. Then the second photo helped me realise you are quite correct. U-873 as I recall was a long range Type IXD2, which normally had broad decks. They were known to be vulnerable to air attack in the Atlantic because their broad decks developed a suction which made them slow to crash dive.
If you go to the second link provided to "hometown" and view the photo there of the U-511's deck you will see the standard upper deck which I refer to.
Clearly you have uncovered photographic evidence of a late war manufacturer's modification. Thanks for that.
U-873 was thought to have been towing a Lafferentz capsule with a V-2 rocket on her last voyage. One of these capsules remained unaccounted after the war. That may explain the brutal interrogation of her skipper.
If you go to the second link provided to "hometown" and view the photo there of the U-511's deck you will see the standard upper deck which I refer to.
Clearly you have uncovered photographic evidence of a late war manufacturer's modification. Thanks for that.
U-873 was thought to have been towing a Lafferentz capsule with a V-2 rocket on her last voyage. One of these capsules remained unaccounted after the war. That may explain the brutal interrogation of her skipper.
Re: U 873
HiU873 wrote:Boat ID needed.
Is this the U 234 or U 873 ?
Web site: http://www.uscg.mil/history/webcutters/Argo_1933.html
Is the 12th photo down states this is the U 234. I believe this is the U 873.
There is now a correction on the website - did you inform them?
All the best
Andreas
Is that a gun on the foredeck (upper picture)? It is difficult to see if it has been traversed to starboard in the lower picture or is absent. Any chance of a better look at it?
Wolfgang Hirschfeld, U-234 Oberfunkmeister, said in his book "Atlantik Farewell" that he suspected Steinhoff was murdered in Boston Jail. He was not suicidal or depressed. Hirschfeld alleged that the prison staff robbed the prisoners of everything upon arrival, yet allowed Steinhoff to retain his sunglasses, with which he slit his wrists.
It is improbable that U-873 was towing a Lafferenz V-2 barge. British rocket scientist and author Philip Henshall stated that the V-2 fuel had to be fresh. After three days it lost its potency. "After a transatlantic crossing in a Lafferenz barge, there would be no hope of firing a V-2" he said. Lafferenz barges were intended for British waters.
However, there is good reason to believe that U-873 and one other boat were preparing to fire rockets or missiles at New York. One should check the original documetnation if possible. Enter "Speer U-1 and U-2" in YAHOO Search, click on "HyperWar ULTRA" and scroll down to 7(d).
What reason would there be for the Americans to kill Steinhoff? Because he knew what a U-bomb was, and they couldn't trust him not to speak out.
Just because it is not certain what "U-1 and U-2" means, researchers should not suggest that Speer actually meant V-1 and V-2. We want no talk here of Vnterseeboote!
Wolfgang Hirschfeld, U-234 Oberfunkmeister, said in his book "Atlantik Farewell" that he suspected Steinhoff was murdered in Boston Jail. He was not suicidal or depressed. Hirschfeld alleged that the prison staff robbed the prisoners of everything upon arrival, yet allowed Steinhoff to retain his sunglasses, with which he slit his wrists.
It is improbable that U-873 was towing a Lafferenz V-2 barge. British rocket scientist and author Philip Henshall stated that the V-2 fuel had to be fresh. After three days it lost its potency. "After a transatlantic crossing in a Lafferenz barge, there would be no hope of firing a V-2" he said. Lafferenz barges were intended for British waters.
However, there is good reason to believe that U-873 and one other boat were preparing to fire rockets or missiles at New York. One should check the original documetnation if possible. Enter "Speer U-1 and U-2" in YAHOO Search, click on "HyperWar ULTRA" and scroll down to 7(d).
What reason would there be for the Americans to kill Steinhoff? Because he knew what a U-bomb was, and they couldn't trust him not to speak out.
Just because it is not certain what "U-1 and U-2" means, researchers should not suggest that Speer actually meant V-1 and V-2. We want no talk here of Vnterseeboote!
Re: U 873
Some information recorded by the US Navy investigation into the death of Steinhoff can be found in a file
"Irregularities Connected with the Handling of Surrendered German Submarines and Prisoners of War at the Navy Yard, Portsmouth, NH" (dated 19 June 1945) in file A16-2(3)EF30,1945, General Records/Dept of the Navy/ US NARA (RG80) at the US NAtional Archives.
"Irregularities Connected with the Handling of Surrendered German Submarines and Prisoners of War at the Navy Yard, Portsmouth, NH" (dated 19 June 1945) in file A16-2(3)EF30,1945, General Records/Dept of the Navy/ US NARA (RG80) at the US NAtional Archives.