General Discussions
This is the place to discuss general issues related to the U-boat war or the war at sea in WWII.
Anyone else heard this tale?
Posted by:
Andrew
()
Date: December 24, 2005 02:46AM
Hello all, and Happy Holidays from the USA!
My Grandfather was a welder at the USN Shipyard in Portsmouth NH, USA during the war, and this story I am about to recount, I have heard from more than one local source, since his passing. So I'm curious if anyone else has heard this. Supposedly during the war, the French Navy kept a sub outfitted with a seaplane dock, at the shipyard in Portsmouth NH, USA. It would routinely put to sea late in the afternoon or evening, and not return untill a day or two later. Odd thing was, there was no seaplane in the dock, but an auxillary fuel cell instead. Rumor goes that the USN got suspicious, and on the next foray out, sent a US sub to shadow the French sub. A few hours later, the US sub caught the French sub re-fueling a U-Boat, less than 2 miles off the coast of Hampton NH USA. Catching them both offguard the US sub torped them both, and sank them both. Now the interesting part. The nautical charts for this area show two wrecks less than a mile apart, with one having old records listing it as a "possible submarine". Also included in the wreck data is the fact that a temporary work barge was moored above this site for a period of about two years(1944-1946 approx). Once the barge was removed a large steel mooring ball was left to mark the location. This area is approximaely 100FT in depth, and I plan to attempt to locate, and dive each site this summer. Anyone else having information on this, let me know. Who knows, might just be drunken fishermans tall tales. But one never knows........Thanks!!
My Grandfather was a welder at the USN Shipyard in Portsmouth NH, USA during the war, and this story I am about to recount, I have heard from more than one local source, since his passing. So I'm curious if anyone else has heard this. Supposedly during the war, the French Navy kept a sub outfitted with a seaplane dock, at the shipyard in Portsmouth NH, USA. It would routinely put to sea late in the afternoon or evening, and not return untill a day or two later. Odd thing was, there was no seaplane in the dock, but an auxillary fuel cell instead. Rumor goes that the USN got suspicious, and on the next foray out, sent a US sub to shadow the French sub. A few hours later, the US sub caught the French sub re-fueling a U-Boat, less than 2 miles off the coast of Hampton NH USA. Catching them both offguard the US sub torped them both, and sank them both. Now the interesting part. The nautical charts for this area show two wrecks less than a mile apart, with one having old records listing it as a "possible submarine". Also included in the wreck data is the fact that a temporary work barge was moored above this site for a period of about two years(1944-1946 approx). Once the barge was removed a large steel mooring ball was left to mark the location. This area is approximaely 100FT in depth, and I plan to attempt to locate, and dive each site this summer. Anyone else having information on this, let me know. Who knows, might just be drunken fishermans tall tales. But one never knows........Thanks!!