General Discussions
This is the place to discuss general issues related to the U-boat war or the war at sea in WWII.
RE: U-534 My - response - flak?
Posted by:
John Griffiths
()
Date: July 14, 2001 06:52AM
<HTML>Joe,
>>I knew I\\\'ll get some \\\"flak\\\" from others and especially from you in regards to U-534.<<
So, I\'m the Flakmeister now, am I? :-)
>>However, my point to you is that future generations have already got the opportunity in visiting WWII German U-boats..eg U-995 or U-505.Why bother with a old rusty U-boat..? <<
Why bother with the shattered remains of the Arizona at Pearl? It\'s no more than scrap anyway. Just a heap of waterlogged junk lying on the sea bed....is that fair to say? No, it isn\'t. She represents a historical monument to those who died at Pearl in a sneak attack.
>>In regards to your other \\\'smart ass\\\' comments, U-534 did not always
lays in \\\"fresh\\\" water.. <<
I know - but if you knew anything about rust you\'d know that salt water is highly corrosive, but the fresh \'stream\' that runs through the Kattegat aided her preservation. Without that, she\'d be in much worse condition. I know geography Joe. I know my subject area. My comment was aimed at the preservation angle - not marine hydrography and currents / salinity levels.
As for smart arse...qualify that, Joe. I think it\'s a personal attack by someone who is so obviously against the idea of a project. Why? You have yet to put up a reasonable argument about why she should not be preserved. What do we do? Build a replica? Has that historical value?
As for why from my end. Let me just say that the boats restored in Germany and in the USA are beyond the reach of many families who could not afford the trip to them. What about school parties? History groups? Uncle Bill who lost his brother to a torpedo in the Attlantic and who just wants to see what the enemy looked like - and can\'t afford the air ticket to the States or Germany?
The trouble with you Joe is that you have no vision. The US spends a fortune on keeping alive war machines so as to ensure the memory of the losses endured by the Allies is never forgotten. In Europe, the D Day memorials show examples of armoured vehicles...pill boxes...guns....uniforms.Why? To attract cash and tourists? No. To ensure that the memory of the war is never forgotten by generations who followed after the many who fell.
U-534 is an example of a superior technology that almost brought Britain to its knees. We should remember that period in our history and ensure that some significant monument exists to show what we were up against. It\'s a history thing.
Whole groups of individuals dress up in uniforms to re-enact key areas of history so as to bring life and colour to those who cannot visualise otherwise. That is what the restoration of U-534 would do: bring to life history from a long, long time ago. Is that wrong?
If I was a millionaire and I said I have the money to restore U-534 to absolutely pristine condition,to build a living exhibit with her set in a diaroma situation ( such as in a U-boat pen ) with actors dressed for the part - I wonder what your reactions would be then. I guess you\'d be on the next \'plane over with your camera.
If I \'attacked\' you it was because you have been the most negative poster on this subject, almost to the point of wearying your vitriol on it.
Vision, Joe. Have vision and think of how historically important this boat would be to future generations - and to those, in the UK at least, who cannot afford the luxury of a weekend trip across the channel or the Atlantic to see a preserved U-boat. Not everyone has that benefit.
Aye,
John
</HTML>
>>I knew I\\\'ll get some \\\"flak\\\" from others and especially from you in regards to U-534.<<
So, I\'m the Flakmeister now, am I? :-)
>>However, my point to you is that future generations have already got the opportunity in visiting WWII German U-boats..eg U-995 or U-505.Why bother with a old rusty U-boat..? <<
Why bother with the shattered remains of the Arizona at Pearl? It\'s no more than scrap anyway. Just a heap of waterlogged junk lying on the sea bed....is that fair to say? No, it isn\'t. She represents a historical monument to those who died at Pearl in a sneak attack.
>>In regards to your other \\\'smart ass\\\' comments, U-534 did not always
lays in \\\"fresh\\\" water.. <<
I know - but if you knew anything about rust you\'d know that salt water is highly corrosive, but the fresh \'stream\' that runs through the Kattegat aided her preservation. Without that, she\'d be in much worse condition. I know geography Joe. I know my subject area. My comment was aimed at the preservation angle - not marine hydrography and currents / salinity levels.
As for smart arse...qualify that, Joe. I think it\'s a personal attack by someone who is so obviously against the idea of a project. Why? You have yet to put up a reasonable argument about why she should not be preserved. What do we do? Build a replica? Has that historical value?
As for why from my end. Let me just say that the boats restored in Germany and in the USA are beyond the reach of many families who could not afford the trip to them. What about school parties? History groups? Uncle Bill who lost his brother to a torpedo in the Attlantic and who just wants to see what the enemy looked like - and can\'t afford the air ticket to the States or Germany?
The trouble with you Joe is that you have no vision. The US spends a fortune on keeping alive war machines so as to ensure the memory of the losses endured by the Allies is never forgotten. In Europe, the D Day memorials show examples of armoured vehicles...pill boxes...guns....uniforms.Why? To attract cash and tourists? No. To ensure that the memory of the war is never forgotten by generations who followed after the many who fell.
U-534 is an example of a superior technology that almost brought Britain to its knees. We should remember that period in our history and ensure that some significant monument exists to show what we were up against. It\'s a history thing.
Whole groups of individuals dress up in uniforms to re-enact key areas of history so as to bring life and colour to those who cannot visualise otherwise. That is what the restoration of U-534 would do: bring to life history from a long, long time ago. Is that wrong?
If I was a millionaire and I said I have the money to restore U-534 to absolutely pristine condition,to build a living exhibit with her set in a diaroma situation ( such as in a U-boat pen ) with actors dressed for the part - I wonder what your reactions would be then. I guess you\'d be on the next \'plane over with your camera.
If I \'attacked\' you it was because you have been the most negative poster on this subject, almost to the point of wearying your vitriol on it.
Vision, Joe. Have vision and think of how historically important this boat would be to future generations - and to those, in the UK at least, who cannot afford the luxury of a weekend trip across the channel or the Atlantic to see a preserved U-boat. Not everyone has that benefit.
Aye,
John
</HTML>
