Whilst searching for a viable vessel to use in my novel, I stumbled across U-287, a type VIIC boat that was reportedly sunk by a mine in the Elbe Estuary on 16/05/1945. There are apparently other sources that claim that U-287 was scuttled in the Altenbruch roadsteads around about this date.
The boat left port in Kristiansand on 29/04/1945. Does anyone have any further more detailed information regarding this patrol, ie, it's nature, mission? Also, if the boat did indeed hit a mine in the Elbe Estuary, would it have been submerged at the time of impact? Would anyone on board have survived?
On the flip side, if the boat had been scuttled, presumably in port, what became of it and it's crew?