Hi all !

First of all, many apologies to readers if this topic has already been aired. A quick 'search' of messages would appear to indicate that it hasn't.

Living on the North East coast of the UK, I have been aware for a while of local tales of Uboat men coming ashore to shop, visit the cinema (!!), etc, and had always dismissed them as myths. However, the following account appeared in a local newsletter in February. There is no clear indication of the source. I copy it as it appeared, with apologies for its length, and wonder whether any member of the forum would care to comment ?

"The following is a translation of a report by Franz Walther, then skipper of UB 21, about perhaps the first clandestine landing - at Hayburn Wyke:

SPECIAL OPERATIONS
"In the evening of 18 July 1917 in the "war channel", north of Scarborough all the conditions persuaded me to carry out the operation that night. In the "tender" two men were to land with two special explosive devices to blow up the industrial railway along the coast. I asked Stenermann Gallup (Coxswain) and boats-mate Söhlmann, who both volunteered. Both are reliable and suitable persons. Gallup has fluent English and Spanish and was in England and America for a reasonable period. Söhlmann had more than a year in the trenches in Flanders and has experience of orientation and spoke also some English.

"At 1a.m. I secretly reached the proposed landing area in Hayburn Wyke Bay getting to within 300m of the beach with 7m depth after which the two men and a third man who was "boat watch" had gone. I went a mile out. The night was totally dark with a new moon and low black clouds and pouring rain. It was impossible that the U-boat, or "floss boat" could have been seen. Normally the two would not have more than 1 - llh hours to get to the target (mission). With the boat they had ten minutes to row ashore, then over the ground, a distance of 500 - 600m to the railway. They would need no more than 30 minutes and the same back. To attach the device needed a few seconds. Therefore I approached the landing place at 2:30 am and waited. Since the boat didn't return I sailed slowly up and down the coast even as it got light at 3:30 am. At 5 a.m. we saw the agreed signal on land iTom the "boat watch" who rowed immediately out and came on board. Five minutes later in the north, seven fishing steamers appeared that I avoided by diving.

"The "boat watch" reported that after the two men disappeared behind the hill, he had not seen or heard anything. He had hidden well behind large stone blocks on land and had not seen anything else, till about 4:30 a.m. when he saw a man on a rise patrolling slowly, unarmed, with a long coat and sou'wester. With the explosive team agree-ing that if they missed the boat they would take one of the numerous fishing boats in this or the neighbouring bays. They could then go north or south and mix with the other fishing boats which could be done inconspicuously. As a recognition signal a piece of wood was to be fixed at the bow and stem.

"Unfortunately that morning very bad weather arrived; a north wind of force 6 and 7, so that temporarily it was not possible to leave the coast in a boat. Nevertheless I stayed in the "war channel" during the afternoon and evening and tacked underwater. I did the same on the 20th, 21st and 22nd, surfaced during morning hours, sailed along all the coast but did not see the boat with the agreed signal, and in the afternoon and evening submerged. Later I went north
of Whitby and was twice down by Flamborough Head.

"The disappearance of the explosive team can only be explained by their becoming victims of a problem, e.g. thick barbed wire, electrical fence, or hidden pit traps, possibly used for coastal defences. They couldn't have been over-whelmed by a nonnal patrol because they were heavily armed, with revolvers and knives, and no noise of shooting was beard. They did this operation wearing uniform to show if necessary that they did it on my orders. But they could easily turn this into civilian clothing by removing buttons, hat and shoulder pips if they needed to make their way overland.

"I could not tell if they were successful. Two days later many trains used the line. That day I could only see one train up to the proposed explosive location. They (trains) were lost without trace. According to the timetables trains should have been moving in the morning.

"This operation shows that, if necessary, persons can be landed without problem anywhere along the coast if weather and light allow. But it appears there are great dangers for those who do not know the area. The explosive device was designed only to explode when a train passed. There must have been in this case a large railway accident blocking the line for at least I - 2 days."
Walther,
Oberleutnant zur See, und Kommandant "UB 21"

"This amazing report has been kindly sent in by Bayfair reader Jeremy Noble, of York. Both he and Jak P Mallman-Showell, who is active in the Deutches U-Boat Museum in Cuxhaven, would be most interested if anyone can shed light on the mystery of what happened to the two saboteurs. He can be contacted via Bayfair."

End of long quotation ! Knowing the area, (about three miles from where I live) it sounds feasible in terms of the situation of the railway line, distances etc. But does the account come from a log ? If not, from where ? Is it to be credited, or not ?

Comments welcome !

Many thanks - Frank