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Re: Emergency escape - Tauchretter - U 560 !
Posted by: Eric Stone ()
Date: December 10, 2007 08:32PM

Shella,

U-560 was a Type VIIC assigned to 24th Flottille (training) based in Memel (present day Klaipėda, Lithuania) at this time.

The conning tower was the main entry/exit point of the U-boat, but it sounds like as the U-560 sank the water came rushing down the hatch preventing escape, and since the collision and main leak occurred in the engine room which is behind the conning tower the only option was for the men to make for the bugraum = bow room = forward torpedo room and close the water tight hatch to give them a chance. The torpedo rooms had angled hatches in the ceiling that allowed torpedoes to be loaded, and also acted as an emergency escape hatch.

It looks like Commander Ernst Cordes survived the incident, went on to command U-763 for 3 war patrols, then was lost less than two weeks into his first patrol on U-1195.

Hope this helps,

Eric

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Subject Written By Posted
Emergency escape - Tauchretter Shella LaRoche 10/27/2007 10:00PM
Re: Emergency escape - Tauchretter Ken Dunn 10/27/2007 10:54PM
Re: Emergency escape - Tauchretter Shella LaRoche 10/28/2007 12:32AM
Re: Emergency escape - Tauchretter MPC 10/28/2007 10:03AM
Re: Emergency escape - Tauchretter - U 560 ! Shella LaRoche 12/10/2007 02:58PM
Re: Emergency escape - Tauchretter - U 560 ! Eric Stone 12/10/2007 08:32PM
Re: Emergency escape - Tauchretter - U 560 ! Shella LaRoche 12/12/2007 09:49AM


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