General Discussions
This is the place to discuss general issues related to the U-boat war or the war at sea in WWII.
Re: escape from U-64 in Norway
Posted by:
Rob Hoole
()
Date: January 29, 2008 09:21AM
Not an operational escape I know but this is from the website of the Barrow-in-Furness Branch of the Royal Navy Submariners Association at [submariners.co.uk]:
"In July 1987, a team of British, Norwegian and Swedish submariners took part in trials in Bjornafjorden, Norway, aboard HMS Otus. They ran a series of progressively deeper escapes, starting at 30m. At 90m individuals started to drop out. At the end of the trials two submariners reached a depth of 183m. This set a new world record which to date has not been broken."
With regard to operational escapes, I find this story particularly poignant. HMS Perseus was mined off Kefalonia in the Mediterranean on 6 December 1941. The only survivor was a Stoker called John Capes who escaped from a depth of 52 metres using the Davis Submerged Escape Apparatus (DSEA). He was sheltered by the islanders for 18 months before re-joining the Allies. As his presence on board had not been registered before sailing, the Admiralty refused to believe his story until the wreck of the submarine was discovered in 1997. Sadly, Capes had died by then. More here, including photos of the wreck showing the open 'wet & dry' escape hatch: [marabu1.tripod.com].
Best wishes,
Rob Hoole
[www.mcdoa.org.uk]
"In July 1987, a team of British, Norwegian and Swedish submariners took part in trials in Bjornafjorden, Norway, aboard HMS Otus. They ran a series of progressively deeper escapes, starting at 30m. At 90m individuals started to drop out. At the end of the trials two submariners reached a depth of 183m. This set a new world record which to date has not been broken."
With regard to operational escapes, I find this story particularly poignant. HMS Perseus was mined off Kefalonia in the Mediterranean on 6 December 1941. The only survivor was a Stoker called John Capes who escaped from a depth of 52 metres using the Davis Submerged Escape Apparatus (DSEA). He was sheltered by the islanders for 18 months before re-joining the Allies. As his presence on board had not been registered before sailing, the Admiralty refused to believe his story until the wreck of the submarine was discovered in 1997. Sadly, Capes had died by then. More here, including photos of the wreck showing the open 'wet & dry' escape hatch: [marabu1.tripod.com].
Best wishes,
Rob Hoole
[www.mcdoa.org.uk]
