Interior of lone surviving German U Boat 995 Type VII of WW-II

U-Boats were hellish small submarines of the WW-II which caused panic in the Allied navies during the WW-II. We no longer use the word U-Boat for the submarines of today, but the lone surviving U-Boat of WW-II of German Navy still stands majestically on the shores of Baltic Sea on the German seaport of Laboe, near the Laboe Naval Memorial, reminding us the days of its glorious past.

In October 2014, I went to Laboe, while visiting my son studying in the nearby city of Kiel, and was awe stricken to see a vessel that was once much dreaded and feared. Although I had a chance to go around it as can be seen in the photo above/below, but could not go inside as it was already five in the evening and the boat visiting hours was closed.

Day before yesterday, my sons visited Laboe on a bright sunny day and strolled on the sands along the seashore and finally to the U-Boat. I was watching them moving to the boat, thanks to the 4G and social media networks that allow us to view each other live everyday. And I requested them to take a few snaps from the inside of the U Boat to complete my earlier post: Laboe, Germany – home to the lone surviving U-Boat 995 Type VII

Now, herein under are the exclusive photos of the inside of the U Boat. The photos show the good order in the boat is kept as if ready to sail with its deadly torpedoes. One of the most difficult thing in Germany is that there are no English translations and it is only by using the online German-English translators of one's smartphone one can understand the displayed information. I have tried to translate the display boards for my readers who do not understand German (like me).

A close up of some mechanical parts

 Machine room: The two E - engines fed by batteries with 375 hp brought the submerged boat to max 7.6 kn

The only usable toilet on board ; to use in submerged condition only up to 25 m water depth (Translation of the above notice board)

 The radio room

 

 A selfie with numerous gadgets of the boat in the background

 Once deadly torpedoes that scared the Allied navies now resting in eternal peace

 Front torpedo room (could not translate the rest as being blurred)

 

Crew living and sleeping space bow compartment, so says the board above

I tried to translate the remaining - but since I did not have the German alphabet keyboard, the translation was a bit jerky and I tried to correct it to the best of my English: "Could 27 or more men live, eat and sleep here ? Yes ! The torpedoes were withdrawn daily to be serviced. On and beneath the floor plates were six reserve torpedoes - on them survived the submariners.

 

A much needed rest after the visit

So this is it - my earlier post stands completed today. But hopefully once day when I visit Germany to meet my sons, I will try to go to Laboe once more and 'in time' to see the interior of this historic vessel myself. 

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Laboe, Germany – home to the lone surviving U-Boat 995 Type VII

While in Kiel, Germany, I am always looking for historical places to visit. I already talked of the Bunker D in my previous post that stands in the premises of University of Applied Sciences, Kiel. While going through the tourist attraction in Kiel on the Trip Advisor’s app on my mobile phone, I came to know of the Navy Memorial at Laboe in the outskirts of Kiel where a German U-Boat 995 type VII is docked near the museum. So I decided to visit the place.

 The welcome sign to Laboe - that reads: Laboe harbour is more than just sea

 Laboe beach in a heavily overcast sky

On one rather windy and cloudy day, we boarded the bus 100 which goes to Laboe – another harbor that opens in the Baltic Sea. The bus soon left the Kiel city limits and entered into vast tracts of green patches leading to Laboe as can be seen in some of the photos shared in this post that I too from the moving bus.

Beautiful Laboe landscape

When we reached Laboe, we thought there would be some guide map at the bus stop to lead us to the Naval Memorial and the museum and the U-Boat. But to our dismay there was none.  It took us some time to find locals there to finally know the location of the museum, which was some two kilometers from the bus stop. So we started walking towards our right along the beach, enjoying the beach on our left and beautiful houses on our right. There were a few shops selling souvenirs and I bought a replica of the U-boat while my wife shopped for some ‘civilian’ decoration pieces.

We continued walking till I caught the glimpse of the boat in some distance. But by that time my wife was tired and decided to rest while I pushed on the Naval Museum and the U-Boat.  There was yet another surprise waiting as the museum had closed and so was the boat. So I could not enter the boat and the museum, but had a chance to see the massive boat from outside and got lucky to find a tourist to take a shot of me along with the boat.

 Laboe Naval Memorial, also known as the Laboe Tower - the 72 meters high tower wit an observation deck on top was constructed by 1937 in the memory of German sailors who died during WW I

This particular U-Boat 995 Type VIIC class was commissioned in 1943 and had the honour of sinking three ships, one auxiliary ship, one war ship and one another. At the end of the war, the boat was at the Norwegian port Trondheim and surrendered to the British. It then became part of the Norwegian Navy, called Kaura. It retired from the active service in 1965 and was sold to Germany, and thus became part of the Laboe Naval Memorial in 1971.

 I standing beside the once mighty U-Boat 995 Type VII

We walked back, watching people enjoying the day surfing and para sailing and gliding in the cold Baltic Sea water and while stopping at eateries to buy something to munch, before boarding the bus back to Kiel.

People enjoying para sailing and gliding in Baltic Sea

As I said earlier, by the time we reached the boat, the museum and the boat were closed. Those who want to see how the boat looks like from the inside, may visit War History Online.

All photos have been taken by me and are accordingly copy righted

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