The Tragic Story Behind A Perfectly Preserved WW2 U-Boat Wreck | The Lost Submarine | Real History

the Bay of Genoa May 2010 an Italian diver discovers an astonishing U-Boat wreck the submarine is virtually intact resting nearly 400 feet underwater its presence raises a variety of questions what is this boat why did it sink in these Waters a team of divers and historians have joined forces to uncover the story of this forgotten submarine [Music] 70 years ago packs of German submarines traveled the Seas relentlessly attacking Allied Supply ships [Music] these submarines nicknamed the gray wolves were true predators accounts of their Feats made for great propaganda and their Crews were viewed as exceptional soldiers U-boats were reputed invincible [Music] however the research on the Genovese wreck reveals quite a different reality [Music] thank you what is the story behind this forgotten submarine lying off the coast of Genoa and La Spezia Roberto Rinaldi is a former Cousteau crew diver who has turned to filmmaking and knows the ocean depths well for Roberto the discovery of this wreck brings the promise of a wonderful new adventure in the world of deep sea diving you hear lots of Legends involving submarines and one day my friend Lorenzo Del venzini called me to tell me that a submarine had been found in the waters he invited me to dive with him and I was truly surprised the last thing I expected to find there was a submarine stuck underwater in the mud with his bow pointing upwards I'd never seen anything like that before foreign to has formed a team to investigate the identity of this boat Aldo Marco and Gabrielle are all highly experienced divers who have participated in many underwater expeditions the wreck is not easily accessible it is resting at 400 feet below the surface of the water man rarely swims in such depths because the short Expeditions are extremely dangerous [Music] [Music] [Music] foreign the identity of the ship this is not going to be an easy task for these three men Marine concretion is everywhere on the wreckage covering up any possible Clues there are no numbers painted on the hull or on the conning Tower no distinguishing marks [Music] inside axis is impossible the entrance to the ship is blocked by overlapping pieces of metal foreign [Music] Bay wreck isn't giving up its identity easily in order to move forward Roberto and Aldo have decided to bring some skills to the team submarine Buffs Luke and Mark Breyer are the curators of legon Blockhouse a museum dedicated to the Atlantic Wall and its history they founded this museum inside the greatest German fortification along the Atlantic I think at the end of the war everyone had the same idea to move on to turn the page if it had been possible at the time to destroy the U-boats the underwater headquarters and the bunkers it would have been done if only so people could forget this terrible and deadly page in our history it's taken years for us to begin wondering about these things why they're still around and what purpose they served in the rooms of this unusual Museum many objects tell the story of the German submarines Mark and Luke Breyer didn't hesitate for a second when they were contacted by Roberta Rinaldi they had been waiting for this sort of mystery wreck for years what I find fascinating in this project is the reconstructing of the submarine's movements from its launch to its demise and also the prospect of adding to our historical knowledge in this largely forgotten area it's exciting to feel like you're participating in history and not just being a spectator hi welcome did you have a good trip hi yes fine thank you [Music] Mark and Luke wanted to see the pictures of the wreck as soon as they stepped foot in Italy in the hills of Genoa they are discovering these images for the first time you can clearly make out the deck's pointed shape it will be interesting to be able to see this discovery all the way through to the end to identify the boat to find its number and retrace its entire history we would find out how it ended up here in front of La Spezia what should we be looking for specifically to be sure try to cut through the Nets and look for identification on the rear and on the gun understood foreign the historians have asked Roberto and Aldo to focus on the gun located at the rear of the boat identifying this gun would enable the research to move forward considerably but a diving Expedition 400 feet below the sea involves enormous constraints Roberto's just dived in three minutes for The Descent 15 minutes at the wreck and at least three and a half hours to come back up very slowly according to the earlier pictures there's a huge mass of Tangled netting who knows if they'll have enough time to cut through all of it [Music] [Music] thank you Roberto and Aldo immediately realized that they will not be able to clear the gun underwater currents have wrapped The netting tightly around it they will not be able to uncover the precious number that would help Luke and Mark to identify the boat [Music] foreign [Music] not enough time after two minutes you can't see in front of you you can't see what you're cutting the weather's good isn't it yes how about a slice of pizza Brothers I love you you're the best [Music] Roberto and Aldo's unsuccessful dive marks a turning point in the investigation [Music] Mark and Luke have decided to consult German military Archives this time luck is on their side in Freeburg they have found a map with the location of U-Boat sinkings as well as an important clue of the 62 submarines that navigated the Mediterranean Sea only three are unaccounted for and the last known position for one of them the u-455 was close to Genoa this information is essential to Luke and Mark because there is a place in Germany where you can find lots of information on the U-boats foreign contain log books objects and photos it is a real gold mine for researchers hunting down information [Music] we are researching the U-Boat u455 a former Submariner himself is the guardian of the temple his knowledge of U-Boat history is unparalleled is here there is a lot of information unbelievable there's so many pictures of our submarine that's the San is there it's incredible oh no acquired exceptional material and now we have a real Foundation to work from with lots of visual elements we have pictures of the men and the different missions of the training sessions of cruise arrival and departure from Sundays out we have lots of references this is very important Luke and Mark have met someone essential to the investigation Axel neasel is a German historian who is a regular at the archive Library as a renowned technical expert he has shed light on the events leading up to several U-Boat sinkings and has been involved in the search for many old submarines du-455 was most definitely a 7c type submarine but each shipbuilder Works slightly differently this is helpful today when identifying the boats on the basis of photos for instance a distinguishing feature on the u455 is this railing along the tower this type of railing comes from the Keel shipyards and this particular magnetic compass boats built in later years used a different models in these pictures you can see the tower in detail archives and those taken by Roberto are compared the three Specialists are now confident that the submarine in Genoa is the u455 finding the boat's identity is the key to moving forward with the submarine's number the logbook of its early missions can be located [Music] this document contains lots of information on the submarine's travels but it doesn't answer the primary question that continues to Fascinate Luke Mark and axel What happened to the u-455 the lists of the crew should help move the investigation forward these lists contain the names of the various Sailors who were assigned to this boat here's some leads here's an Li an onboard engineer named here's a Schwartz is a pretty common name in Germany so that one may be difficult there's an officer or a bonus after 70 years if we could find three or four of these crew members it would be a Miracles if we find one Luke and Mark have only been in Germany for a few days but Axel and easel has just given them some wonderful news two of the u-455 crew are still alive and willing to meet with them these two men had been transferred elsewhere just before the boat's final mission and therefore escaped the Shipwreck I am Luke blower we spoke over the phone and we've come from France Gerhard Schwartz worked on the u-455 in the diesel engine room here is his military record the U indicates that he is a Submariner I had no idea I was being assigned to the submarines everyone born in 1922 was supposed to join the ranks of the army under Hitler everyone had to served this is Spitzer I'd recognize him anywhere this is Spitzer and me again helmet Spitzer was a trained mechanic before being drafted into the army onboard u-455 he was assigned to the electric engine room although picture taking was prohibited Gerhard took many thanks to this exclusive testimony Luke and Mark are learning about the real everyday life of these submarine soldiers far from the images circulated at the time by the German propaganda machine foreign [Music] [Applause] is a perfect illustration of the fabricated cult status enjoyed by submarine commanders to the fascination of their Crews Preen had the courage to sink a British Battleship within the English Port of scapa flow which was a momentous achievement the site this is the first instance of propaganda being intentionally used to showcase the U-boats the fuhrer meets them at City Hall yeah um this event marked the birth of the legend of the aces which was consciously staged for the occasion in order to introduce the submarines to the public on a positive note recruiting new Crews became essential an ever-increasing number of young Sailors was needed to defy Britain [Music] are special [Music] foreign [Music] [Music] Schwartz and helmet Spitzer like many young submarine Sailors were trained at the Keel base in Northern Germany we wanted to go we wanted to achieve great things like others before us and all the radio stations talked constantly of their victories the things that one boat could accomplish on its own the impact it's been an atmosphere and you just had to take things as they came [Music] January 15 1942 the commander of u455 made his first entry in the logbook zero six zero five we depart from Keel on our first Patrol helmet Spitzer and Gerhard Schwartz will discover the high seas for the first time in their lives the submarine leaves the Bay of Keel and sets forth for the North the coast quickly disappears the temperature drops inside the boat the men get familiar with their surroundings Gerhart and helmet don't know the objective of their mission foreign ER has his own theories are we sailing towards England are we going to lay minds or attack a supply ship the captain alone is privy to orders from the high command Hitler is convinced at this time that the Allies are planning to arrive via Northern Norway in order to cut Germany off from its ore Supply u-455 is one of the submarines sent to the Norwegian Coast to await the allies [Music] Gerhart and helmet's first outing is hellish the open Waters of Northern Europe welcomes them with surging waves and violent icy winds the boat ricochets back and forth between the rising walls of water that Slam against the hull the Lookouts do not have a moment's rest the young Sailors are unable to hold down food day in and day out the crew members learn to co-exist in The Limited space the submarine has to offer each man keeps his growing apprehension to himself shielded on it's impossible to describe I'm incapable of answering the question of what is fear what is angst u455 does not remain in Norway for long a naval battle has shifted its theater of operations and is now concentrated around Britain on March 21 1942 Commander Hans Heinrich kesla receives a message from Admiral donitz he must leave the Norwegian coast and return to San Jose [Music] just like Brest La Rochelle and L'Oreal San nazare is under German control these port cities are the ideal bases from which to hunt down the commercial ships that Supply Britain Gerhard Schwartz and helmet Spitzer arrive in the French Port after a mere 10 days at sea the commander is frustrated he writes in the logbook entry into San Jose moving towards shelter number two there was no enemy contact during our second mission we are feeling increasingly inferior because we have not sunk anything yet arriving in San Jose the sailors of u-455 discovered a massive complex the German Navy had settled here to build a giant bunker including 14 South that could accommodate 20 submariners it was a small City where 3 500 men working on his construction everywhere submarines were being resupplied repaired and re-armed with Torpedoes this Ant Farm is what the soldiers discovered upon arrival they had just come from the tiny Port of Bergen they could not begin to imagine this huge complex whose sole purpose was to service the battle of the Atlantic the United States entry into the war will change the outcome of this battle but for now the U-boats are in their Prime the Americans never imagined that German submarines might sail right up to their coasts American ships left their harbors unescorted and towns remained lit up all night long these were ideal conditions for the U-boats who succeeded in Sinking many ships [Music] [Music] in this context u455's first American mission is quite simple to find Supply ships and sink them the crew is determined and convinced of its strength Commander Hans Heinrich gisler records the submarine's first battle in his logbook that day the lookout saw a tanker on the horizon it was the British Workman Gerhard cuts the diesel engines helmet launches the electric engines in preparation for submersion the first missiles are loaded into the torpedo tubes the commander gives the order to fire nothing happens on the first shot the second torpedo hits its Target 6994 tons it's a beginning gerhardt and helmet have finally entered the war I still remember when we sunk our first ship British Workman foreign of course foreign would they survive or not that's what worried us at the time it worried me in any case [Music] less than a week after this Victory a cruiser ship catches sight of you 455 and launches an underwater grenade attack three four five six from the first minutes of the attack the commander orders an immediate submersion the grenades won't stop coming 36 37 38. Gerhard and helmet will count a total of 39 explosions fall into the water or never when you wait what's going to happen how far away how long will this go on will it be quick or not where is the cruiser now these are the things that race through your mind [Music] on its way back u-455 sinks a second ship 13 900 tons Commander Hans Heinrich Kesler isn't a U-Boat Ace yet but two destroyed warships makes this first Atlantic Mission a definite success they greeted us with music the head of the flotilla was there waiting on the beard as soon as we were standing to attention on the deck became on board and shook everyone's hand [Music] a couple of photos become I was given photos from San Jose where you could see gisler being greeted there were women around that this really happened he's a hero he should receive a hero's welcome [Music] it was a wonderful imagine you've spent the last 60 days in the same place the same narrow space it's a very emotional moment wouldn't you agree you feel so free you do whatever you want [Music] u455's crew stays in the hotels of La Bol or in the rest camps in the countryside enjoying the beach Sports and cabarets the submariners receive very special treatment early 1942 was a great period for the propaganda machine which makes the most of these successes however this situation will not last for long [Music] in response he announces a shipbuilding program of 8 million tons per year the war has just gone Industrial [Music] in San Jose u-455 is checked repaired repainted and ready to take off after a two-month break [Music] foreign this time its Mission isn't so simple America's new strategy has forced commercial ships to travel in convoys protected by warships donets's Invincible U-boats cannot approach these convoys attacking them seems impossible onboard u-455 time is spent observing Allied ships but not attacking them the mood is glum until the radio operator receives a message strong Sunday boy arrived Gerhard Schwartz and helmet Spitzer learned through the boat's PA system the commander giesler has just had a son [Music] [Music] Commander was in great spirit not at all interested in hunting or Sinking enemy ships he was very proud We all shared his happiness [Music] after 50 days back at Sea u455 hadn't launched a single torpedo the submarine returns to the base at San Jose with an empty scorecard Admiral donitz customarily greets each Commander returning home he listens to the detailed account of the mission hour by hour those who don't seem to be up to the task are transferred out was this the case for Commander giesler there is nothing in the archives to indicate this however within days a new captain Hans Martin scheiba is named commander of the submarine was much more aggressive you joked that his neck was itching for the night's cross the commanders were obsessed with it they all wanted the knights crossed despite his unbending nature and his thirst for battle commander Hans Martin Shiva will have new problems to face it is late 1942 and the tables are turning the Allies have begun to mobilize Germany has lost the upper hand in all theaters of operation in Stalingrad her forces are surrounded in Africa she suffers setback after setback the submarine bases on the French Coast are bombarded the Allied planes attacked the U-boats as soon as they leave port why what was going on I'm the England at the British or the Americans suddenly become so smart and Powerful that their only concern was with our submarines [Music] is it because he is now part of Hitler's Inner Circle that donets doesn't want to disappoint the fuhrer Admiral Donuts persists despite the difficulties faced by his Crews [Music] for its seventh mission u-455 is sent off to the American Coast after several weeks the submarine will need to connect with its Supply ship in the past this has been a simple procedure we had enough ammunitions and supplies to stay out at sea for four to five weeks but after three extra days we were cutting it close we got a message informing us that a supply ship had been located somewhere in the area this time things didn't go as planned there was a mass of dark clouds overhead and the plane was flying inside these clouds the pilot was so clever that when the cloud Mass started to break up he flew straight towards us in bright sunlight so that the Sentinels and officers would be blinded had this blinding trick he was sure he would succeed if his aim was good we would be finished because it's a fellow on how did u455 escape the Allied planes the memories of this Mission are quite foggy for Gerhard Schwartz and Helmut Spitzer the log book doesn't contain any real detail of this attack either so Luke and Mark have decided to contact Tim Mulligan director of military archives in Washington they want to know if the Allies recorded any interaction between their planes and u-455 [Music] Tim Mulligan has found a report written by Lieutenant R.L Sterns the pilot who attacked the submarines he describes an extremely violent combat the appearance of the aircraft immediately alerted the Germans to their situation they threw up a wall of anti-aircraft fire three more American aircraft were then vectored to the area the supply U-boat stayed on the surface almost to the last Stearns made the final attack himself and he observed a massive explosion underwater he believed he had some Supply U-boat from subsequent research done in the 1990s we now believe that during the early stages of the combined Allied action u-455 followed what was always a common sense dictum when you're under Air Attack dive and live u-455 has miraculously escaped from the fighting what might sound like a happy ending actually marks a turning point for these submarines the U-Boat once considered to be a merciless Hunter has become an easily destroyed prey the consequence of the Allied Victory at Sea in the spring and summer of 1943 meant that the flow of supplies and troops and equipment from North America to the British Isles would be uninterrupted essentially by the U-Boat Menace this was the precondition that Roosevelt Churchill and all the Allied leaders had realized was necessary before an invasion of Europe could be launched the u-455 returns to the base in L'Oreal with a damaged Tower the sailors no longer feel Victorious and the water suddenly looks like lead [Music] bad news circulates silently from one boat to the next foreign the last Mediterranean ports under field Marshal of homo's control fall one by one passing under Allied command donitz is forced to reposition his U-boats once again u-455 has escaped British and American forces in the North Sea in the middle of the Atlantic and along the African Coast it must now join the fight in the Mediterranean on January 6 1944 Gerhard Schwartz and helmet Spitzer leave loreon in the early days of the war the submarines were cheered on by the crowd as they left Port today they depart in silence the two men look out to sea as a new obstacle rises in front of the boat's stem Gibraltar for German submarines during World War II passing Gibraltar was a real challenge the Strait's very narrow it's a British Fort whose team of escorts planes and radar are on the watch 24 hours a day foreign this Expedition is once again an ordeal the British have sunk nine U-boats in the past few months ten others had to abandon the idea of passing through the strait following heavy combat how can you 455 succeed where so many have failed [Music] [Music] given the amount of enemy traffic Commander shaiba decided to pass through the strait at night and take advantage of the currents entering the Mediterranean the rain we weren't allowed to speak either succeeding in passing through Gibraltar was a truly heroic act in those days after 40 hours underwater u-455 finally surfaces the oxygen level inside the submarine is very low and the men are close to fainting but who cares they made it through the strait they are returning from their ninth mission [Music] foreign [Music] is it because they escaped great danger or are they simply relieved in any event a curious bond has developed between the men and their boat an order awaits helmet Spitzer and Gerhard Schwartz upon their arrival in too long High command informs them that they will be returning to Germany to enroll in sub-officers training they leave u455 to its destiny [Music] what happened during u-455's last mission the answer to this question isn't found in German archives it isn't in British or American archives either the circumstances surrounding the sinking of u455 are still unknown [Music] thank you let's get sufficient there are several possible causes for the sinking of a submarine the first and most plausible one in my opinion would be a mine then there's the possibility of an air attack or a sea attack by a destroyer would find an anchor yeah it would support the Mind Theory at this point the investigation has become more complex for Luke Mark and axel additional means are required to move forward the comics a French Maritime exploration company has provided the team with precious help by making the Remora available to them as the mission's technical expert Axel has been chosen to lead the study of the boat this is a first for him he has never done a wreck dive when I was a child I always thought wow it must be impressive to dive and now I'm going into the blue it's fantastic [Music] [Music] here it is [Music] that's the boat it's incredible hi Axel how's everything going down there it's a marvelous sight I didn't think it was possible to have such an incredible view of a boat at the bottom of the sea Resort is this this is one of the most beautiful moments of my life I'm 400 Feet Under the Sea and I can practically touch the boat just by reaching out come on can you see anything we are inspecting the tower and we've noticed that the periscope's extended slightly by about 12 to 15 inches that is rather unusual this is a first clue the Periscope was up when the boat sunk which means that the submarine was navigating close to the surface at the time we are now right above the sea floor at least 30 feet of the stern appear to be missing meter is hex the absence of such a large section of the stem would indicate that a strong explosion had taken place and possibly destroyed the entire rear of the boat perfect dunk it [Music] after inspecting the submarine for over an hour Axel is able to offer a more detailed picture of the last moments of u455 there is an essential point that needs to be taken into account I believe the boat is pointing upwards at a 45 degree angle this means that there was still some air in the front at least initially the idea is a gruesome one because even if there was air remaining in this part of the boat the crew had virtually no chance of survival due to the steepness of the slope imagine that inside the boat people could barely move around under normal circumstances in this position it would be like climbing to the top of a mountain there must have been panic and confusion Escape would have been impossible assuming there were even any survivors left on board in Genoa the Remora diving Expedition has not gone unnoticed Paola Bottini in charge of underwater archaeological surveys in Italy remembers a recent discovery during the expiration of a field of m4a located not far from the wreck divers stumbled upon a strange object apparently a mine the existence of this mind sheds considerable light on the circumstances surrounding the sinking thanks to this discovery the investigation is about to take another unexpected turn Axel neasel has been able to find German Italian and British mind maps of the Zone these maps have a big surprise in store for the three historians the boat had received the order to Rally to this spot for 2200 hours so it could be escorted by a surface ship unfortunately on the way the submarine encountered a German Minefield didn't the commander have a map of the German mine locations apparently not this information was obviously top secret and it seems like someone forgot to provide the submarine with these maps and this tragic oversight caused the death of 50 men who spotting the coastline in the distance surely thought they had made it home yeah after escaping underwater grenades and resisting Allied air attacks over nine missions u-455 was in fact the victim of this invisible trap [Music] the team has invited Gerhard Schwartz to come to Genoa for a last tribute to his Fallen comrades for the research team this is a solemn occasion [Music] foreign [Music] [Music] my best friend in the uh remember my name I understand [Music] foreign [Music] [Music] [Music] thank you

Channel: Real History

Views: 1,264,665

Keywords: Deep Sea Exploration, Documentary Film, Forgotten History, Historical Mysteries, Historical Shipwrecks, Maritime History, Mediterranean Sea, Military History Channel, Naval Artifacts Recovery, Naval Battles, Naval Warfare, Nazi Germany, Nazi Submarine, Real History, Shipwreck Exploration, Submerged Artifacts Discovery, Sunken Vessels Exploration, Underwater Discoveries, Underwater Exploration, Underwater Museums, Underwater Research

Id: mngwJh_hS2k

Length: 52min 35sec (3155 seconds)

Published: Sat Feb 25 2023