 |
|
Narratives in English and
German translation by Mario M Weidner
U767 German Uboat discovered
/ English Channel 19th July 2002
Die Geschichte des deutschen U-Bootes U-767 gesunken im Englischen
Kanal
vor der französichen Kueste im Juni 1944
Latest U767 News Sole survivor now identified see below
U767 Navigation bar
Images of 767 today | Condition
of wreck | History | Team
| Additional Historic data
| Leigh Bishop begruesst die deutschen Besucher
auf dieser Webseite. Falls Sie uns bei der Suche nach Ihren
Angehörigen entdeckt haben, die an Bord von U-767 ihr Leben
liessen, dann folgen Sie bitte der Link "Liste der gefallenen
Besatzungsmitglieder". Für den Fall, dass sie durch
unsere Arbeit weitere Informationen zum Verbleib ihrer Angehörigen
finden konnten, wuerden wir uns freuen, wenn Sie uns diese Informationen
zukommen lassen wuerden. Kantakt: Leigh
Bishop |
U767 Discovery
U767 was just one of over 121 submarines and U-Boats lost in
the English channel since the 18th Century, 767 of course a
victim of World War Two along with 49 serving German submariners.
During an expedition in search of deep shipwrecks off the North
French coastline in July of 2002 Leigh Bishop and his wreck
diving team investigated an undived U-Boat thought to be that
of U767. The wreck investigated that lie at a depth of 250ft
in the cold waters of the English Channel was in remarkable
condition and has all the signs of being that of 767 in question.
Historic information indicates U767 as having been lost within
this close proximity of where the team had been investigating
unknown wrecks.
Expedition leader Leigh
Bishop had received strong information alongside a possible
set of GPS numbers from Channel Isles wreck hunters John
Ovenden and Paul
Haslam. The information was then shared with Skipper and
wreck discoverer Steve
Wright aboard Loyal Watcher and it was decided to spend
a specific time period throughout the 9 day expedition in search
of the lost U-boat in question. |
| After an extensive search an unknown wreck representing
a possible Uboat was discovered by the team on a fix not far
from Ovendens position. Ovenden and Halsam had previously spent
time in the area whilst searching for HMS
Limbourne when they picked up sonar readings. From our research
U767 was the only U-boat lost within this particular area. Leigh
Bishop had also received information on this U-boat from Alain
Launay a French wreck researcher responsible for the location
of HMS
Charybdis. |
|
U-767 - entdeckt und zum ersten Mal seit dem
Untergang betaucht, durch Leigh Bishop
The stern intact prop of U767 |
Condition of U767
The team dived the wreck which lie at 250ft/75m in reasonable
conditions as far as Channel diving conditions go with Visibility
at approx 12m with good ambient light. Steve Wrights shot line
hooked into the wreck at the very stern tip (quite literally)
which in turn enabled a full investigation of the Uboat from
stern to bow and back again to a know fixed position. The wreck
takes on a list to port some 70 degrees and is completely intact,
records suggest that U767 was depth charged to destruction,
although if this is 767 the depth charges did not penetrate
the pressure hull as such. |
A little aft of the conning tower there appears
to be 2 indents into the pressure hull side by side. At first
sight this appears as if the boat has been rammed although quite
possibly this is a result of depth charges. The indents have
not penetrated through the pressure hull as such and this was
the only damage we inspected over the entire wreck. Since the
expedition we have analysed digital video footage and again
found no apparent signs of obvious damage. There is a hatch
wide open aft of the conning tower and several feet aft of the
damage. Again further to the bow the torpedo loading hatch appears
also to be open. On the conning tower itself there remains only
a single hatch that is fixed shut. This hatch appears to be
the only exit from the conning tower with room here for one
person only. i.e. it looks to me as if a single person could
have been on watch at any one time. There are no guns fixed
to this boat which at such a late period during the war is naturally
expected. The RDF Loop on the tower also remains in remarkable
condition. All hydroplanes are also intact as are deck supports
and framework. Conclusions where imminent that this vessel was
in fact a type VIIC not unlike that of U767.
This U-Boat is one of several first investigated by Leigh Bishop
however remains as one that stands out from others due to her
remarkable condition. The exploration of the U-Boat during the
expedition was remarked upon as one of the finest dives of the
year and will be remembered in time to come. |
| Falls Sie Ueberlebende von U-767 kennen
und Angaben ueber Ihren Verbleib machen koennen bitten wir Sie
freundlich darum, mit uns Kontakt aufzunehmen, denn es liegt
uns viel daran, das letzte Kapitel dieser Geschichte zu schreiben
und dabei vielleicht so gar die Geschichte von Ueberlebenden
erzählen zu können. |
Last thought of Axel Niestlé
The coordinates of the wreck given by Leigh Bishop correspond
with the war time position fix given for the loss of the boat
by the warships involved. Apart from the fact that a survivor
was picked up who gave testimony about the identity of the boat,
the position is along the course ordered for U 767 while approaching
the Seine Bay. Likewise we have presently no information about
any other German WWII boat lost in the this area. Therefore
I am pretty sure that this wreck is U 767. The lack of physical
damage to the boat is probably attributable to the fact that
the exploding charges just caused an indent of the pressure
hull with a small leak or so. |
Open hatch on U767 as she lies today at the
bottom of
the English Channel. |
At 50 + meters depth a leak like a hand is uncontrollable by
pumps and inevitably leads to the flooding of the boat. The
survivor probably left from the stern part. I am sure he was
interrogated by the NID. A report is possibly filed at the PRO
or the MoD/NHB. Much to my regret his name is not known to me.
I intend to research the WASt here in Berlin because he probably
turned up sometime to file his pension documents at the age
of 65! There are no documents directly related to U 767 like
KTB about its operational career. All information must come
from secondary sources like KTB BdU, decrypted radio msg and
other sources. Thus information will always be limited compared
with other boats. |
NEWS NEWS
Sole survivor of U767 identified click on link below to find out
more
To see a full list of named men lost aboard U767 June
18th 1944 / their rank and age at time of lost.
Klicken SIe hier, um eine vollständige Liste der Besatzungsmitglieder
(mit Dienstgrad und Alter) zu erhalten, die am 18. Juni 1944 gefallen
sind.
Click
Here / clicken Sie bitte hier
History
Above; Oberleutnat zur See Walter Dankleff addressing
his crew
aboard U767.
Position 49degrees 03N / 03degrees13W
Date; 18th June 1944
Type; Class Type VIIC
Identification; U767
Senior officer; Oberleutnat zur See Walter
Dankleff
At 1005hours a U-boat was located by D/F by the 14th Escort
group comprising of HMS Fame (senior officer), Hotspur, Inconstant,
Icarus and Havelock. Although the signal was weak, its position,
between Lannion and St Malo, corresponded with the track of
a U-boat making a passage along the coast, so the group proceeded
at full speed to the area. At 1620hours Fame was in asdic contact
and attacked first with hedgehog-she was rewarded with three
explosions after 4 and a half seconds, followed by the appearance
of a large bubble of oil- and then with depth charges. Havelock
followed up with more depth charges. Inconstant was running
in for a Hedgehog attack when a man wearing Drager breathing
apparatus appeared on the surface in an air bubble. He was quickly
picked up by Fame. German shore batteries now began laying down
an accurate fire on the ships. Hotspur was ordered to make smoke
while the other ships withdrew, having delivered a number of
attacks to make sure that the U-boat was dead. The sole survivor,
who identified himself as coming from U767, said that the hedgehog
attack had struck the U-boat forward. He had been stationed
aft and had simply been blown out of the boat in an air bubble.
Cdr Currie, Fames CO noted that 'His escape from 40 fathoms
between attacks made him a rather precious commodity. |
Above; The crew aboard U767.
Above; Oberleutnat zur See Walter Dankleff aboard U767.
Team
Leigh Bishop [Expedition
Leader/stills photography]
Dave Wilkins [Video]
Kevin Pickering [Video]
Chris Hutchison [Video]
Tim Cashman [Video]
Bob Hughes, Teresa Telus, Des Murray, Jamie Powel, Christina
Campbell, Andy Mumford, Mark Elliot
Skipper [Steve Wright]
On board crew [ Phil Hodgeson/Gordon Bell]
Research Alain Launay, John Ovenden, Paul Haslam, Axel Niestlé,
Leigh Bishop with assistance from Richie Kholar. |
Expedition dive vessel Loyal watcher chartered
by deep wreck explorer Leigh Bishop at the time
of the U767 Discovery. |
Falls Sie Leigh Bishop, Autor von DeepImage
kontaktieren wollen, clicken Sie bitte hier
See Images of the wreck today > Click
here
More info on the Atlantic U-boat war and more can be found on Ahoy!
Macs Web Log
|
|
