Ahoy - Mac's Web Log

(See more about U-767 including the sole survivor story)

This Type V11c boat was laid down on the 5th. of April 1941, but it took until the 11th. of September 1943 for her to commission under the command of Ober Leutnant Zur See Walter Dankleff. She made but one patrol with very limited success, one ship of 1,370 tons sunk, the British Frigate Mourne, on the 15th. of June 1944.

Only three days later U-767 was detected by three ships from the British Support Group 14, HM ships Fame, Inconstant, and Havelock. Fame attacked with her Hedge Hog, reporting two or three hits at a depth of 95 feet, the Hedge Hog, an ahead throwing weapon, firing off 24 under water projectiles which only explode on achieving a hit on their submarine target.

Over the next hour, the three ships carried out three deliberate depth charge attacks which drove the U Boat to the sea floor at a depth of 250 feet, she was now doomed, one of 121 submarines and U-Boats to be sunk in the English Channel since the 18th. century.

From a crew of 50, but one survived, a stoker, Walter Schmietenknop escaped from a torpedo tube to surface in the midst of the depth charge explosions, and was picked up by Fame.

Forward to July 2002, and the Starfish Enterprise Wreck Diving Team.
The expedition leader, Leigh Bishop had information from the Channel Isles wreck hunters John Overton and Paul Haslam, and the French wreck researcher Alain Launay about the possible location of U-767. This was shared with the wreck discoverer Steve Wright, also Skipper of Loyal Watcher, it was decided to spend time specifically looking for the sunken   U-767. After considerable searching, a wreck, which had all the hallmarks of a submarine was found, close to Ovenden's given position.

The wreck of U-767.
The diving team investigated this find, it was a submarine listing 70 degrees to port, but suprisingly intact, with two dents in the pressure hull abaft the conning tower, and a hatch which was found to be open, it was also aft of the conning tower. Closer to the bow, the hatch used to load torpedoes into the boat was found open. The position where this submarine was located correlates with the position of the sinking of the German U-Boat U767 fixed by the British warships which sank her 58 years ago.

The single survivor picked up by Fame, had at that time, confirmed the identity of his submarine as U-767, it would seem beyond any doubt that the team had found, dived on, and explored U-767, sunk in position: 49 degrees 03 minutes North, 03 degrees 13 minutes West on the 18th. of June 1944.

Once again, the ocean had been forced to give up yet another of its secrets, modern diving techniques and equipment are allowing intrepid divers to locate and dive on more and more wrecks that have long been hidden in their secret lairs.

When one adds the wonders of under water photography to this mix, we are now able to enjoy visually the amazing shots of this newly found U-Boat, now the home of colourful marine life.

A word of thanks.
A special thank you to Leigh Bishop and his Deep Image Co UK, for his gracious agreement
to the use of the underwater photographs of U-767, which are reproduced here .

Pictures to come:

Open hatch of U767 at 250 feet in English Channel.
Note these photographs are reproduced with the permissioin of Leigh Bishop.

A view directly into the conning tower of U767

The intact propellor of U767, 58 years after her sinking in 1944.
Picture courtesy of Kevin Pickering

The fish explore an open hatch aft of U767's conning tower.

Leigh Bishop swims over the deck of U767 at a depth of 250 feet.
Picture courtesy of Kevin Pickering

 
The propellor and shaft of U767, view taken from the port side
Picture courtesy of Kevin Pickering.
See Kevin's website, Shipwreck Films, to view more of his underwater work