Comments

You have commented 339 times on Rantburg.

Your Name

Your e-mail (optional)

Website (optional)

	My Original Nic Pic-a-Nic Sorry. Comments have been closed on this article.
Foto

Submit your comments on this article

Europe

Es ist die lebensegefahr, das Kriegsmarine boot U-864

2006-12-20

Norway tackles toxic war grave
Robotic excavations have found some of the canisters of mercury It was not quite the deadly legacy the Germans had in mind when they deployed a U-boat on a daring mission to Japan in the last desperate months of World War II.

When it set sail in December 1944, U-864 was packed with 65 tonnes of weapons-grade mercury destined to help the Japanese win back supremacy over the US in the Pacific - and divert American attention away from Europe in the process.

Neither the cargo nor the 73 men on board made it. The U-boat was torpedoed to the bottom of the North Sea floor by a British submarine. More than 60 years on, its toxic cargo is slowly leaking into the waters off the coast of Norway, an ecological time bomb threatening marine - and potentially human - life.

Posted by:Besoeker

#9 Our warships are too hi-techy = risque' to allow into unfriendly hands, directly or roundabout thru our Allies, so our USN prefers to sink 'em instead of placing in naval reserve. Warships barely 20 years old, or in the alt could serve many more decades, are now fish-food = reefs.

Posted by: JosephMendiola 2006-12-20 22:25

#8 But it will also seal up what is the watery grave of 73 men.

One of them was 18-year-old Willi Transier, who had just asked Edith Wetzler to marry him before he set off on a mission he suspected he might never return from.

"It still hurts," says Mrs Wetzler, who is now 84.

Oh fer cryin out loud! What limp wiener writes this stuff. The guys have been dead for over 60 years. So their grave goes a little bit deeper. WHO FREAKIN CARES!!!! They sure don't.

I really hate the BBC.
"But I am so thankful that we had the few years we did have together."

Posted by: remoteman 2006-12-20 15:57

#7 Oh, Mick - c'mon! Somebody ought to be able to get a grant to study it, doncha think?

Posted by: Bobby 2006-12-20 14:44

#6 Good grief! I should have read the rest of your dribblings before I responded to the erroneous class designation. Ah, well, a fisking is in order.

Such boats would be tremendously useful as "loud submarines" for non-military missions, both scientific exploration and oceanic toxic waste recovery-or-entombment.

I'll have some of whatever you're having, the high must be great!

With all classified systems replaced with ordinary navigation equipment,...

Who makes "ordinary navigation equipment" suitable for navigating a submarine the likes of a Los Angeles class boat? Just askin'!

Even a special hatch could be built into the bottom of the boat to haul up such material; or, if it could not be safely recovered, to pump enormous amounts of underwater concrete over it, sealing it up.

Uh huh. So, you want to cut a hole in an end-of-life hull and submerge with it? Be my guest. Oh, have you ever been inside a Los Angeles class submarine? I would guess not, if you had you would realize there is NO PLACE to put "enormous amounts" of concrete...waterproof or not.

If this sounds a bit like "Sea-View", consider the amazing things the Glomar Explorer did for US national security.

It sounds like "Sea-View" and Jonny Quest all rolled up together. What, next you were going to suggest they hire Race Bannon...right? The Glomar Explorer was a purpose built ship for the sole mission of recovering a Russian sub from the bottom of the sea.

Beyond that mission, and it's somewhat dubious contribution to Nation Security compared to its cost, just what else has it done? In terms of contributing to National Security that is?

Posted by: Mick Dundee 2006-12-20 11:51

#5 With several of our Los Angeles-class boomers coming to the end of their military lives...

Los Angeles class submarines are NOT boomers. They're Fast Attack boats designed to hunt enemy boomers.

The U.S. Fleet Ballistic Missle Submarines (boomer) are Ohio class. That is all. Carry on.

Posted by: Mick Dundee 2006-12-20 11:29

#4 ...If at all possible, let these men rest. They were unkowingly sent out on a suicide mission (and the vast majority of the U-waffe weren't strong Nazis, just men who believed they were serving their country)and they never really had a chance.
BTW, no such thing as 'weapons-grade' mercury - wonder if they are trying to somehow connect this with the 'red mercury' myth of a few years ago. More than likely the stuff is perfectly safe on the seabed - trying to seal it up with 'a special type of gravel' would probably do more harm than good. Mark it, patrol it, and leave it alone.

Mike

Posted by: Mike Kozlowski 2006-12-20 09:34

#3 With several of our Los Angeles-class boomers coming to the end of their military lives, I thought it was unfortunate that they are going to be decommissioned.

Such boats would be tremendously useful as "loud submarines" for non-military missions, both scientific exploration and oceanic toxic waste recovery-or-entombment.

With all classified systems replaced with ordinary navigation equipment, and the boat modified to be somewhat noisy and slow, it could seek out dangerous nuclear and chemical waste dumped at sea. Because the boat has to carry a huge number of lead bricks for ballast, shielding for nuclear materials would be no problem.

Even a special hatch could be built into the bottom of the boat to haul up such material; or, if it could not be safely recovered, to pump enormous amounts of underwater concrete over it, sealing it up. Several of the underwater toxic waste dumps are a major threat to both fishing and coastlines, and need to be taken care of.

If this sounds a bit like "Sea-View", consider the amazing things the Glomar Explorer did for US national security.

Posted by: Anonymoose 2006-12-20 08:15

#2 Schpricken schpracken schprockets.

You'd have to be ancient to get the connection... Meyers (and his monkey), SNL, Schprockets, "Now's zee time on schprockets ven vee dance!"

Posted by: .com 2006-12-20 07:42

#1 lebensgefahr: feminine mortal danger; in (unter) Lebensgefahr in danger (at the risk) of one's life.

Perhaps you meant Friedhof (männlich) a cemetery or graveyard?

[high-school German off]

Posted by: Bobby 2006-12-20 07:03

00:00