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On the 12th January 1950, HM Submarine Truculent spent the day at sea off the Thames Estuary carrying out trials, following a long refit. Apart from the full crew, there were 18 civilian dockyard officials on board to make any last minute adjustments, as she was due to sail for Scotland the next day. As she made her way up to the Medway Approaches, the Officer of the Watch conned the submarine on the surface. Traffic in the river was heavy and the steaming lights of many ships on their way into and out of the Port of London were clearly visible on all sides.
"They were the only thing that really frightened me" So said the usually steadfast Winston Churchill of the German Navy's U-Boat fleet - the dreaded Wolf Pack, which stalked the Atlantic depths, bringing instant death to merchantman and warship alike.
Together with a formidable surface fleet, the U-Boats challenged the Royal Navy's traditional supremacy of the oceans, countering Britain's strength in numbers with a reign of silent terror. A decade of secret rebuilding had brought forth capital ships like the Scharnhorst, Gneisenau and Prinz Eugen - names to strike fear into any Allied seafarer.
However, it was from under the water that the biggest threat was to come. Commanded by Admiral Karl Doenitz, the submarines laid waste to shipping, cutting supply lines and striking from within convoys where Allied escorts dare not use guns. The U-Boat captains were the equivalent of Luftwaffe aces - ruthless, cunning and ice-cool under pressure. Enduring harsh conditions for months on end and working in darkness with no chance of escape, this was truly a war of nerves.
"There is no margin for error on a submariner" said one captain. "You are either alive or dead." on May 4 1945, Doenitz issued orders to cease hostilities. "You have fought like lions" he said to his valiant survivors. "You are laying down your arms after a heroic fight which knows no equals."
The story of that light is told hare using rare archive footage, much of which has been unavailable in the West since World War II.
11 pages added or updated in the last 1 months
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On the 12th January 1950, HM Submarine Truculent spent the day at sea off the Thames Estuary carrying out trials, following a long refit. Apart from the full crew, there were 18 civilian dockyard officials on board to make any last minute adjustments, as she was due to sail for Scotland the next day. As she made her way up to the Medway Approaches, the Officer of the Watch conned the submarine on the surface. Traffic in the river was heavy and the steaming lights of many ships on their way into and out of the Port of London were clearly visible on all sides.
"They were the only thing that really frightened me" So said the usually steadfast Winston Churchill of the German Navy's U-Boat fleet - the dreaded Wolf Pack, which stalked the Atlantic depths, bringing instant death to merchantman and warship alike.
Together with a formidable surface fleet, the U-Boats challenged the Royal Navy's traditional supremacy of the oceans, countering Britain's strength in numbers with a reign of silent terror. A decade of secret rebuilding had brought forth capital ships like the Scharnhorst, Gneisenau and Prinz Eugen - names to strike fear into any Allied seafarer.
However, it was from under the water that the biggest threat was to come. Commanded by Admiral Karl Doenitz, the submarines laid waste to shipping, cutting supply lines and striking from within convoys where Allied escorts dare not use guns. The U-Boat captains were the equivalent of Luftwaffe aces - ruthless, cunning and ice-cool under pressure. Enduring harsh conditions for months on end and working in darkness with no chance of escape, this was truly a war of nerves.
"There is no margin for error on a submariner" said one captain. "You are either alive or dead." on May 4 1945, Doenitz issued orders to cease hostilities. "You have fought like lions" he said to his valiant survivors. "You are laying down your arms after a heroic fight which knows no equals."
The story of that light is told hare using rare archive footage, much of which has been unavailable in the West since World War II.
11 pages added or updated in the last 1 months
Please help to maintain this site by reporting any Errors, Broken Links, Information or Site Issues on this page using this button
If you find this site useful, please consider supporting my work with a small Donation.
Please Note: Donations made using this option go directly to the site owner and not to the Submariners Association.
Thankyou for your support.