I am a Sucker for these Shows- "The Lost U-Boats of WWII"

[roedj]

Bob,

I see your point about the type being a VII-C and not a VII-G. I still think it might be a "G" but if you're right then that's a whole different matter as the VII-C was a very common type.

I still have a problem with the premise of this series.
1) modify a type VII-C to haul cargo unseen "somewhere" - OK, it's possible
2) doing the modification means removing any means of underwater offense - no torpedos - doable but risky..
3) mount two deck guns (88 or 105mm) for offense/defense while surfaced - doable but really risky - if I'm under attack the last thing I want to do in a submarine is come to the surface and start blasting away - one good sized hole in the pressure hull and I'm pretty much screwed. If all I want to do is sink some tramp steamer, that's certainly possible but hardly qualifies as quietly sneaking in to some port to offload my treasure.

I, too, learned about the plan to tow a V2 to America and launch it so I'll keep watching as well but am not expecting much in the way of gold treasure. I have to believe that if this group had actually found U-Boats with treasure inside that would have made world wide news way beyond the scope of this History Channel series.. I've heard nothing like that - has anyone?

Captain Cwestioning.

[tifosi12]

And I did not know this-I have already learned that the Nazis planned to tow V2 rockets by Uboat via underwater trailers to NYC...I think I'll stick it out until I can't stand it any longer-It beats watching Wheel of Fortune or the Bachelor!

Yes, they had several different plans for the V-2, the one your drawing shows was called the "Schwimmweste". Crazy plan and not likely to ever have worked, but hey.

It's actually covered in my book, which I need to get around to publish. One of these days. :)

Another use of U-Boats in this context was as guiding radios for the Amerikarakete (V-10/A-9) to make it to Manhattan. Also covered in my book but more recently also covered in my upcoming movie.

[Bob Gato]

Well as I said, so far the show has not yield anything. Some nice footage of divers in the Gulf of Mexico but that's about it. I have more WW2 memorabilia at home than these guys picked up from the ocean floor so far. Still hoping it gets better. Not holding my breath.

...and why would one start off a season of 10 episodes with the money find, Captain obviously this is not your jam-yes I know it will probably go the way of Al's Vault, but as the Title of the post states:
I am a Sucker for these Shows-

And I did not know this-I have already learned that the Nazis planned to tow V2 rockets by Uboat via underwater trailers to NYC...I think I'll stick it out until I can't stand it any longer-It beats watching Wheel of Fortune or the Bachelor!

[Bob Gato]

I had high hopes for this show but now I'm not so sure. In the opening credits somebody unrolls a ship's drawing of an U-Boot. It clearly shows it to be a Typ VII-G. Narrator claims the drawing to be top secret and all that. I would hope so because I can find no record of a Typ VII-G either planned, contracted for or actually built.

So... good luck to them finding a sub that never existed.

Captain Contrary

I did my best to grab a screen shot of the opening credits and as I see it the blueprint does not "Clearly show it to be a Typ VII-G" Considering the fold in the blueprint, I see it to be a TYP VII C

[He Who Shall Not Be Named]

No Jimmy Hoffa? LOL

...third season of the show.

[Albacore 569]

No, no. You guys have it all wrong -- that submarine was taking Hitler and his gang to the super-dupper-secret flying-saucer base erected at the south-pole so they could escape to the moon colony established in the late 30's. Shows like this eventually turn into a version of 'Al Capone's Valt'.

No Jimmy Hoffa? LOL

[tifosi12]

Well as I said, so far the show has not yield anything. Some nice footage of divers in the Gulf of Mexico but that's about it. I have more WW2 memorabilia at home than these guys picked up from the ocean floor so far. Still hoping it gets better. Not holding my breath.

[He Who Shall Not Be Named]

Well. we'll see. But just for the record, I for one, will not be surprised if if the Knights Templar get dragged into this Nazi treasure hunt boondoggle.

Could it be...?

Captain Contemptuous

No, no. You guys have it all wrong -- that submarine was taking Hitler and his gang to the super-dupper-secret flying-saucer base erected at the south-pole so they could escape to the moon colony established in the late 30's. Shows like this eventually turn into a version of 'Al Capone's Valt'.

[roedj]

Well. we'll see. But just for the record, I for one, will not be surprised if if the Knights Templar get dragged into this Nazi treasure hunt boondoggle.

Could it be...?

Captain Contemptuous

[Bob Gato]

I see that they had Type VIIFs that were used as a torpedo freighters- I guess a VIIG would have been next in line...

[Bob Gato]

Well-I understood that it was a modified type VII with the torpedo tubes removed and a larger deck gun- Designed to be used as a freighter.

[roedj]

I had high hopes for this show but now I'm not so sure. In the opening credits somebody unrolls a ship's drawing of an U-Boot. It clearly shows it to be a Typ VII-G. Narrator claims the drawing to be top secret and all that. I would hope so because I can find no record of a Typ VII-G either planned, contracted for or actually built.

So... good luck to them finding a sub that never existed.

Captain Contrary

[tifosi12]

I watched the 2nd part last night. Ladida. Big whoops: They found a German beer bottle from Bremen (I wish somebody would have taught them how to pronounce that correctly) and a couple of broken Luftwaffe dinner plates.

Their immediate reaction was that this clearly shows they are onto the special U-Boats that carried the Gold to South America. It's an obvious conclusion when you find a beer bottle, don't you think?

I'm still hopeful this gets better and leads anywhere other than to the obvious finds, which are to be expected in a place where the Kriegsmarine or Luftwaffe hung out. Oh and btw: Like every realtiy TV show (cue in Expedition Unknown) all Germans are simply called Nazis. There is no differentiation made between members of the NSDAP vs regular soldiers of the armed forces. <sigh>

[Albacore 569]

I wish they would be able to locate the French submarine Surcouf in the Gulf of Mexico (well to be accurate near Panama), but doubt as her history has nothing to do with Nazi treasure.. (academic history and respect, not Profit greed). But these expeditions cost money too.


Surcouf arriving at Halifax, Canada February 1941. About a year before her loss near Panama.




Surcouf receiving a 3-month refit at Portsmouth, NSY at Portsmouth New Hampshire/Maine September 1941.

[Bob Gato]

Then, there's the legalities of messing with war graves. I like to watch "The Curse of Oak Island" but can easily live without the duffus narrator's constant re-hashing of really obvious facts and his stoopit questions! I guess the intrigue for me is the methodology being employed to get down to and finally enter the tunnels, if they can. Must be the old coalminer in me.

Yes this is going to be the big year for Rick and Marty... I just consider
the rehash all the time is for the people who never saw the show before

And then there's the narrator who calls scuba tanks oxygen tanks...lol it happens to be the same narrator for both shows.... I'm sure if the people actually doing the work were asked to critique every show they would want many corrections... I hear a lot of interviews where the stars say last night was the first time saw that show...