Manchester ship canal-Mystery submarines and rocket fuel

[@iancallaghan4059]

Brilliant Andy, Also my Dad worked as an engineer with Houlder Bros and another memory is coming up the Ship canal on MV Oregis overnight to unload iron Ore at Irlam Steel works the next day 😊

[@colin10ten83]

Hi Andy, I worked for Manchester Ship Canal Company, the submarines came up the Canal on courtesy visits. The crews enjoyed the visits, and they were helpful because, if in a war situation they had to navigate up a canal in enemy territory they would know how to handle the submarine in a confined waterway. The contours of the Canal bottom helped the Sonar Operators to calculated depths etc. One of the last submarines that came up the Canal while still in commission, was "HMS Otus" which was preserved in West Float Birkenhead, for several year before being moved to Scotland.

[@Supernorthwest]

Hi Colin,ive heard stories of submatines being fully submerged whilst on sonar training in the canal but some say it is not deep enough. Looking at some old pics it looks to me it was deep enough in parts,even deeper after dredging.👍

[@bluenose8442]

Having been born in Latchford, I can tell you it’s not “just outside Warrington”. It’s a district of Warrington. I saw the subs in the locks when I was a kid in the 60s. It was an amazing sight. Large ships were a daily thing and the locks were always busy.

[@petedix2554]

This has brought back a memory, I seem to remember going with my dad to see submarines on the ship canal. It would have been before 66 as we moved away then. I thought it was Salford docks, but i was only 6 or 7 so I could well be wrong.

[@johntheman2006]

Nice video mate. I live not far from here now, and cycled down there just the other day. Love to see local history, and will be interested to read the comments in future.

[@Supernorthwest]

Thank you mate. Glad you enjoyed. I never knew that place existed and finding that concrete dock,my eyes lit up😁👍

[@Supernorthwest]

Can I just say,massive respect to all you guys that have manned the sumarines,past and present. Our waters around this great island are a lot safer due to your profession and what you all do. Peace,Andy💪

[@Redman6899]

Used to walk past that concrete edifice with my parents in the 70s.It was nice clean concrete then.We used to think it was a gun emplacement.

[@davidroberts7425]

I remember going on a sub on a courtesy visit in the 60's in Pomona or Salford. Your music sounds like watching UFO Seekers. All very interesting.

[@wendyparker5958]

Hi i have to disagree i loved the music and can see yr passion in what you do. Hats off to you for bringing all this history to us. Thank you 👍

[@Supernorthwest]

Cheers mate glad you enjoyed. I believe one of the sub crews went to watch united and had dinner with Mat Busby,then went out with them in the night to watch a Tommy Trinder show👍

[@GregPodster133]

Used to play there as a child (70s) the local name for the laporte dock was 2nd castle, there is another one back towards Chester road swing Bridge. ( 1st Castle) thanks for your video. Brings back happy memories. 👍👍

[@Supernorthwest]

Nice one mate glad you enjoyed it. Must of been great as a kid growing up round there👍

[@iancallaghan4059]

Remember queuing for what seemed hours in the rain at Trafford Park in the 60s to walk through one of the Subs

[@Supernorthwest]

Hi Ian, i bet it was worth the wait. Thank you for taking the time to watch the film. Hope you enjoyed it. Cheers, Andy👍

[@1926brady]

Class vid never had a clue , very interesting 👍

[@markcharles3969]

During the late 70,s as a young lad I spent lots of time down by the canal in the runcorn area, and as a result I got to know how the water reacted when a ship was approaching. One evening I was at sandy cove and and the water receeded fully a s if one of the Manchester liners was approaching. But there wasn't a ship in sight and I am convinced a sub must have been on a trial or something

[@Supernorthwest]

Interesting story that mate.That must of been quite scary as a kid too! Who knows what they were up to in them days.Thank you for watching. Andy

[@cockerhamsands]

I would think what you saw would have been a Tidal Bore - I think the base of the canal would be too unpredictable for a submarine.

[@Supernorthwest]

@@cockerhamsands I believe the canal was roughly 8mtr deep when built but i know It was dredged many times possibly making it deeper. Maybe the sonar would of made the guidance possible but i suppose it would of been a push to fully submerge.

[@lauriehartley9808]

Another very interesting video Andy. The last time I was in the UK (2017 I think) I did a trip up the canal on a ferry boat from the pier head all the way up to Manchester. We had to go through the locks which were still working then - amazing experience being on a vessel that was literally lifted up by water entering the lock!. Another wonder of British engineering which has been left to deteriorate. Will they ever learn? By the way my dad also worked on the Thelwall viaduct as a steel erector. Next stop Runcorn Andy😉

[@Supernorthwest]

Cheers Laurie. If you check out my other Manchester ship canal video, there is a litttle bit on Runcorn in that👍

[@RichieWellock]

yeah a nice place to look round by the massive lock gates and awesome viaduct. Them submarines were ming I went on for a look a few times while serving on V class submarines. great vid

[@Supernorthwest]

Glad you enjoyed mate. Wow!must of been a great job serving on V class though. Bet you got to see some great places 👍

[@RichieWellock]

yeah great places, Scotland leaving - Scotland returning . lol

[@richardball9724]

Same for me my last boat was vanguard before I left in 2008. Would never have been able to handle being on a desial boat

[@RichieWellock]

@@richardball9724 v boats all the luxuries in comparison. ALW explorers channel, was also on V boats.

[@martf8014]

One Bar, so he was not the captain

[@Supernorthwest]

Hi, I think I should brush up on my stripes mate Thank you for watching and hope you enjoyed the rest of the film, kind regards, Andy.👍

[@RobbieCumming]

Really interesting videos keep em coming 🤓👍

[@Supernorthwest]

Thanks Robbie. Glad you enjoyed it. Watch out for another one later today.cheers Andy

[@chrisshaw9836]

great vid pal, subscribed

[@Supernorthwest]

Cheers pal and thanks for the sub👍

[@jimmyviaductophilelawley5587]

3:57 the exact spot I want my ashes scattered! My favourite place in the world! By the way in the early 80s a nuclear submarine went up the canal at least once don't know what for...best wishes and take care

[@bobbydavies3223]

Fab that one they just might of been doing their roots 😁🤘

[@Supernorthwest]

🤣🤣🤣

[@Redman6899]

It was a silent E on the Laporte.You are thinking of the chap who plays for man City.My dad used to work there.He said if laportes ever blows up it will take Warrington with it.

[@Supernorthwest]

Ha,I was wondering of the correct way to say it,but thanks for the input. Who knows what they make there Now. Hope you enjoyed it mate👍

[@colin10ten83]

@@Supernorthwest Hi Andy, the Laporte Berth, was used regularly by a coaster to ship Chemical Products to another Laporte Plant, which I think was in Ireland.

[@christoffjones8154]

Very interesting... My dad just said it right I think ... He said ‘you don’t build places like this along a canal without a reason’ ... hmmmm ... look forward to your next one mate

[@Supernorthwest]

Thank you Christoff! Gets you thinking doesnt it. Glad you enjoyed and thank you for watching👍

[@mike3244]

The V1 ran on petrol or diesel and the V2 ethanol, water, LOX. I think that by this time the Navy were using battery powered 21" torpedoes

[@Supernorthwest]

@@mike3244 have read up on it Mike. The V1 used a few different types of fuels up until the introduction of the V2. 👍

[@rjmun580]

I assumed that torpedoes were loaded onto the submarine in a ready to use condition. I really can't see that the crew would have had to handle the fuel on board the vessel.

[@Supernorthwest]

Thats possible,but more than likely the subs were there to unload unwanted chemicals before going into retirement as some people I spoke to last year have suggested👍

[@Supernorthwest]

Its believed that HTP leaked from drums stored on the russian sub Kursk causing a fire then explosion. But it is good that this film gets people thinking ☝

[@richardball9724]

The same fuel near enough is still used in torpedoes today. The fish always came fully fuelled ready to go and the WE,s would never touch that side of them. There are some major procedures in case of a fuel leak tho

[@RogueWraith909]

@@Supernorthwest It wasn't in drums on Kursk... it was in the torpedoes...

[@totherarf]

The V1 was a pulse jet so did not use HTP!

[@Supernorthwest]

From what I can gather,the V1 had fitted a few different systems before the V2

[@totherarf]

@@Supernorthwest They were known as "Doodle Bugs or Buzz Bombs" for a reason. The whine from the engine was the "buzz" and they used to run out of fuel and set a random direction so when you heard the sound stop even if it had passed you knew you were at risk from it! Psychological warfare. I am sure different engines were tried.

[@Supernorthwest]

@@totherarf I cant imagine the fear Dave. Seen some films and it must of been frightening. Visited la coupole in France a few years back and they had one there,it was just a beast of a weapon.

[@totherarf]

@@Supernorthwest If you want to know about the noise look up Scrapheap Challenge or Colin Furze ... they both manufactured pulse jet engines! They are Not Quiet!

[@whitecompany18]

Geeeeermans!...they bombed our chip shops.

[@Supernorthwest]

🤣

[@bigronnie9252]

Hi as very young lad in the middle 60s my grand parents would go in the subs and ships on a free tour but lately I was told they came not only as a event in Manchester but it was to clean the Hull and sides of barnacles off as the don't survive in fresh??? Water hope this is right

[@Supernorthwest]

Hi,very interesting that mate. I recently found out also that parts of the canal are quite deep so wether or not there were subs submerged im not sure. Would of loved to have a look around one. I might take a visit to the one in in gosport when I can. Thank you for watching,Andy👍

[@Biffo1262]

The visits continued into the 80's. We visted them at Salford and also played football against them. I was oñ the first Laporte hydrogen peroxide fire in the early 80's. I was stationed at Irlam GMC Fire Service and our pumps had much higher capacities than Cheshires and were usually usec as base pumps but on this occassion we ended up as the crew nearest the fire for some stange reason. The plant engineer arrived and I accompanied him right up to the tank. He says something on the lines of 'Oh shit' turns and legs it. Well callme chicken but if the plant engineer decides to leg it then I'm going to overtake him, wellies and all. We just got behind the cover of abrick building where the rest of my crew was when they was an almighty roar and this tank started off to orbit space. A change of underpants later and we were stuffing our faces with hot dogs and tomato soup courtesy of Cheshire FB canteen van. At one stage of this fire puff balls of what seemed to be hydrogen peroxide foam floated out of the sky and as they made contact with the water on the ground would erupt in flames. Seeing this and all of us already being saturated from the water screen protecting the adjoining tanks we started dodging around like idiots trying to avoid these foam balls landed on us and making it a bad bad day. Eventually enough foam compound stocks arrived for us to lay and maintain a foam blanket which became a hazard in itself with one of my colleagues disappearing out of sight into a hidden foam filled pit. Of course you never get any sort of sympathy once we ascertain there are no injuries. It was quite the sight seeing this cursing foam covered apparition rising from his pit having dropped both his hot dog and his tomato soup. 🤣🤣

[@robertbasnett9814]

Your comments are way out about the subs stopping and loading chemicals they went to M/C for agoodwill visit as many RN ships did they would,nt be enough depth at many of the small wharfs you visited I spent 22 years on the tugs

[@Supernorthwest]

Hi Robert, I come to the conclusion that the submarine’s stopped off to unload the fuel as they were due to be decommissioned in the near future and it would make sense to get rid at a chemical facility such as Laporte. However there is a picture of the crew of one of the sub crews in the factory and I believe they docked there. They also would of had to travel the canal to get to Manchester sailing through all the depths that the canal has. However, food for thought there mate and thank you for watching 👍

[@jimmyviaductophilelawley5587]

9:20 yes it's the dock for the Chemical works nowt do wi submarines. ..your hydrogen peroxide story though interesting is flawed...why just three crap old world war 2 subs once? Boats took the hp away...just past the motorway viaduct in Lymm there are two huge sunken concrete barges from the war. ..have a look into it? Very interesting! Best wishes and take care

[@Supernorthwest]

Its possible that the subs unloaded some unwanted fuel there. The boats only had a short time left before retirement. If the subs unloaded unwanted fuel they would of used this dock too. Cheers

[@jimmyviaductophilelawley5587]

@@Supernorthwest good point!

[@Supernorthwest]

@@jimmyviaductophilelawley5587 I will definately take a look at those concrete boats though mate. I seen one up close at the ellesmere port boat museum a few years back👍

[@jimmyviaductophilelawley5587]

@@Supernorthwest well I've subbed so will look forward to seeing more best wishes and take care

[@Supernorthwest]

@@jimmyviaductophilelawley5587 nice one mate . Thank you