U-534 German U-Boat at Birkenhead Woodside

Featuring original pictures of the Unterseeboot 534 German Submarine, both at the Merseyside Maritime Museum in 1998 and at Woodside Ferry, Birkenhead in 2008, after the submarine was cut into sections.

[@birkonian]

The U-534 was bought by Merseytravel as a tourist attraction. They have installed decking around it and glazed the cut sections for viewing but I personally preferred it in one peice as they found it.

[@kevinanderson3849]

There's a huge difference with the U-505 the Americans exhibit in Chicago...! That one looks brand new.

[@bryan8707]

@@kevinanderson3849 The U 505 was captured intact and actually was put into service by The US Navy patrolling along the coast. After the war it went up the Mississippi River under it's own power. From there it was moved to the museum. They still start the engines for visitors yet today.

[@Threatstodebts69]

the way they treated this historic beauty really gets on my nerves. thank god kiel and chicago understand how to treat historic landmarks and keep history of subs and warfare alive. long live the U-505 and the U-995

[@hydraman5]

Threatstodebts69 absolutely mate.btw,if you want to read a great book about what life was like in a sub get "iron coffins. Memoirs of a U-boat captain.

[@ciiu]

50 million dead ... ok. Most eole died inthe last two years of WW2,when when all of the axiswere moving backwards. Countless bombs on german cities and much worsestuff like Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Yes the Axis did horrible things, but the fighters forfreedom, liberation and humantiy werent that much better, if not worse.

[@s.sestric9929]

@@ciiu Not true, you Nazi apologist.

[@kevinanderson3849]

@@s.sestric9929 - Sorry, mate, but that's the sad truth.

[@kevinanderson3849]

Don't leave out the best of them all, the Type 21 that is exhibited in Bremerhaven , a real futuristic beauty.

[@davidashley6088]

I went on this Uboat when it was in one piece and it was amazing to walk through it and see things close up. An absolute shame what they have done. I bet the crew were devastated too.

[@theodorechill]

What happened to the crew? Were there any remains?

[@train4905]

Same here

[@smytb]

@@theodorechill Nobody died on that sub. It's not a gravesite. It was sank, nobody was on it. All of the crew lived!

[@smytb]

@@train4905 Nobody died on that sub. It's not a gravesite. It was sank, nobody was on it. All of the crew lived!

[@theodorechill]

@@smytb I read that shortly after that comment, though 3 died after the sub sank from the conditions. One Argentine boy the radio operator didnt exhale when elevating and it destroyed his lungs. Thank God the rest lived.

[@dlord1953]

Criminal destruction. What a waste. I would rather see just the outside of a u boat (which is what most non u boat crews always saw anyway) than a cut up piece of scrap which it has now become. A real shame

[@kevinanderson3849]

So true.

[@train4905]

I agree tottally

[@jeffkrutsinger2903]

Just wanted to take a moment and thank you for creating this video. I loved seeing history restored and documented like this. Sincerely, Jeff Krutsinger

[@shibbaddywa]

Went inside u534 when she was in one peice at the historic warships collection, what an experience. There was air trapped inside part of the vessle when it was on the sea bed for 44 years and the upper part of some of the interior were the air was is still like brand new. A couple of the batteries even still had some power in them when it was raised, unbelievable. Wouldn't av liked to be in one during the war.

[@jerrymccrae7202]

Not to be rude but if your wish were granted you probably wouldn't have lived long! Have a safe day!

[@shibbaddywa]

@@jerrymccrae7202 read my comment again.

[@jerrymccrae7202]

@@shibbaddywa oh I peg your pardon. I read it wrong! My error! I totally agree! Have a safe day!

[@richardevppro3980]

Sad that this sub had to be chopped up but at least this is now on view to the public and not in a scrap yard!

[@adam200784]

i used to work right next to the old sub. i used to be in the old grain warehouse right next to it (spiller mill). the lads that worked at the historic warships that looked after it were great. i can remember every year they used to spray it with an oil to stop it rusting.

[@Heritagius]

I agree with the comments about it being nuts they cut it up. This was just five mins from my house by car, and luckily I went on for a look-see beforehand. I have ppl in my family one or most two generations who sailed the Atlantic terrified of these, it's almost like a bit of personal history. Hope they enjoy it in bits.... although I highly doubt it.

[@merklereenactment]

lost for words... This Country has UTTER CONTEMPT for History .. I find this just unimaginable ..

[@angelsone-five7912]

Seems a shame to just cut it up like this. No real thought put into it.

[@Bevoin1970]

I made a delivery in Liverpool area some time ago and came across this boat, It was on blocks in dry dock and close to a main road with a tea van. It blowed my brains seeing a real life U boat in the flesh, the tea van chap gave me some brief history on it and I felt truly humbled. It was in one piece back then and all rusty, but against the blue sky with its machine gun pointing upwards it stuck with me. I'll never forget it, Das Boot, Shame it was cut up and painted, rust looked more fitting.

[@kevinanderson3849]

If I'm not wrong, those AA guns shot a British Liberator down before getting sunk by another Allied bomber...

[@InhabitantOfOddworld]

Looks very rusty here, but has been repainted. It's also in bits so visitors can see the interior, as well as all the note books and journals and stuff that was inside and preserved by silt.

[@Grunt0369USMC]

why on earth would you cut it into sections ? Bunch of idiots

[@iroscoe]

Yes they were extremely useful boat not just fast but with a very good range for that class of boat,it would be fantastic to see one in the water doing its thing .

[@iiGrapex]

i agree. i'm british and my great-grandad's ship was sunk by one of these, but it still doesn't impress me when people cut up relics from wars, even if they originally were an enemy.

[@flyguy4fun]

This is an amazing video. It is great that you have taken the time for this. I only wish that this project was going on near me so i could volunteer some man hrs towards it.

[@Metalmachinecrush]

I was at this Exhibition last saturday,..it was stunning to see,...deffo worth a visit.

[@megatwingo]

Thanks for uploading this video. Thumbs up!

[@oldbobg]

I saw it in the '90's, nice but...Now it is a real centerpiece of the Museum. Just came back from a trip to see it last week. Worth the trip and the time to be in the U-boat bunker they built to preserve it for the future.

[@Hemhraban]

Currently there are only a hand full of german U-Boats which still exists U1 in the German Museum in Munich..This was the first boat of the Imperial Navy in WW I The next is U-Vessiko in Helsinki / Finland This is a licenced Type II boat U-505 in front of the Museum of science in Chicaco / USA a Type IX C Boat Than U 995 in Laboe / Germany This is a typical VII C Boat The next is U-2540 in Bremerhafen / Germany.this is the last existing U-boat of the Type XXI

[@birkonian]

Yes, that is correct. They should have made an exception in this case as it was the only intact Uboat in existance. The one in Chicago has sections cut out of it for viewing purposes.

[@BadWolf762]

I went through the U-505 in Chicago back in the '70s. I don't know if they still give tours but it was a thrill walking into history back then.

[@mcwoppadong]

going to see this on saturday, shame they cut it up though

[@birkonian]

This is a replica of the Resurgam, a prototype submarine built in 1879 which was reputed to be the world's second machanically propelled submarine.

[@InhabitantOfOddworld]

Five crewmen were on board at the time of sinking. One died on the 64 metre rise to the surface, and another two died from exposure while on the raft at the surface

[@clintonearlwalker]

@DaManzMoney I was inside a WW II sub in Baltimore Harbor, I think it was Japanese but I don't remember. I do remember it was in one piece, it had bunks that looked like large sardine cans, and shiny brass colored torpedos. I assumed they cut this one up to make cleaning and restoration about 10 times easier. I guess it would make it easy for tourists to examine it in sections. I couldn't imagine being in one of these things under the ocean under attack.

[@1Fireskull]

In my opinion, all the major weapons of U-boat size or less of history should be placed indoors and no cutting! If they want to see more because they have physical limitations, then people can view detailed photographs of the interior.

[@billbeare1513]

Puzzles me as to exactly why U534 was raised ?. At what must have been huge cost. Only to be sectioned up and given away ?. Damned odd ??. 🤔

[@trainscronce6269]

The person that thought cutting the submarine into pieces needs to be fired and get their teeth kicked out

[@DSMeclipsegst]

damn yiu can see where the depth charged crumppled the back. how cool

[@markhinr]

The U-505 exhibit at the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago remains open to the public. The sub is no longer sitting outdoors exposed to the elements with an enclosed corridor connected to the building like it was in the 70's. The building has been expanded around it with new exhibit spaces.

[@whooziss]

They raised the hulk up from the bottom just to cut her up for scrap?!? Unbelievable.......

[@Hemhraban]

The boat in Birkenhead ( U 534 ) is a exalted wreck from the Type IX C /40 which was raised in 1993 from a danish company...i have senn this bvoat in Hanstholm / Danmark...it was killed on May 5th 1945 from two B 24 Bombers on his way to Norway. One bomber was shot down from the AA gun of the boat, but the second bomber hits the boat so that it sunks. Three crew members died due of exhaustion inside the cold water..

[@kevinanderson3849]

What sort of sub is that black, small submarine shown at the end...? It doesn't look like a WW2 sub.

[@Lockbar]

Yep. Cutting it up really made it look better. Will probably get 8 paid admissions a year.

[@lordzeppo]

There's a reason why the inside of uboats were kept out of bounds to spectators,it's a freaking tomb to about 44 braves lads that gave their life after countless days in hell. Pay respect to them.

[@birkonian]

The background music is Mahler's Symphony No.5

[@stuka52]

It was cut up so handicapped people could enter it. Has something to do with the disabilities act law. The USS Cod in Cleveland is the only WW2 sub that has the original hatchway intact I believe.

[@NederSaks]

Imagine building such a ship without the modern welding robots, c02 welding systems, hydraulic cranes and such.

[@czwij]

hey, i've an idea, to save space and put up a parking lot or some other immensly useful object, lets take down the eiffel tower, carve it to pieces so that all the wheelchair bound can frolic on the veiwing paltform without having to take a special elevator. should have left the thing at the bottom of the kattegat, much more dignified.

[@FarSeeker8]

Another video mentioned that they thought some compartments still had air in them when it was brought back up. Was that true? If so, which ones?

[@MeAbroad2004]

Will have to remember that one :-)

[@jallendubya]

@tupsumato I do c yer point although if you think of the depths they went to its kinda thin. But all the other supports and what not gave it more stability & have to rely on the welding too. Kinda like the LEMs that went to the moon foil, paper was what some of the bulkhead was made of & all it takes is a piece of dust to disable it. and inch thick is like frum fingr tip 2 1st knuckle.

[@RoDe]

Is the metal electrically stabilized to stop corrosion, prior to painting it? I used to work for a maritime museum...

[@johnchisholm8462]

Ro De yeha

[@iroscoe]

Yes the West German Navy got quite a few of them and they ended up carrying some very proud names such as Admiral Scheer,they were the prefered mount of a lot of sub hunters,as well as possesing useful dual purpose armament . Im sure it will turn out to be a good museum,but these things take time,i would like to see a similar exhibition on the South coast to comemorate the war of the narrow sea i know there's a few Fairmile boats about and an S boat is being restored in Southampton .

[@iroscoe]

Walker was a ruthless individual whose drive to fight lead to excesses as well as excellence the same drive that probably killed him in the end . Yes a German S-boat,two of the later numbered types were evaluated post war one of which was converted for clandestine(anti-communist) missions with British Napier Engines and a German crew,its in private hands and i believe a seven figure sum has been commited to its restoration,its an very exciting project .

[@simonblack9577]

yes a very big shame to cut it up..... they should have left it where it was or got some sort of funding to ship it to plymouth or portsmouth via sea!!!! intact of course

[@vincentwade1]

I saw the U- 505 in Chicago. There was a huge fat chick in the line behind me. I asked her if she was going thru the sub, she said yes, it was her second time. I thought "Oh, great. It's all cut out inside" Sure enough, the pressure hatches were cut out. Miss Piggy got stuck in a tight spot in the engine room for about 10 mins. The tour guide had to call for help to unclog the sub. They finally got her loose, tearing her dress to do it. They need a sign to warn fat chicks about the hatches.

[@Philipj8]

Indeed, trying to follow all the comments on this post. I visited the sub when it was in one piece and believe is a real shame and quite stupid to cut up such a rare piece of history. I wonder why they did not approach the French or German governments and moved the sub to the many unused U-boat pens and make a display- preserve it there. Make a deal and split the profit. The French have a post war sub in La Rochelle. This should have gone there at the very least. A real shame it did not happen!

[@robinhood48]

@iro That´s good news, thought all of them were gone. Will be difficult to restore. I knew one was in Private hands but I lost trace. Two boats were recommissioned by reestablished German Navy in 1955. Maybe some survived in USA- as yacht. The later numbered types had a domed wheelhouse, very tough ships and f.... fast!

[@Jan7MAP]

Thanks for share fhis nice/ungry images. What is the music in the background? Jan.

[@scrotaniumalloy3757]

Drake Douay, what a remarkably shallow opinion to have. Is Masada merely stones and dirt? Are the pyramids of Giza just arranged rocks? No, and this is not merely "shaped metal". If you're offended by it's purpose, please institute world peace as soon as you can. However, when you do stop all war, you should still have respect for the relics of past wars. War is the most significant shaping force in history, and those who do not learn from history shall be doomed to repeat it. Beyond that, our grandfathers spent their youths doing amazing and sometimes, very horrible things to ensure that you and I DO have happy days going to work, the legacy they worked hard for deserves more than easy dismissal. I hope no one ever decides your grave marker is simply decorated stone.

[@jackl.p9271]

This withstood time being preserved underwater in relatively good order to be chopped into pieces purely for monetary gain. (Greed overtook preservation of History) Dissapointing to many whom share a heartfelt interest to these wonderful yet deadly Maritime vessels.

[@freakforlax17]

why did they cut it up it was a part of history. Ya know

[@traceycrosss]

Taking my son here today. He's just finished a project about WWII so I thought it would be great for him to look round. On a completely different subject does anyone know where the old priory by wood side is?

[@jallendubya]

@lordzeppo possibly due to the structural instability. its a 60+ yr old piece of rusted out steel only 1inch thick at the hull

[@charlesnorte]

No se lo podría haber mantenido entero con un sistema de flotadores adicionales y llevarlo entero a un dique seco?

[@Bulletguy07]

Does seem a shame they decided to cut it into sections but having been inside it when it was in one piece, I can understand why as I found parts a bit of a struggle back then. Now I'm ten years older, had a knee operation and suffer with arthritic problems. There would be no chance of crawling through U-534 if it was still in one piece. The guy who took us round told us the Captain of U-534 was one of Germany's youngest at just 23 years old.

[@antl82]

hasnt this gone now? i remeber being a kid, and visiting when they had the sub, and big war boat there.

[@yianni1071]

I hate to see this piece of history sliced but at least it did better than any British S Class, the remains of which amount to a few conning towers. :(

[@janusx66]

I know 30.000 men of the 40.000 never returned home. But the casualties could be less, if the Kriegsmarine had invested in new radar technologies, some times the wolfpackt just ran in a destoyer escort, and if you have to fool the ASDIC, i wish you the best of luck, not to mention the radio traffic from the U-boats to the BDU. When the allies had the Enigma it was very easy to locate a boat, just because the radio traffic.

[@run202run]

As a historical preservationist I find saving historical artifacts, and then cutting them into swiss cheese disgusting.

[@virework]

A Damn shame to cut it up! with the stupid excuse that people will see her better then. it should be given back to germany in one piece

[@hydraman5]

virework it was health and safety that mucked it up. They said "if this is going to be a tourist attraction it has to have wheel chair access. The one in Chicago is in one piece!

[@virework]

it is and stays a shame!

[@hydraman5]

the only U-boat to be brought up in one piece.it survived for 48 years under the sea. Terrible.

[@ToreDL87]

Actually the Germans wanted nothing to do with it.

[@candisbrendel7396]

YES IT IS!! Why would they do such a thing? are they saying they plan to bring it back to before scuttle sinking? what was the other sub? it looked like it had wooden sides?

[@robinhood48]

@iroscoe If I remember correctly it was the El Melek Faruk. Not sure. The German "Navy" got some Black Swans after joining NATO in the 50ties. No special ships but very reliable. I´m sure, Birkenhead will do the right thing, they respect all ships.

[@Paraffinmeister]

Why the hell did they cut it in to sections? They had a fantastic historical artifact in the shape of an almost complete U-boat, why the hell would you destroy that? I've heard it was for access, but if that really was an issue then surely it would have been possible to cut a door or 2 in the side, thus keeping it essentially complete without the vandalism seen here!?

[@hydraman5]

Alistair Foden you heard right.it was the only one to be brought up in one piece from the sea bottom.it survived down there for 48 years. Would a spitfire get cut up?

[@BenDayley]

They had to cut it up in order to transport it. The thing is huge and very heavy.

[@hydraman5]

well it made it all the way to Liverpool without being cut up. They only chopped it when it arrived at its final destination.it was health and safety that stuck the boot in.they said any tourist attraction had to have wheel chair access.

[@fredjones614]

Ben Dayley They transport it from by Denmark in one piece and cant move it 2 Miles without chopping it up. Get a life Ben.

[@subjectc7505]

It's unsafe since it been underwater from so long and it's a war grave for those whom was inside of it.

[@iroscoe]

I think cutting it up for display was misguided but i understand why it was done,the site is supposed to be developed in the in the way you suggest into a semi-enclosed exhibition with other relics of the Battle of the Atlantic to be added over time . Negotiations had been going on to purchase a Black Swan class Sloop for the exhibition but the deal fell through because the Egyptians wanted more money for it .

[@RetSquid]

It's not a video, it's a slideshow.

[@Jerinx90]

Why are we still here just to suffer..

[@nevek20]

I live just up the road from where this used to be People protested aganst it but next door the building was being converted into flats and they made the musem close and the worse out come is what you see before you

[@birkonian]

Hello The music is Mahler's symphony number 5 Thanks for your comments

[@paulanthony5274]

What's this line out of,which movie? "Wouldn't you just simply die,without Mahler"?

[@lucyv6783]

why would they cut it into sections? thats ridiculous thing to do

[@ivor1689]

no friend I just visited the u boat yesterday.

[@Laxpowertoo]

The British have a shameful track record of destroying maritime history. HMS Implacable was originally a french man o war that survived the battle Trafalgar and was captured by the British. It survived until 1947 when they got fed up with it, towed it out to sea and sunk it. The only reason the Cutty Sark survived was because severe public reaction to this criminal act forced the government to preserve it, otherwise it would have been firewood too.

[@Pitchplus8]

the crew R.I.P.

[@kgs42]

Can you explain that a bit more please?

[@parvaldegalvena8775]

*Где это находитса?*

[@bnz1941]

"Oi mate, les take 'dis 'ere bloody kraut boat 'an fix 'er up. We kin spray paint 'er and cut it up in 'aves so pepul can see ;er bettah." Fucking British ingenuity in action.

[@bunning63]

Fair comment.

[@strongerandwiser2023]

The U-Boat is not intact again. Its sank into concrete cut into 3 sections with glass divides placed between the sections. media-cdn.tripadvisor.com/media/photo-s/02/15/5f/4d/u-boat-sections.jpg As seen here. It was a shame they butchered the thing but it was either that or scrap it i am guessing.

[@Supershowsunni]

Some idiot really thought it was a good idea to cut a remarkable peace of history...

[@pikapiciu]

Complete idiots. They could AT LEAST have placed the parts in an ordered sequence, aligned bow to aft. but no. they even had to spread the sections around. An then sinking it in concrete? Pure shit. it doesn't even suggest the slightest idea of the mighty size of the boat.

[@JazzJaRa]

OMG i am glad i can visit U-995 which is in A WAY better shape than this piece of crap! Not cutted, fully restored!

[@InhabitantOfOddworld]

Sorry, 52 crewmen, the five were in the torpedo room, they escaped through the loading hatch and three of them died. Only 4 of them are still alive today.

[@Gott0300]

Okay, but many, many others died.. And just because we know today that they died for a madman shouldn't mean that those guys don't deserve the same respect as the allied sailors and submariners; they thought that they would do the right thing for their country! And living in one of those subs was tough..

[@chevyvictor]

German Govt should of claimed her back as a remeberance to the family of the Crew or branded it a Wargrave

[@brianswan3559]

I went in 2014.

[@TCGjonny]

such a beautiful craft unfortunate for its demise and its previous uses for evil

[@kgs42]

Cut up you can't appreciate as a ship ... as fearsome u-boat. Somebodies bright idea to be regretted in the future ..

[@Eaglefly0]

We want our steel back home :(

[@pablof59]

@ 3:38 looks like a London's Underground coach.

[@cuntinakia8122]

Why such a bad quality?

[@llewellynwilliams1956]

seen it last week full of pigeons an pigeon shit fucking awful all over the glass as well

[@lordzeppo]

good thing.

[@MeAbroad2004]

Bloody vandalism that they cut her up. A disgrace. Would they do that to HMS Victory? I've heard the arguments why this was done...not enough money to keep her where she was etc. It does not make it right

[@mr.butterfly5716]

why cut it up it was better before they cut it up it looked so nice!

[@mr.butterfly5716]

I will

[@mr.butterfly5716]

Cool

[@thefatfrier]

because the u boat was in such poor condition, it was dangerous for the general public to enter. This, plus very high transport costs meant that they decided to section it into 5 sections (2 were re-joined later). When it was placed in its current position, glass panes were placed so that people can easily see inside and see what it was like. they decided to paint the outside to protect it but kept the inside exactly how it was to give the public a view of what it looked like after 40+ years on the seabed. Say what you want. doing it this way worked out the best. This way you can see inside something you wouldn't normally be able to. I think it was a brilliant idea

[@thefatfrier]

***** it was too expensive, too dangerous to transport into one piece. This is why they carefully sectioned it for transport. it was then that it was decided that it should stay in sections with glass panels so that people can see inside. Its the only German U-boat in Britain, so I think its a good idea to let people see the inside. You should have a look around the museum it is kept at. All the work has been beautifully and faithfully done. This video doesn't do it justice

[@BIGBADWOOD]

***** "They transport it from by Denmark in one piece and cant move it 2 Miles without chopping it up"?

[@robinhood48]

@iro I remember HMS Starling, a real U Boot butcher. But the commander (Walker?) did not like the Germans very much. But can be wrong, it´s long ago I have read of him. S- Boot? German S- Boot? I thought they were all gone?

[@80hd80]

Apparently there WAS no War treasure aboard then,eh?

[@Speeddemon3]

Yes! All made it off, 3 I believe died later of complications but everyone got off.

[@jallendubya]

What's long-hard and filled with seamen?

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