In 1979, not long before he died, Frank Aiken, IRA veteran and wartime minister of "coordination for defensive measures" told me that "no German U-boat landed on the Irish coast if it had done, I think I would have heard about it.". That night, a wire service report added to the excitement. Several Royal Navy officers regularly arrived in Donegal to go duck shooting at Drumbeg and Lough Eske in 1940. They were shrouded in tarpaulins and quickly whipped away in Army lorries before anyone could have a look []. Even though Ireland was a neutral country during World War II, there were still restrictions on everyday items such as clothing, food, fuel and tea. There were few good books then on modern Irish history. Life in the Third Reich & Weimar Republic, Kriegsmarine surface ships and Kriegsmarine in general, Luftwaffe air units and Luftwaffe in general, German Strategy & General German Military Discussion, NSDAP, other party organizations & Government, The Dieter Zinke Axis Biographical Research Section, The Ron Klages Panzer & other vehicles Section, Panzer & other vehicles - Photo threads, Axis Documents, Feldpost numbers, Postcards & Other Paper Items, The United Kingdom & its Empire and Commonwealth 1919-45, The Allies and the Neutral States in general, German Colonies and Overseas Expeditions, The end of the Ottoman Empire 1908-1923, Translation help: Breaking the Sound Barrier. By shifting its military priority from the Soviet invasion to mounting a knockout punch against Great Britain before the United States became strong enough to intervene, Germany could forestall an Allied invasion of the continent and refocus its efforts on beating the Soviets.. His name? It all has to be imported. The territory that became Northern Ireland, within the Irish province of Ulster, had a Protestant and Unionist majority who wanted to maintain ties to Britain. Admiral Donitz andU-123 had sunk 20ships alone during this [], [] Crocker spent World War II fighting the Allies' deadliest enemy in the South Pacific: the mosquito. It was a campaign shaped by intelligence gathering and by repeated misjudgments on . On 12 September 1940, our SOE man was loading explosives on to Fell's Tamara, replacing them 11 days later when the boat returned to Derry. Incidentally the M&CWS observers recorded the 1940 Irish assistance to the torpedoed British Merchantman Eros, which was deliberately beached on the Donegal coast and guarded by two royal navy battleships at sea and Irish troops and aircraft on land and in the air until it could be refloated and continue its journey to Britain. Shortly after midnight on Jan. 14, Hardegans lookout spotted the Norness silhouetted against the brightly lit coast. The area was heavily patrolled though and the wolfpacks operated mostly further out on the expected convoy route. Watch: Belfast Giants celebrate in the Harp Bar after Challenge Cup win over Fife Flyers, Ulster will give clinching top-two finish our best shot: coach Dan McFarland, Belfast Giants show their six appeal as they keep blazing trail towards title, Notorious prisoner Charles Bronson to face public parole hearing, Big Issue seller numbers up due to cost-of-living pressures, says founder. There is a persistent rumor that one or more (usually more) U-boats used Ireland as a refuel base in the war. Written By Posted; uboat refueling in Ireland? Thus, he was forced to limit U-boat operations to the North Atlantic and around the . Instead, as per the islands custom, he was elected. But now I wouldnt, Race to get last children out of Bakhmut as city becomes hell on earth, Why AIB didnt treat ordinary borrowers the way it treated DJ Carey, Paul Mescals visit to alma mater wasnt just a homecoming it was a return to where his career began, Russian attack on Bakhmut intensifies as civilians flee on foot, Antarctica cruise: We have seen whales their spouts and breaches, their mournful wails in abundance, TV guide: 12 of the best shows to watch this week, beginning tonight, My best friend is in love with me and I dont know what to do, Trench coat, white shirt, biker jacket: spring essentials for 2023 (that you probably already own). This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. Researching material for a history-inspired novel I am writing about the Battle of the Atlantic, I came across the fascinating story of the Type XIV Milchkuh (milk cow) submarine tanker. I used to work in the National Maritime Museum in Dn Laoghaire and my favourite part of the job was people telling their own and their relatives stories. German U-boat surrender at Londonderry remembered. A former Irishman's Diarist was among those responsible for defending Irish ports during the Emergency. It is in no way sponsored or endorsed by the Irish Defence Forces or the Irish Government. What is the best compliment to give to a girl? 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Not because I believe it - I spent much of my PhD thesis on Ireland in the Second . Far from refueling or aiding axis U boats, he wanted it gone. What is it called when you listen closely and pay attention to what someone is talking? At night, merchant ships put into sheltered harbors. He and his wife, Doris Bradlee Sleeper, had two [], [] graduated from Harvard, where he wrestled and boxed, and served in the Marines during World War II. Some were requisitioned. From March 5, 1942 to August 31, 1943, the Coastal Patrol flew 86,865 missions, sighted 173 U-boats, reported 91 ships in distress and 17 floating mines and rescued 363 survivors of U-boat attacks. At the outset of World War I, German U-boats, though numbering only 38, achieved notable . Local rumour, however, suggested that the U-boat captain had bid his captive goodbye with the astonishing adieu: "Give my best wishes to Micky Long." Nine years in the making, Hitler's U-boat War is destined to become the definitive account of the German submarine war against the Allies, or "The Battle of the Atlantic."It is an epic sea story, the most arduous . On 12 September 1940, our SOE man was loading explosives on to Fell's Tamara, replacing them 11 days later when the boat returned to Derry. Germany declares war zone around British Isles. One of them, so they told me in the village of Inver, courted a girl who worked in a local post office. In the archive at Kew I'd found records of the Tamara, a Royal Navy tugboat disguised as a trawler that went vainly hunting for U-boats along the Irish west coast. Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? The U-boat attacks were destroying ships faster than the British and Americans could replace them. A full two years before Germanys aggressive naval policy would draw the United States into the war against them, Kaiser Wilhelm announces an important step in the development of that policy, proclaiming the North Sea a war zone, in which all merchant ships, including those from neutral countries,. German second World War U-boat. As far as I know ,he got the information from a U-boat captain(that served in WW2 I suppose) he knows in Canada. Famine and political revolution in Europe led millions of Irish and German citizens to immigrate to America in the mid-nineteenth century. Fell was apparently blowing up fuel tanks in Cork which could be used to supply U-boats. U-853 sank a collier ship on May 5, days before Germany surrendered. But they had to do it under cover of darkness and on the quiet or be interned like the german ship there. I found mention of something similar on the Dn Laoghaire Chat forum. The Battle of the Atlantic was a vital arena of the Second World War. The attacks would begin on Jan. 13, 1942. Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. by kamehouse 03 May 2007, 20:39, Post It's a bit like Lord Blair, when he used to tell us "we" were better than Saddam Hussein, was that really to be the baseplate for our morality? So thoroughly did I check out every possible lead that I came up with three U-boat stories, at least one of which is absolutely copper-bottomed. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. by ohrdruf 07 May 2007, 02:40, Post There were several fuel dumps for U-boats along the coast of Argentina, the main one being at Villa Gesell. Their soldiers killed civilians in the North and you want them held to account? George III/Full name The army was more concerned about our ability to defend our weapons against raids by fellow Irishmen, he wrote. His name is Patsy Dan Rodgers, hes 71 years old and he has lived on the 5km-long and 1km-wide County Donegal island since he was four. Many British ships were repaired in Irish shipyards. Only a few years ago, The Independent's letters page was filled with readers discussing the refuelling of U-boats by Irishmen. But what about General Robert Ford who shouted that day in Derry "Go on Paras, go"? Nice. Americans used their ration cards and stamps to take their meager share of household staples including meat, dairy, coffee, dried fruits, jams, jellies, lard, shortening, and oils. Hardegen didnt even bother to submerge the U-boat. Our reader's dad, however, believed that the Tamara was on no wild goose chase. A local informed the guards who informed Dublin and Dev had a fit over it. Many British ships were repaired in Irish . Seu lugar para proteger o seu capital. [], [] World War II, the Navy modernized the USS Bennington with high-powered catapults to launch the new jet planes [], [] F. It was January 17, 1942, and the people of Richmond could have read a newspaper report that the tanker Coimbra sank the day before off Long Island, presumably by an enemy torpedo. An expert in explosives, the father was periodically responsible for supplying a tugboat called the Tamara, disguised as a fishing trawler but really (as Fisk recalled) searching for the U-boats presumed to frequent Irish ports. Its also featured in the highly sectarian Famine Song, so i'm gonna assume its a myth of loyalist origin. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. On average, a Type VIIC boat had to refuel twice in order to be effective. King George VIs father, King George V, had reservations about his first son, Prince Edward (Duke of Windsor), taking the throne. stubhub tickets not available until day before; amanda hale psychology; did german u boats refuel in ireland; 2 Thng By, 2021; In 2016, the shrinking congregation moved to a [], [] air bases, two auxiliary airfields and a training facility at Brunswick Naval Air Station. Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors. A German crewman yelled at them, Get the hell out of here, you guys! The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other. Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged in, Please refresh your browser to be logged in, Robert Fisk: German captains, U-boats and other lies about Ireland, 5% off all bookings with this Travelodge discount code, Save 200 on 2023 holidays with this TUI discount code, Extra 10% off hotel bookings with this Barcelo discount code, Extra 20% off selected fashion and sportswear at Very, Compare broadband packages side by side to find the best deal for you, Compare cheap broadband deals from providers with fastest speed in your area, All you need to know about fibre broadband, Best Apple iPhone Deals in the UK March 2023, Compare iPhone contract deals and get the best offer this March, Compare the best mobile phone deals from the top networks and brands. Cool information on this website. Obviously, rearming would depend on battles, but food, water, and fuel I feel would be a massive limitation. . Photograph: iStock. Now scram.. ISBN. Maybe Saville has nailed their lies. Archer also gave British intelligence details of equipment, found on three captured German agents in Skibbereen, which included explosives inside a tin of French peas intended to blow up Buckingham Palace. Did German U boats refuel in Ireland? The night was clear, calm, and moonlit. Founded in 1999. One of eight U-boats that arrived in Londonderry after the German surrender in 1945. Quite apart from the British Cabinet's lack of evidence, our reader's father suggested that the fuel storage tanks in the Republic might in fact be part of a smuggling racket between Eire and Northern Ireland (which, by the way, still continues). by Takao 13 May 2007, 08:38, Post U-Boats sunk 23 vessels in the St. Lawrence and, in 1942, in a mission to drop off a spy, a U-Boat skulked so close to shore that it was briefly caught in the headlights of a passing car, although . . The fuel shortages slowed wartime production and forced gasoline rationing, one of the most unpopular restrictions of the war. New London, Conn., native Ralph Sturgis was one of the few who knew about the U-boat attacks. She made an easy target against the brightly lit coast. Ed Offley, in The Burning Shore, described German reaction to a top-secret war plan that said the United States wouldnt be able to launch a military offensive against Germany until July 1943. But I have my doubts. Prince Albert was crowned on May 12, 1937, and took on the name George VI to emphasize continuity with his father and restore confidence in the monarchy. The German Unterseeboot, or U-boat, was a submarine that appeared seemingly out of nowhere to destroy both military and commercial ships. During that time the nine German U-boats in the Atlantic destroyed 35 Allied merchant ships and a British destroyer and killed 1,219 crew and passengers. For the Tamara had appeared in my Trinity College thesis. In early 1942, German U-Boats hunting Allied ships along the U.S. East Coast, Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean had to sail all the way back to port in occupied France to be re-supplied with fuel, armament, food . Saturday 17 September 2011 00:00. TimesMojo is a social question-and-answer website where you can get all the answers to your questions. birthday party ideas for adults in phoenix; . by kamehouse 07 May 2007, 23:48, Post paid a visitor's condolence to the German legation on Hitler's death and an Irishman on the west coast had refuelled German U-boats. By December of 1942, German Uboats completed 390 refueling missions. Why did Germany stop using you boats in WW1? Albert Frederick Arthur George Windsor Had she not survived, World War II might have ended [], [] was scarce, as the United States had entered World War II six months earlier, and tens of thousands of Rhode Islanders joined the war effort. Guy Liddell, the director of wartime British counter-espionage, wrote that he had asked Colonel Liam Archer of Ireland's G2 military intelligence about U-boat landings, to which the alleged reply was: "They are here in force, we can't do anything." Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet. The U-boats waited offshore and were serviced by a kind of lifeboat which brought out 250-litre barrels of diesel. But apparently its been around long before that which is why i'm genuinely curious if this has any truth? Yet looking back on those terrible years, I am horrified at not just the gullibility of us reporters but at our sheer ignorance. If Bath is bombed and it may come tonight or tomorrow night there will not be just two or three bombs or two or three fires, for I believe it will be an effort to make Bath another Coventry, Newell said five days after Pearl Harbor. . by kamehouse 04 May 2007, 10:28, Post An all-island subreddit for discussion of Irish news, politics, culture, history and society. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other. Favourite haunts were Molly's Bar, Arnolds Hotel and McGilloway's.". How do people make money on survival on Mars? Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies. The British had learned from experience that the most effective tactic against U-boat attacks was to escort groups of merchant ships with warships, luring the submarines into a battle they would probably lose. The U-boats' crews were near exhaustion and low on . But then? This was an example of our pro-Allied neutrality. by Jon G. 14 May 2007, 03:34, Post This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. Do snopes and other such websites cover this stuff? Last Update: May 30, 2022. . So they even admitted themselves that it was complete bullshit, speculation at best. He had never been to Ireland before the war, he told me. Author. He served as a lieutenant in the Army during World War II, then played for the Kansas City Monarchs after his honorable [], [] MAINE U-Boat Attacks Of World War II: 6 Months of Secret Terror in the Atlantic New Englan [], [] MAINE U-Boat Attacks Of World War II: 6 Months of Secret Terror in the Atlantic – [], [] According to the New England Historical Society, [], [] Beijing has inflicted more damage to the world trading system than U-boats did to the North Atlantic merchant marines. You . It's a site that collects all the most frequently asked questions and answers, so you don't have to spend hours on searching anywhere else. While others appreciated the secret Irish cooperation, Churchill remained highly critical. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously. But because a reader has sent me a fascinating account of his dad's war service as an SOE recruit. Operation Deadlight was the code name for the Royal Navy operation to scuttle German U-boats surrendered to the Allies after the defeat of Germany near the end of World War II. As Dr Macnamara summarised: They frequently at night would surface off Quilty, put on their civilian clothes and with the aid of a small dinghy row ashore and retire to Caseys pub for several pints of Guinness, before returning to their submarines. Archer, who was a senior liaison officer at a secret meeting with the British, is on record as telling them that some Irish ports did not even have permanent military guards (but not as admitting that U-boat packs were flocking to Irish coastal waters). We knew that Ireland was neutral in the Second World War, and heard that Taoiseach de Valera had paid a visitors condolence to the German legation on Hitlers death and an Irishman on the west coast had refuelled German U-boats. ocean magic surf report. Blaming us nasty Paddies for giving succour to the enemy? German Immigration to America. by pzrwest 04 May 2007, 02:15, Post I will repost an answe. They repeatedly scoured Irish coastal waters, from Cork to Donegal. And he had never heard of Michael Long. By July and August, the government finally ordered the coast blacked out, and U-boat attacks fell to 26 on the East Coast. A plausible story turns into a true story, even if it's a lie. In March, the U-boats attacked 48 ships, and almost all sank. Ireland offered no practical aid to Germany during the war. Sardines then became the [], [] went on to somewhat greater political heights. U-123 sunk the Norness with three torpedoes. And they also state that, although "there was no evidence proving the existence of refuelling bases, there was evidence that U-boats were quite possibly landing crews for purposes of relaxation and obtaining fresh provisions." Which Teeth Are Normally Considered Anodontia. But our reader's dad wasn't the only Brit to cross the border for rest and relaxation. But because a reader has sent me a fascinating account of his dad's war service as an SOE recruit. Did German U-boats dock in Ireland? Start your Independent Premium subscription today. I for one ask your friend for proof of his statement, because currently there is none in the u boat enthusiast community. The Civil Air Patrol, one-fifth of which were women, began sorties. https://www.bbc.co.uk/history/ww2peopleswar/stories/02/a5920102.shtml. Fisk took the word of wartime minister for defence Frank Aiken who in 1979 told him: "No German U-boat landed on the Irish coast; if it had done, I think I would have heard about it." And the British government never produced evidence of refuelling, Fisk noted. No airplane, no Coast Guard cutter, nothing. Many British ships were repaired in Irish shipyards. The only places where U-boats could refuel was German ports and allies of Germany ( Italy, Vichy France, etc.) (3 Jan 1946) Scenes from "Operation Deadlight" show the sinking of German U-boats by RAF Coastal Command off Northern Ireland. U-96, one of submarines resupplied in Spain. I read all the Irish government's coastwatching reports from 1939 to 1942. They must think its gospel truth. This was immediately after Dunkirk when the British severely lacked war materiel to replace the huge amount they'd left behind in France so such a shipment was important to their war effort. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc. The last U-boat was sunk in American waters during the Battle of Point Judith off the Rhode Island coast. The Montauk Point lighthouse beamed a helpful navigational aid. As for the rumoured U-boat incursions elsewhere: While this was going on, it was difficult to be patient with stories about German submarines openly refuelling at bases along the south and west coast., Fisk took the word of wartime minister for defence Frank Aiken who in 1979 told him: "No German U-boat landed on the Irish coast; if it had done, I think I would have heard about it.". There were 375 U-boats operational on the morning of May 4, 1945, when Dnitz sent the order to "Stop all hostile action against Allied shipping," but only 64 were at sea, of which 56 subsequently surrendered in Allied or neutral ports. In 1940, our man his reader-son asks for anonymity was sent to a base unit at HMS Ferret in Derry with five members of 30 Commando, Royal Marines; their job was to "prepare and supply equipment" (incendiary and explosive charges) for 15 marines and two officers aboard the "Royal Fleet Auxiliary Tugboat Tamara which was disguised as a trawler". . When my thesis was later published as a book, I received a polite letter from the long-retired U-boat captain. But as to the more traditional allegation, I am also now reminded this was something much investigated by the late Robert Fisk, who did his PhD on Irish war-time neutrality, later published in a book. Not just in battle, but on the home front. The Irish sea was a tempting area for the U-boats; through it went all the North Atlantic convoys heading to and from Liverpool. The Journalist Robert Fisk has largely debunked the urban myth about German U boats sheltering in Ireland. Ireland was indeed neutral and de Valera did his make his notorious condolence visit. They attackedcommercial shippingin [], [] While I knew much of this story from my research in preparing the historic newscasts which aired on XM Radios 40s Channel/Savoy Express back in the 2000s heres more related to U-boat attacks in the early days of the War from a New England perspective. The story arose from a conference O'Malley had attended in Hamburg where two Germans asked him if he was familiar with west Clare.