Hitler's toxic time bomb: U-864 submarine wreck

[Dyflin]

Hitler\'s toxic time bomb: U-864 submarine wreck

An interesting bit of background to this U-boat; U-864 is the only instance in the history of naval warfare where one submarine has intentionally sunk another while both were submerged (by HMS Venturer) source

The Norwegian Navy found the wreck in 2003, the only problem being she was carrying 70 tons of mercury! source

So in a bid to avoid environmental problems they are going to raise her intact in 160m depth of water.

Here's the clever bit
http://www.bt.no/webtv/?id=16290

 

[marksaab]

Re: Hitler\'s toxic time bomb: U-864 submarine wreck

Saw the TV doc about the sinking last year, amazing story, sad for the loss of lives but it was wartime.

The vid was interesting but I seem to recall the yanks tried a similar method to recover parts of a Soviet sub (see Glomar Explorer)...didnt turn out too well!

Surely its better to cover it over and let time sort it out, they are doing the same thing with the "Konsomolets" and that has two reactors aboard.

 

[BurnitBlue]

Re: Hitler\'s toxic time bomb: U-864 submarine wreck

A US photographer (I think it was Eugene Smith) did a photojounal essay on the effects of mercury poisening via fish on a local Japenese population. Deformations with twisted limbs were terrible to see.

The mercury must be removed or the fisheries will suffer.

 

[jonjo]

Re: Hitler\'s toxic time bomb: U-864 submarine wreck

[ QUOTE ]
Surely its better to cover it over and let time sort it out, they are doing the same thing with the "Konsomolets" and that has two reactors aboard.

[/ QUOTE ]
Mercury does not have a half life.

 

[marksaab]

Re: Hitler\'s toxic time bomb: U-864 submarine wreck

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Surely its better to cover it over and let time sort it out, they are doing the same thing with the "Konsomolets" and that has two reactors aboard.

[/ QUOTE ]
Mercury does not have a half life.

[/ QUOTE ]

Point taken! I do recall there was a mercury in fish incident in Japan in the seventies, truly sad results.

I wonder how much is still left in her...being that she is broken in two?

 

[snooks]

Re: Hitler\'s toxic time bomb: U-864 submarine wreck

I found this animation dunno whether it's the same as you posted a link to as I can't down load the plug in needed to view your link (work computer)

But it looks very clever if it works

Anyway this phrase made me smile "It is the only instance in the history of naval warfare where one submarine has intentionally sunk another while both were submerged."

So does that mean that during naval warfare there have been submarines unintentionally sinking others while both have submerged? :?

So how does one sub not mean to sink another one? Oops I pressed the wrong button? /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

 

[Cantata]

Re: Hitler\'s toxic time bomb: U-864 submarine wreck

Quiet day in the office, Graham? /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif

 

[snooks]

Re: Hitler\'s toxic time bomb: U-864 submarine wreck

Just waiting for my computer to process the Southerly video for next month

It's also good to keep tabs on you all!!! /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

I'm working...honest /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif

 

[matelot]

Re: Hitler\'s toxic time bomb: U-864 submarine wreck

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Surely its better to cover it over and let time sort it out, they are doing the same thing with the "Konsomolets" and that has two reactors aboard.

[/ QUOTE ]
Mercury does not have a half life.

[/ QUOTE ]

Neither does uranium for these purposes - its in the hundred thousand or millions of years. Even plutonium (if they used that) is in the 10000 year bracket

 

[Malish]

Re: Hitler\'s toxic time bomb: U-864 submarine wreck

[ QUOTE ]
A US photographer (I think it was Eugene Smith) did a photojounal essay on the effects of mercury poisening via fish on a local Japenese population. Deformations with twisted limbs were terrible to see.

The mercury must be removed or the fisheries will suffer.

[/ QUOTE ]

I'm sure Vic will be along in due course but..

The Japanese incident was due to methyl mercury (organomercury) being discharged into coastal waters by a factory and it was the local fishermen living on a subsistence diet who were most affected (search for minamata disease) . Methyl mercury is much much more toxic than inorganic (metallic) mercury which is likely to be material in the sub. There are routes by which transformation can take place but in a well flushed, deep water setting the contaminant levels are likely to remain low due to dispersion processes. A local ban on fishing is a sensible precaution but the direct link to Minamata is tenuous.

 

[BurnitBlue]

Re: Hitler\'s toxic time bomb: U-864 submarine wreck

You are obviously better informed than I am. I made the link to Minimata only because of the word Mercury and the fisheries. My interest is more about photography than chemistry.

I am not disagreeing with you.

However, I am pretty sure that if a newspaper published some of those photographs from Minimata with the story of the sub with 70 tons of mercury aboard fine distinctions will be ignored and the stuff will be removed at whatever cost.

 

[Vamoose]

Re: Hitler\'s toxic time bomb: U-864 submarine wreck

Thats really interesting.. Thanks for posting it.. As I result I did a search and see that Mommoet Salvage and the Norwegian Government have reached an agreement with the prospect to either bring it to the serface as per the post or encase it in concrete no later than 2010

Mommaet & Norwegion Government Press Release

 

[Grumpybear]

Re: Hitler\'s toxic time bomb: U-864 submarine wreck

I think there might have been a friendly fire incident early in WW2

 

[geoffatstanpit]

Re: Hitler\'s toxic time bomb: U-864 submarine wreck

70 tons of mercury would fetch about $1.5million ($10/lb) which would go some way towards defraying the cost of gettin it up!