Model Boat Mayhem
Mess Deck: General Section => Full Scale Ships => Topic started by: BarryM on April 05, 2010, 08:53:47 am
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An awkward one for salvors?
Barry M
Quote:
Norwegians to raise submarine
The Norwegian Government has announced that the wreck of the WW2 German submarine U-864, which contains 65 tons of mercury, is to be raised, and that the contaminated seabed be covered with clean sand.
The submarine, which lies off the Norwegian west coast near Fedje, north of Bergen, has long been considered an environmental hazard by environmental groups and local people. However, experts have disagreed on whether or not the wreck should be raised or if it would be better to build a sarcophagus which would isolate the mercury from the marine environment, thereby eliminating the pollution hazard.
Head of the Norwegian Marine Safety Directorate, Magne Roedland says the wreck should be raised. He believes that the strong currents around the wreck will undermine the sarcophagus, resulting in leaks of mercury. The local population agree and have said the wreck must be removed.
Last week, Fisheries and Coastal Minister Helga Pedersen announced that she had decided that the wreck will be raised. 'I have given highest consideration to the insecurity felt by the local population, as well as the concern by the fisheries industry over possible contamination of the waters, if the wreck would just be entombed,' she said..
Source : Fishupdate
Unquote
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That'll be an interesting one to follow. History Chanel, on TV, had a good show detailing how that U boat was brought down by a British sub. The only verified , to that date, underwater shooting of one sub by another.
John
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The DNV Report into the U864 is here http://www.kystverket.no/arch/_img/9818147.pdf
It also includes some fascinating info on similar cargo runs to Penang, code breaking, salvage (legal and illegal) of a similar submarine and even a German helicopter being taken by submarine to Japan.
Well worth a read.
Barry M
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The DNV Report into the U864 is here http://www.kystverket.no/arch/_img/9818147.pdf
It also includes some fascinating info on similar cargo runs to Penang, code breaking, salvage (legal and illegal) of a similar submarine and even a German helicopter being taken by submarine to Japan.
Well worth a read.
Barry M
Barry, excuse the ignorance, but assuming this mercury was being carried as "cargo". a) 65 tons is a lot, but compact. Any idea of the weight of the containers? b) Wouldn't this extra 65 tons play havoc with the subs ability to go "up and down"? Bryan in ignorance.
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Maybe they was using the Mercury was being used as ballast on a temporary basis and could have been replaced
with lead etc at it's destination.
Also, why not just stabilise the mercury containers and remove them one by one?
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It would be compensated for by the amount of ballast in the tanks
The tanker submarines had the same thing in reverse as the fuel they
carried and replenished submarines with was less dense than the water
they operated in.
Just a matter of juggling the air/water ratio in the ballast tanks
Yours Aye
Ned
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Barry, excuse the ignorance, but assuming this mercury was being carried as "cargo". a) 65 tons is a lot, but compact. Any idea of the weight of the containers? b) Wouldn't this extra 65 tons play havoc with the subs ability to go "up and down"? Bryan in ignorance.
Those who read the DNV report - as referenced - will learn that the mercury took the place of the lead ballast normally carried in the duct keel.
Barry M