I have been doing further research looking into the surrender boats at Lisahally in Northern Ireland.
I also read a book on their surrender to fully understand the order of the boats that came in, when they moved and how, from Loch Eriboll to Loch Alsh, then on to Lisahally. This happened over a number of days (in Mid May 1945), as the boats were recorded as they arrived at Eriboll (Scotland), then the crews were moved off and a skeleton crew assigned to stay with each Uboat going to Loch Alsh, in Western Scotland. There the torpedoes were disarmed and removed, then the UBOATS moved onto Lisahally in Nothern Ireland, where the final clean-up of the stores and removal of the remaining crew would take place.
The majority of the Uboats stayed here for the rest of 1945, with more arriving from Northern Europe over the next month or so, until Operation deadlight, where they were taken out to sea and sunk, in early 1946.
Some boats were issued to other countries as war booty.
Here is an image from Google earth showing the distance by road between each location.
I pieced it all together by understanding that some of my reference photos are from early May, some mid May and others from June and even July 1945. The surviving type 21's were also sent here later in the year and these photos were another puzzle to seperate.
I then focused on the group of photos that I worked out were from the same time in May and began searching for the same boats that did not change their position. The photos show them moving position between May and July '45 as new boats came in but I want to model the boats in May that still had the partial crews on board sorting out the food, clothing and weapons etc.
Once I found these, I had to identify them by their unique characteristics using other photographs and sourcing experts on Uboat forums.
As a result, I have focused on 3 Uboats for my surrender diorama at Lisahally, U293(Mk7C/41), U802(Mk9c/40) and U826(7C/41). These 3 boats were positioned together next to the dock, with 2 more boats on the outside (but I can only fit 3 on my table dio).
One of these other boats, U1105(next across from U826) was a unique test boat for an anti- radar coating called Albericht, made up of rubber tiles. Initially the Kreigsmarine had trouble keeping the rubber on the hulls but U1105 proved to be a successful application. It was one of only a hand full of boats that recieved these special rubber tiles. If you look at the pictures you can see the black coating and the white lines on the conning tower where the rubber tiles are joined.
I won't be modelling U-1105, as it requires some major surgery to the hull vents above the water line but I will add the type 23 on the outside, U-2326 - a little 'artistic licence' by leaving one out. They moved around enough that U-1105 ended-up further up the row in July, just not on the 3 dat window I am looking at.
Here are the photos that show the 3 boats I want to do in the first row and U516 in the last row (basically on the same day). U-516 is another boat I will model in a stand display as it has some very original features for a Type 9C.
THE MODELS
X2
THE EXTRAS
I also read a book on their surrender to fully understand the order of the boats that came in, when they moved and how, from Loch Eriboll to Loch Alsh, then on to Lisahally. This happened over a number of days (in Mid May 1945), as the boats were recorded as they arrived at Eriboll (Scotland), then the crews were moved off and a skeleton crew assigned to stay with each Uboat going to Loch Alsh, in Western Scotland. There the torpedoes were disarmed and removed, then the UBOATS moved onto Lisahally in Nothern Ireland, where the final clean-up of the stores and removal of the remaining crew would take place.
The majority of the Uboats stayed here for the rest of 1945, with more arriving from Northern Europe over the next month or so, until Operation deadlight, where they were taken out to sea and sunk, in early 1946.
Some boats were issued to other countries as war booty.
Here is an image from Google earth showing the distance by road between each location.
I pieced it all together by understanding that some of my reference photos are from early May, some mid May and others from June and even July 1945. The surviving type 21's were also sent here later in the year and these photos were another puzzle to seperate.
I then focused on the group of photos that I worked out were from the same time in May and began searching for the same boats that did not change their position. The photos show them moving position between May and July '45 as new boats came in but I want to model the boats in May that still had the partial crews on board sorting out the food, clothing and weapons etc.
Once I found these, I had to identify them by their unique characteristics using other photographs and sourcing experts on Uboat forums.
As a result, I have focused on 3 Uboats for my surrender diorama at Lisahally, U293(Mk7C/41), U802(Mk9c/40) and U826(7C/41). These 3 boats were positioned together next to the dock, with 2 more boats on the outside (but I can only fit 3 on my table dio).
One of these other boats, U1105(next across from U826) was a unique test boat for an anti- radar coating called Albericht, made up of rubber tiles. Initially the Kreigsmarine had trouble keeping the rubber on the hulls but U1105 proved to be a successful application. It was one of only a hand full of boats that recieved these special rubber tiles. If you look at the pictures you can see the black coating and the white lines on the conning tower where the rubber tiles are joined.
I won't be modelling U-1105, as it requires some major surgery to the hull vents above the water line but I will add the type 23 on the outside, U-2326 - a little 'artistic licence' by leaving one out. They moved around enough that U-1105 ended-up further up the row in July, just not on the 3 dat window I am looking at.
Here are the photos that show the 3 boats I want to do in the first row and U516 in the last row (basically on the same day). U-516 is another boat I will model in a stand display as it has some very original features for a Type 9C.
THE MODELS
THE EXTRAS
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,hence models and maybe a U-BOAT model book.
