Type XXI ...Wait For It...

Not sure if wanted this to be about the XXI, or the posthumous award. Mods, please put this where it fits, so it can sits.
Watched a great show on PBS aboot the XXI. What a beauty. You could cut cheese with that bow.
It started off with a bit aboot the V80 which attained 28 knots underwater. 1942? Very interesting stuff.
There was a model XXI sent to the US coast. A destroyer saw the periscope and maneuvered expertly. Launched his depth's, and later reported seeing a large oil slick.
Originally hailed as a hero, later got an F for his efforts. ..The Navy doubted his success.

72 years later... They found wreckage, and a puzzle.
3/4 of a sub was found in the location, with a blown off bow many meters away.
They say a depth charge could not have caused the destruction observed- what happened?

After recreating events- they say a depth charge landed on the deck of the diving sub. It stayed there until it hit its' depth and exploded. Causing the stored torp's to explode.

My question might be- wouldn't 5-6 torpedoes exploding from a depth charge create such a humongous explosion as to not be confused with an ordinary depth charging?

I wondered if maybe 1 torpedo exploded in its' tube, and the depth charges played no part.

But the fact remains- the sub was sunk. Buddy deserves his award

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2014/12/141217-german-u-boat-u-166-gulf-mexico-archaeology-history/?utm_source=Facebook&utm_medium=Social&utm_content=link_fb20141217news-uboat&utm_campaign=Content&sf6394572=1

http://advanceddivermagazine.com/articles/u2513/u2513.html

 

Sorry Poppy you made a booboo.

Your intermingling two shows on PBS. I watched them both. The first consisted of the sunk sub, U 166 by the proverbial golden BB. I agree that the full load might not have exploded and of course she expended one or more torpedo's in sinking the SS Robert E Lee and may have expended others elsewhere.

The second show was on the development of high tech Nazi subs, and as far as I know none were actually sunk by allied escorts, though I believe three were bombed while docked.

 

Perhaps you could comment aboot the posthumous award regarding the sinking.
It was a powerful moment to see his son accept it.

 

Indeed, and well deserved.