May 21
We finally got round to visiting the wreck of (named UB122) although the name was actually another vessel and has just been widely associated with this particular wreck. At the end of WW1, at least 100 of Germanyβs U-boats (submarines) were confiscated, and towed IMG_0699over to here to be scrapped. this particular one had already had its engines removed at Halling cement works to replace there aging equipment like many industries at the time It was quite common for submarine engines to be used for industrial factory uses. In 1921, it was being towed towards the Thames Estuary when its tow broke and it drifted into Humble Bee Creek where itβs been sitting for nearly 100 years. She would of carried up to 3 officers and 31 men (quite an achievement when you see her up close), 10 Torpedoes, and a 3.46 inch deck gun. While surfaced, she could travel at 13.9kn, and submerged, dropped to 7.6kn.
The explore
It was quite a nice day as we set off from the strand setting off just as the tide was coming in as we weren't sure how much of the sub could be seen at higher tide, after getting extremely muddy carrying the dinghy threw the last few feet of mud at the end of the slipway we set off high hopes and wet feet. passing the old jettys we moored up to a ladder of the smaller one set off the long walk up it in hopes of seing the other 2 smaller lesser known (UB76) and (UB93) sub wrecks, not alot of them was left to see just chunks of metal resting in the mud. We carried on eager to find the far more impressive (UB122) passing the crumbling remains of the Bee ness jetty with its twisted shape looks more like a rollercoaster than a jetty in some parts finally passing a group of sunbathing seals we reach our prize the sub itself. Still quite alot of it remains risin up from the mud are wot i assume are the ballast tanks at the front u can see the torpedo holes and the bow which has broken away from the main wreck and now sits pointing skyward a few feet away with the tide still rising we decided to get some photos before it is submerged and headed back by the time the wind had picked up and was a constant spray of water the whole way back getting us both soaked to the bone but we had finally saw this amazing wreck and thats what mattered.
We finally got round to visiting the wreck of (named UB122) although the name was actually another vessel and has just been widely associated with this particular wreck. At the end of WW1, at least 100 of Germanyβs U-boats (submarines) were confiscated, and towed IMG_0699over to here to be scrapped. this particular one had already had its engines removed at Halling cement works to replace there aging equipment like many industries at the time It was quite common for submarine engines to be used for industrial factory uses. In 1921, it was being towed towards the Thames Estuary when its tow broke and it drifted into Humble Bee Creek where itβs been sitting for nearly 100 years. She would of carried up to 3 officers and 31 men (quite an achievement when you see her up close), 10 Torpedoes, and a 3.46 inch deck gun. While surfaced, she could travel at 13.9kn, and submerged, dropped to 7.6kn.
The explore
It was quite a nice day as we set off from the strand setting off just as the tide was coming in as we weren't sure how much of the sub could be seen at higher tide, after getting extremely muddy carrying the dinghy threw the last few feet of mud at the end of the slipway we set off high hopes and wet feet. passing the old jettys we moored up to a ladder of the smaller one set off the long walk up it in hopes of seing the other 2 smaller lesser known (UB76) and (UB93) sub wrecks, not alot of them was left to see just chunks of metal resting in the mud. We carried on eager to find the far more impressive (UB122) passing the crumbling remains of the Bee ness jetty with its twisted shape looks more like a rollercoaster than a jetty in some parts finally passing a group of sunbathing seals we reach our prize the sub itself. Still quite alot of it remains risin up from the mud are wot i assume are the ballast tanks at the front u can see the torpedo holes and the bow which has broken away from the main wreck and now sits pointing skyward a few feet away with the tide still rising we decided to get some photos before it is submerged and headed back by the time the wind had picked up and was a constant spray of water the whole way back getting us both soaked to the bone but we had finally saw this amazing wreck and thats what mattered.
