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Toomtabard
Kirkcaldy, Fife, UK
Posts: 1140
 | | To Lennox, George and other Canadian posters | | Posted on: 7/27/2012 8:02:55 PM | How wide has been the media coverage in Canada of the alleged discovery in Labrador's Churchill River of a Nazi U-Boat nodody had previously been aware off?
I saw a German diplomtic source in Canada being quoted that it is feasible that the sunken sub could be one of five W.W.2 lost U-boats never accounted for. ?
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lennox
Victoria, BC, Canada
Posts: 1000
| | Re: To Lennox, George and other Canadian posters | | Posted on: 7/27/2012 9:29:30 PM | Only saw 1 short news story on it. If it is a U boat then there is some serious historical research to be done. The location is not that close to the ocean .
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" Rule of war 1 do not invade Russia Rule of war 2 do not invade China Rule 3 do not violate rules 1 &2
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George
Haliburton, ON, Canada
Posts: 6597
| | Re: To Lennox, George and other Canadian posters | | Posted on: 7/27/2012 10:41:51 PM | Hello Toomtabard,
There was an article on the subject in today's Toronto Star.
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The locals claim that before the Churchill was dammed in a hydroelectric project after the war, it would have been deep enough to allow travel by a submarine.
What I found interesting is that the sonar discovery is over 200 km inland.
We know that the Germans had travelled well up the St. Lawrence River which is a massive body of water and very wide.
The question we must ask is why the Germans would travel so far inland on a river that had no commercial traffic. What were they after or what did they intend to do?
It's not the first discovery of German activity in the area however. Many years ago a German weather station that had been set up in Labrador by a German sub crew was discovered.
Of course, we may be getting ahead of ourselves. There has been no confirmation that the discovery is a submarine.
George
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BWilson
Posts: 834
| | Re: To Lennox, George and other Canadian posters | | Posted on: 7/28/2012 12:02:01 AM | Never know Toom, it could be an old Soviet boat as well.
Related news today: http://www.boston.com/metrodesk/2012/07/27/german-world-war-sub-discovered-off-nantucket/UxrrHaZxBNuzRocV5dxwjN/story.html
Cheers
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"Surviving is the only glory in war." -- Sam Fuller
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George
Haliburton, ON, Canada
Posts: 6597
| | Re: To Lennox, George and other Canadian posters | | Posted on: 7/28/2012 8:20:19 AM | Just a thought but the air base at Goose Bay is near the mouth of the Churchill River.
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The air base was built in WW2 and the first planes landed there on Dec. 9, 1941.
It was an important fuel supply station for planes being ferried across the Atlantic to Britain.
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I'm just speculating that the Germans would obviously have an interest in the development of that base but it doesn't explain why the submarine was found farther up the Churchill.
There was a story of a German sub that beached near Muskrat Falls on the Lower Churchill in 1944. The tale says that the Germans had tired of the war and wanted to quit.
I wonder whether this is that sub but I can't find any information on the capture of a submarine crew in 1944 so maybe this is a different sub.
The folk tale suggests that the German crew scattered across the country. Hmmm??
George
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Michigan Dave
Muskegon, Michigan, MI, USA
Posts: 4997
| | Re: To Lennox, George and other Canadian posters | | Posted on: 7/28/2012 8:31:39 AM | Wow,
That is a fascinating discovery, do I smell the makings of a future movie? The German U-Boats were bold in their missions, they also got very close the the US coast, including the Golf of Mexico! I belong to a shipwreck research group, MSRA, and this discovery is a great story, keep us posted!?
Regards,
Dave
Great articles George, & thanks for posting Toomtabard! Also I don't believe it is a Russian Sub, Canada wasn't at odds with WWII Russia, why would they go up this river?
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"The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here, have consecrated it, far above our poor power to add or detract."
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George
Haliburton, ON, Canada
Posts: 6597
| | Re: To Lennox, George and other Canadian posters | | Posted on: 7/28/2012 12:09:02 PM | Hi Dave,
I think that BWilson was suggesting that a Russian sub may have penetrated that far during the Cold War. Correct me if I'm putting words into your writing, BWilson.
I hope to hell that Goose Bay AFB and the approaches were better monitored by the Cold War.
However, we do know that Russian nuclear subs travelled under the Arctic ice in Canadian waters. Americans too for that matter.
The man who discovered the Churchill River sub is pretty convinced that it is WW2 vintage but we should not rule anything out.
George
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George
Haliburton, ON, Canada
Posts: 6597
| | Re: To Lennox, George and other Canadian posters | | Posted on: 7/28/2012 12:24:35 PM | Just to enlighten folks about the geography of the Churchill River, I have included a map.
Assuming that the water was deep enough, boats do enter a long estuary to Lake Melville upon which sits Goose Bay.
If the water was deep enough, a sub could get in there (according to the locals) and then find the outflow of the Churchill River which drains into Lake Melville and then to the Atlantic.
You can see that Goose Bay and the air force base are quite a bit inland before you actually find the smaller Churchill River.
Note Labrador is now part of the Province of Newfoundland and Labrador and the Labrador part borders the Province of Quebec.
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George
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BWilson
Posts: 834
| | Re: To Lennox, George and other Canadian posters | | Posted on: 7/28/2012 2:27:11 PM | George,
You are correct; I was referring to the Cold War. I recall the Soviets having a lot of diesel boats but may be mistaken in that regard.
Cheers
Bill
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"Surviving is the only glory in war." -- Sam Fuller
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