28 Oct 2006 - WW2 U-Boat found off Eyemouth
German WW2 U-Boat found off Eyemouth. this is looks to be a Type VIIC U -Boat, and may be the U714 which was reported as sunk in this area in 1945, She lies in deep water and is very intact, hatches are open or blown off, some hull damage seen with damage at the stern and in front of the Conning Tower which probably flooded the boat very quickly,killing all the crew.
The Type VII C U-Boat was the workhorse of the German Navy with nearly 700 being built, although it will be difficult to identify, there are no reports of Type VIIC Boats missing in this area other than U714.
Further investigations needed to prove her Identity.
As this is a War Grave the position will be kept secret to allow positive Investigation.
Picture of U714's Captain,
Hans-Joachim Schwebcke
Born on 22 Mar, 1918 in Lübeck
Died on 14 Mar, 1945, North Sea
In the last weeks of the war U-714 left Horten under the command of Hans-Joachim Schwebcke on 3rd Mar 1945, she proceeded to her patrol area off the East Coast of Scotland.
On 10th Mar 1945 he sank the Norwegian 425 ton Nordhav II, sailing with
convoy FS-1753 off Dundee.On 14th Mar 1945 he sank the Swedish 1,226 ton Magne,
a member of convoy FS-1756 off St Abbs,the alarm was raised by another vessel the
Sheaf Crown.
The New Frigate HMAS Natal was in the area on route to Scapa Flow and responded to the signal. On arriving off St Abbs she discovered the survivors of the Magne in a Lifeboat and several liferafts, another Destroyer HMS Wyvern was on the scene assisting, while assisting she picked up a Submarine Contact on her new Asdic set, she commenced an attack firing several Hedgehog or Squid Depth charges , this immediately brought up oil and wreckage, a second attack produced an air tank and more oil, then she lost contact, .It was assumed the U-boat had gone straight to the bottom. This was later confirmed when a hunter-killer group, sent from the Tyne and led by HMS Ascension, depth-charge blasted the sea-bed at the exact position of the attack - 55.57N, 01.57W - and brought a considerable quantity of U-boat flotsam to the surface. This included a hand-carved shield depicting a diving U-boat .
HMSAS Natal's feat so soon after commissioning was described at the time as "unique in the annals of the Royal Navy". The ship received an RN battle honour (`North Sea 1945')
Out of a crew of 21 on the Magne there were only 11 survivors, U714 had a crew of 50, there were no survivors.
On 10th Mar 1945 he sank the Norwegian 425 ton Nordhav II, sailing with
convoy FS-1753 off Dundee.On 14th Mar 1945 he sank the Swedish 1,226 ton Magne,
a member of convoy FS-1756 off St Abbs,the alarm was raised by another vessel the
Sheaf Crown.
The New Frigate HMAS Natal was in the area on route to Scapa Flow and responded to the signal. On arriving off St Abbs she discovered the survivors of the Magne in a Lifeboat and several liferafts, another Destroyer HMS Wyvern was on the scene assisting, while assisting she picked up a Submarine Contact on her new Asdic set, she commenced an attack firing several Hedgehog or Squid Depth charges , this immediately brought up oil and wreckage, a second attack produced an air tank and more oil, then she lost contact, .It was assumed the U-boat had gone straight to the bottom. This was later confirmed when a hunter-killer group, sent from the Tyne and led by HMS Ascension, depth-charge blasted the sea-bed at the exact position of the attack - 55.57N, 01.57W - and brought a considerable quantity of U-boat flotsam to the surface. This included a hand-carved shield depicting a diving U-boat .
HMSAS Natal's feat so soon after commissioning was described at the time as "unique in the annals of the Royal Navy". The ship received an RN battle honour (`North Sea 1945')
Out of a crew of 21 on the Magne there were only 11 survivors, U714 had a crew of 50, there were no survivors.