Wave Shape
Wave Shape

UB 58

Wave Shape

UB 58

Part of the WW1 German Flanders Flotilla, the UB 58 had been commissioned in Aug 1917 and her first Captain was the U-Boat legend “Fips” Oberleutnant zur See Werner Furbringer, who commanded her on 5 patrols before he was admitted to Hospital suffering from exhaustion.

She was in his absence taken out on Patrol by Werner Lowe on the 8 March 1918, 2 days later she was attempting to penetrate the Dover barrage when she was spotted near the Varne lightship at 0400 Hrs and dived, into the minefield. 3 explosions were then heard and debris and oil soon seen on the surface.

The Sub was dived on by RN Divers in Aug 1918, at which time the deck gun which had been blown off was raised.

Today the wreck sites in a max depth of 30m and a general depth of 28m, she is still very intact although the outer hull has disintegrated in places particularly around the conning tower and stern torpedo tube. The bow is completely gone leaving a huge gaping maw into the control room.

Behind the conning tower is an open hatch (probably opened by the RN Tin Openers) and you can look in this at the remarkably intact and silt free engine room. At the stern there is a single remaining propeller and the concrete base of the mine that killed her is just next to it.

The stern torpedo tube is exposed and the end cap has been blown off allowing you to look into the torpedo at the explosive content. Despite the missing bow end this is a very enjoyable and interesting sub dive.

More about this Sub, Captain and crew is covered in the book “Fips Legendary U-Boat Commander 1915-1918” by Werner Furbringer ISBN 0 85052 694 9

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