It was commanded by Lieutenant Commander W R "Tiny" Fell who went on to design midget submarines and who had spent according to my own research a fruitless few weeks searching for German U-boats off the west coast of Ireland, or Eire as it was then known. On the other hand, he quoted then recently released Cabinet papers that might fit with the Quilty case, in which the British suggested that U-boats may occasionally have landed crews for purposes of relaxation and obtaining fresh provisions. Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged in, Please refresh your browser to be logged in, Robert Fisk: German captains, U-boats and other lies about Ireland, 5% off all bookings with this Travelodge discount code, Save 200 on 2023 holidays with this TUI discount code, Extra 10% off hotel bookings with this Barcelo discount code, Extra 20% off selected fashion and sportswear at Very, Compare broadband packages side by side to find the best deal for you, Compare cheap broadband deals from providers with fastest speed in your area, All you need to know about fibre broadband, Best Apple iPhone Deals in the UK March 2023, Compare iPhone contract deals and get the best offer this March, Compare the best mobile phone deals from the top networks and brands. All would commit any crime for a shilling". The cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional". Reading Saville, I realised that his report shone like gold because the Widgery report was so dishonest. by kamehouse 03 May 2007, 22:26, Post by kamehouse 13 May 2007, 16:22, Post Answer (1 of 7): No is the simple answer. What was the context? As far as I know ,he got the information from a U-boat captain(that served in WW2 I suppose) he knows in Canada. They sank shipping in the Caribbean Sea and the Gulf of Mexico and attacked coastal targets in the Antilles. The cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. did german u boats refuel in ireland. From March 5, 1942 to August 31, 1943, the Coastal Patrol flew 86,865 missions, sighted 173 U-boats, reported 91 ships in distress and 17 floating mines and rescued 363 survivors of U-boat attacks. I read all the Irish government's coastwatching reports from 1939 to 1942. Clay Blair's best-selling naval classic Silent Victory: The U.S. by kamehouse 03 May 2007, 20:39, Post But they had to do it under cover of darkness and on the quiet or be interned like the german ship there. It wasnt until the night of April 13-14 that the first U-boat was sunk. An ancillary worry was Irelands military weakness. However, you may visit "Cookie Settings" to provide a controlled consent. It emerged that, during the second World War, they had been naval officers on a submarine patrolling waters west of Ireland, a country they were in the habit of visiting from time to time. Never a man to neglect a good tale, I return to that old saw about German U-boats refuelling in neutral Ireland. Operation Drumbeat counted as a little-known victory for Germany. The Northeast, which got 95 percent of its oil from the Gulf of Mexico, suffered fuel shortages through 1943 as a result of U-boat attacks in 1942. We knew that Ireland was neutral in the Second World War, and heard that Taoiseach de Valera had paid a visitor's condolence to the German legation on Hitler's death and an Irishman on the west coast had refuelled German U-boats. Univ of South Carolina Press, 1994. There just wouldn't have been any to spare for a pas. On 17 Sep 2011 Mr. Robert Fisk wrote an article called German U-boats refuelled in Ireland? By July and August, the government finally ordered the coast blacked out, and U-boat attacks fell to 26 on the East Coast. In less than seven months, U-boat attacks would destroy 22 percent of the tanker fleet and sink 233 ships in the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico. The fuel shortages slowed wartime production and forced gasoline rationing, one of the most unpopular restrictions of the war. In Canada, the . What is the best compliment to give to a girl? Ireland offered no practical aid to Germany during the war. Did German U-boats dock in Ireland? Why didn t Portugal join ww2. But after the sensational attacks from the air at Pearl Harbor and the German blitzkrieg against London, New Englanders had more concern about bombing raids from Europe than about U-boat attacks. This thread is archived. Not because I believe it I spent much of my PhD thesis on Ireland in the Second World War disproving it. Other reports of U-boat landings except one in Bantry Bay "from a reliable [sic] source" could "neither be accepted, nor wholly discounted". Like most of my other young colleagues, I had a university education but no real knowledge of Ireland. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc. I cannot describe the feeling in words, he said but it was unbelievable and beautiful and great. [], [] U-Boats off the East Coast: New England / New Jersey / North [], [] could not really understand the secrecy surrounding Florida until accounts from the New England Historical Society revealed an alleged pattern of denial about military operations along the East [], U-Boat Attacks Of World War II: 6 Months of Secret Terror in the Atlantic, sensational surrender of four German U-boats, The Northeast, which got 95 percent of its oil from the Gulf of Mexico, Percy Spencer and the Chocolate Bar That Changed the Way You Cook - New England Historical Society, When Sardines Were Bigger Than Lobsters, Maine Women Had Good Jobs - New England Historical Society, Maines Great Clam Chowder War of 1939 - New England Historical Society, Dancer's Image, the NH Horse that Won and Lost the Kentucky Derby - New England Historical Society, The Liberated Wife Who Really Was Wonder Woman - New England Historical Society, Denton Crocker Writes a Love Letter From a Train, 1943 - New England Historical Society, Its 2017 and Nazis are back. Thanks for this. The cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional". How did Irish and German immigrants differ? The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other. Refueled at cost, and either put back to sea within 72hrs or interned until the cessation of hostilities. Well,as promised here's the answer from my friend. Ho ho, cried Inspector Fisk when he caught sight of these words in our reader's letter. Opinions expressed by the authors and contributors of this site are not necessarily those of the Defence Forces. More specifically, Archer was quoted by the British as saying that a U-boat called in "three times a week at a base at the mouth of the Doonbeg river, Co Clare". The first Type XIV was U-459 (Georg von Wilamovitz-Moellendorff), commissioned in November 1941 and made her first patrol in April 1942. But the fires [], [] out of British Honduras. Many British ships were repaired in Irish shipyards. Donitz thought the U.S. military was ill-prepared and unequipped to fight the well-trained U-boat fleet. Now, at least. He ran an observation post on Fishers Island in Long Island Sound. These districts (e.g., fire and [], [] the next seven months, German U-boats killed 5000 American servicemen (nearly twice as many as Pearl Harbor); destroyed [], [] over the Allegheny Mountains ultimately had an impact on world history. This is the place to discuss general issues related to the U-boat war or the war at sea in WWII. You'll need to scroll down a bit. Expert Answers: Refuel and repair can be activated while your ship is on a landing pad. According to Liddell, Archer said that a U-boat called in three times a week at a base at the mouth of the Doonbeg river, County Clare. Newly released British Cabinet papers suggest U-boat sightings in 1939 west of the Blasket Islands and near Bundoran, County Donegal. Quite apart from the British Cabinet's lack of evidence, our reader's father suggested that the fuel storage tanks in the Republic might in fact be part of a smuggling racket between Eire and Northern Ireland (which, by the way, still continues). These passages come from T. Ryle Dwyer's book Behind the Green Curtain: Ireland's Phoney Neutrality During World War II and in that passage he references Robert Fisk's excellent book In Time of War: Ireland, Ulster and the Price of Neutrality 1939-45. At the end of the month, all tankers were ordered into port. by ohrdruf 07 May 2007, 02:40, Post I will repost an answe. I used to work in the National Maritime Museum in Dn Laoghaire and my favourite part of the job was people telling their own and their relatives stories. by FAlmeida 03 May 2007, 23:41, Post Only if the enemy knew of sinkings, or if they were witnessed by people along the coast would the Navy disclose successful U-boat attacks. He was, and also with the village of Quilty, and with a pub there named Casey's (since closed) of which the Germans had fond memories. During the first two years of World War II, Admiral Dnitz struggled to deploy an effective U-boat force, and had only between ten and twenty-five boats at sea at a given time in 1940 and 1941. The other three had been cheerfully handed over to de Valera by Malcolm MacDonald in 1938, earning Churchill's most poisonous hatred. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. The brits are such goddamn liars. Quite apart from the British Cabinet's lack of evidence, our reader's father suggested that the fuel storage tanks in the Republic might in fact be part of a smuggling racket between Eire and Northern Ireland (which, by the way, still continues). Hardegen didnt even bother to submerge the U-boat. For the Tamara had appeared in my Trinity College thesis. He was an expert in bomb disposal, demolition and sabotage, trained at Brickendonbury Manor, near Hertford, with the rank of lieutenant and later attached to the Royal Navy in Derry or Londonderry, as all good Protestants and Brits would at the time have called the last of our Irish Treaty Ports. In early 1942, German U-Boats hunting Allied ships along the U.S. East Coast, Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean had to sail all the way back to port in occupied France to be re-supplied with fuel, armament, food . But because a reader has sent me a fascinating account of his dad's war service as an SOE recruit. Shortly after midnight on Jan. 14, Hardegans lookout spotted the Norness silhouetted against the brightly lit coast. The U-boats were under orders to submerge at the sight of an aircraft. Robert Fisk. When submerged, the boat could operate for 80 nautical miles (150 km; 92 mi) at 4 knots (7.4 km/h; 4.6 mph); when surfaced, she could travel 8,500 nautical miles (15,700 km; 9,800 mi) at 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph). (Getty) Never a man to neglect a good tale . If this is your first visit, be sure to check out the FAQ by clicking the link above. Boats refuelling in Spain ports during II WW on interned German ships with a connivance of the Spanish Government, The uboot in das boot didn't buy the torpeados and supplies they snuck into the harbor and tied up along side a german ship there and received them from the ship there. Patrick Campbell was stationed in Dublin Harbour, where U-boats were less likely, although according to his memoirs, he did see some unusual activity and was under orders to ignore it: "[We] were instructed not to have anything to do with certain British & Irish boats from Liverpool, which arrived at the North Wall in the middle of the night with what was called 'special cargo' []Bren gun carriers, anti-aircraft guns and similar items, provided by the hard-pressed British government. Was Prussia the most powerful German state? Thats why, despite incredible risk and over the likely objections of everyone who wanted [], [] Tphiloh followed its congregation to the suburbs after World War II and built a new synagogue on Noyes Street in 1956. Their soldiers killed civilians in the North and you want them held to account? Robert Fisk concluded the futile patrols 'were not only steering illegally steering through the neutral waters of ire but were also navigating the wider oceans of Churchill's own vivid imagination'. How did German immigrants differ from Irish? cheese factory st johns, mi jobs Plstico Elstico. Years later, studying for a doctorate in politics at Trinity College, Dublin, I spent five months travelling down the Irish west coast to investigate the U-boat claims. They'll never talk about the RAF aircraft that were refuelled and sent home though. One of eight U-boats that arrived in Londonderry after the German surrender in 1945, Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged in, Please refresh your browser to be logged in, Robert Fisk: German U-boats refuelled in Ireland? All this passed without any comment from the locals, who seemed to be unaware of the occupation of the two strangers.. On May 9, another Coast Guard vessel sunk U-352 in the North Atlantic. Ireland was neutral for the duration of the war, but tilting somewhat to the Allied side. Yet looking back on those terrible years, I am horrified at not just the gullibility of us reporters but at our sheer ignorance. Here are 21 ways people have fought them through history. Surely not, 5% off all bookings with this Travelodge discount code, Save 200 on 2023 holidays with this TUI discount code, Extra 10% off hotel bookings with this Barcelo discount code, Extra 20% off selected fashion and sportswear at Very, Compare broadband packages side by side to find the best deal for you, Compare cheap broadband deals from providers with fastest speed in your area, All you need to know about fibre broadband, Best Apple iPhone Deals in the UK March 2023, Compare iPhone contract deals and get the best offer this March, Compare the best mobile phone deals from the top networks and brands. Ireland was indeed neutral and de Valera did his make his notorious condolence visit. Ships continued to operate with all their lights on. At the outset of World War I, German U-boats, though numbering only 38, achieved notable . The story arose from a conference O'Malley had attended in Hamburg where two Germans asked him if he was familiar with west Clare. Beyond that any identification of the Canadians providing the supply would be usefull for confirmation. Famine and political revolution in Europe led millions of Irish and German citizens to immigrate to America in the mid-nineteenth century. This was all done very clandestine at night from interned German merchant vessels there. No conspiracies. Hours after the Norness sank, a blimp spotted the hull sticking out of the shallow water. A former Irishman's Diarist was among those responsible for defending Irish ports during the Emergency. Menu "Father regularly, as did many British servicemen, changed into civvies and nipped across the Eire border for a crafty drink. Certainly Churchill is considerably more belicose and hostile to Irish neutrality. Plu,s civilians in small planes patrolled the coast for U-boats from Portland and [], [] athletics at UCLA, where he met his wife, Rachel Isum. Press J to jump to the feed. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The relics of Hitler's Navy we. Blaming us nasty Paddies for giving succour to the enemy? George VI (1895-1952), king of Great Britain, Ireland, and the British dominions beyond the seas, and sometime emperor of . On the evening of Jan. 11, 1942, Reinhardt Hardegen, the audacious captain of U-boat 123, jumped the gun. They know their country is bloodmad and has committed awful, heinous crimes in the Middle East and beyond. If you can obtain solid evidence from your friend it would be of great interest to the Uboat 'historians' . Mine fields were laid in the harbors and mobile artillery was positioned to protect the harbors. Watch: Belfast Giants celebrate in the Harp Bar after Challenge Cup win over Fife Flyers, Ulster will give clinching top-two finish our best shot: coach Dan McFarland, Belfast Giants show their six appeal as they keep blazing trail towards title, Notorious prisoner Charles Bronson to face public parole hearing, Big Issue seller numbers up due to cost-of-living pressures, says founder. By rejecting non-essential cookies, Reddit may still use certain cookies to ensure the proper functionality of our platform. U-123 sent a torpedo into the Cyclops that cut her in two. Now this was after the cessation of WWII and they were going back to Germany. 5 What were 3 items that were rationed during WW2? He didnt have good charts, but that didnt matter. She fought Nazis and supervillains such as Cheetah and [], [] January and April of 1942, German U-Boats sunk a total of 132 American vessels,of which 46 were oil tankers. It was a lie. The Battle of the Atlantic was a vital arena of the Second World War. The Gulf of Mexico U-boat offensive did not occur in a vacuum. Fisk also mentioned a claim by Britain's war-time director of counter-espionage that he had once asked his Irish counterpart, Col Liam Archer, about U-boat landings in Ireland, to be told: "They are here in force, we can't do anything." The U-boat was sunk that evening by four warships, Coast Guard cutters, a destroyer, frigates and two blimps. Never a man to neglect a good tale, I return to that old saw about German U-boats refuelling in neutral Ireland. As belligerants , unless their boat was gravely damaged and could not make a port of call in a friendly port, I don't think they could LEGALLY refuel ANYWHERE ,i.e. So when we declared neutrality, there was relief that at least the worst had been avoided WRT Ireland. In 1709 a group known as the Palatines made the journey from the Palatinate region of Germany. U-Boats sunk 23 vessels in the St. Lawrence and, in 1942, in a mission to drop off a spy, a U-Boat skulked so close to shore that it was briefly caught in the headlights of a passing car, although . One of eight U-boats that arrived in Londonderry after the German surrender in 1945. But our reader's dad wasn't the only Brit to cross the border for rest and relaxation. The last U-boat was sunk in American waters during the Battle of Point Judith off the Rhode Island coast. They must think its gospel truth. Ninety planes were lost on those missions, and 26 people died. In 21 November he presented Cabinet colleagues with a memorandum from Admiral Godfrey, depicting ire as 'a center for enemy espionage' that was 'much affected by enemy penetration' due to the German diplomatic presence. The practice was pre-agreed between both governments in 1939, but faced with British protests related to breach of neutrality commitments, Spain started to withdraw from the scheme since late 1943. He sneaked a look and discovered these were U-boat officers, whose craft were laying up in remote inlets on the coast, come ashore for unofficial R and R, and wearing their uniforms because Ireland was neutral.". This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The last Type XIV was U-490 (Wilhelm Gerlach), commissioned on March 1943 and sunk on June 12 1944 during her first sortie. On the night of May 5-6, the German Uboat U-66 and the American submarine USS Arizona were due to rendezvous. Despite being frequently encountered as rumours, no U-boats ever used Ireland as a refuelling base. He was right. The German Navy in World War II found a clever but risky method of extending their submarine patrols by building "milk cows," specialized submarines covered in fuel tanks to refuel their brethren, and drawing the fire of American destroyer and planes. But by then, the U.S. military began to take some defensive measures against the U-boat attacks. Obviously, rearming would depend on battles, but food, water, and fuel I feel would be a massive limitation. The Defeat of the German U-boats: The Battle of the Atlantic. Two more Nazi U-boats arrived the next day: At 2 pm, U-873 was towed into the harbor, followed by U-1228. The Germans use to operate right off of the coast here and they used to sink the ships, it was really something.. But our reader's dad wasn't the only Brit to cross the border for rest and relaxation. We knew that Ireland was neutral in the Second World War, and heard that Taoiseach de Valera had paid a visitor's condolence to the German legation on Hitler's death and an Irishman on the west coast had refuelled German U-boats. Another neutral nation did allow U-boats to refuel in at least the port of Vigo, Spain. The British leadership was almost entirely happy with Irish neutrality because we were too much trouble, and too resource heavy, to protect. With thanks to The Burning Shore by Ed Offley. Of this unlikely claim, Fisk underlined his letter writer's own point that, in the early 1940s, Irish police and military personnel wore "very German-looking uniforms", later changed. Operation Drumbeat was over. It was a campaign shaped by intelligence gathering and by repeated misjudgments on . Eloquent though it is and wonderful in its respect and declaration of innocence for the Catholic dead I'm not sure it's quite the Word of God that it has been made out to be. While others appreciated the secret Irish cooperation, Churchill remained highly critical.