UBOAT-21

Aground under the Seven Sisters in 1920

By Alec Paddy

Images of a wrecked U-boat and steamer, from my collection of glass negatives. Text below from Wikipedia. I cannot find anything about the wrecked steamer.

SM UB-21 was a German Type UB II submarine or U-boat in the German Imperial Navy during World War I. The U-boat was ordered on 30 April 1915 and launched on 26 September 1915. She was commissioned into the German Imperial Navy on 18 February 1916. The submarine sank 33 ships in 26 patrols. Franz Walther took command on 27 November 1916 to August 1917, completing 2 patrols from Germany, then transferred to Flanders Flotilla to undertake 7 patrols to the East Coast of England around the Whitby & Scarborough area. On July 18, 1917 Walther landed an enlisted man sent to blow up railway bridge and a tunnel, he became lost and was later captured. On the 19th July 1918, under the command of Mahn, UB-21 landed 2 men near Whitby to carry out sabotage to an industrial railway and a munitions factor; Interned in Spain, 30/07/1917; Used for training from 1918 to the end of the war. UB-21 surrendered to England on 24/11/1918.

On 1/1/1920 Whilst under tow to Cherbourg to be scrapped, the tow line parted and UB-21 collided with the wreck of a steamer that was aground near the Seven Sisters. After some salvage in situ the hull was refloated and taken under tow to be scrapped. Once again she broke her tow and this time foundered in the Solent. The remains of UB-21 lay there until 1921 when the wreck was dispersed using explosives because it was seen to be a navigation hazard. In the early 1970s the wreck was sold to new owners and dived on until finally disappearing in the mud and silt of the Solent. She now lies buried in the silt 2 metres proud.