Schnellboot S130. This is the story of S-130, the last surviving German E-Boat from WWII…
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 2 ต.ค. 2024
- Statement from Kevin Wheatcroft
Since a young boy, I’ve had a fascination with S-boats and had always kept my eyes open and followed leads and stories to try and track one down. I then became aware of the story surrounding the survival of S130, her own history is an amazing read in its own right. One of the longest surviving naval craft in continuous use, her involvement in Exercise Tiger, involvement in D-Day itself and then ending the war with dignity running mercy missions to bring back women, children and the wounded from the East, her then involvement with the Royal Navy eventually being handed over to MI5 as a spy boat, her being used for the testing and the development of various engines including the legendary Napier Deltic diesel, her eventually being given back to the newly formed West German Navy as their first ever fast patrol boat.
Then, with old age, she was pensioned off as a houseboat, sunk in shallow waters (twice!), and then being rescued by the British Military Power Boat Trust before being acquired by The Wheatcroft Collection. Then followed a 10-year search to find original engines, propellers, armoured bridge, multiple gun platforms, torpedo tubes, torpedoes, sea mines, depth charges. As well as a huge array of below decks equipment, radios, ships galley equipment, binoculars, small arms, helmets, life preserves etc etc. She was eventually pulled out of the water in 2009 where she was stripped of all her post war modifications, her planking partially stripped to assess the condition of the hull. We then constructed and fitted a new keel and purchased all the necessary materials for the future restoration. The next episode in her career before restoration commenced, was to find her a permanent home. Considering we live on an island, the UK had very few dry docks on offer. We eventually tracked one down and after prolonged negotiations, we purchased Richmond Dock at Appledore in Devon. Following its successful purchase, a four-year operation with the local authorities, the Environment Agency, the Crown, and a huge investment in drawings and visuals, we are now in a position (hopefully having satisfied all of the above authority’s questions), to submit for planning permission. I’ve no idea how long this process will take, but on the assumption that we get planning, which indications show we will, we then embark on the restoration of the dry dock and construction of S130’s new permanent home. It is then intended, when we have our completion date for the docks build process, is to immediately start the restoration of S130 herself. The plan being, that both the dock and the boat taking about the same period of time to complete. S130, once having completed her sea trials, will come home to her permanent residence. It is then intended to have general public open days and private bookings to view.
We will then set up a crew and she will be available for private charter giving everybody the opportunity to step aboard and live life as a German sailor would have done in S130’s heyday. A number of voyages have already been planned, such as a mass poppy drop at the exact location of the wreckage of what remains of Exercise Tiger.
She will then return to the site of Schlichting motor vessel works, as a tribute to the families of those who built her. She will then return to her former wartime home of Cherbourg and La Rochelle. All these opportunities will be made available to those who share the same passion.
To date The Wheatcroft Collection has invested over £3.5m, with a further £1.8m earmarked for construction work. We are now offering the opportunity for people to become involved in the next chapter of this exciting journey by joining S130’s fund raising subscription platform which is due to be launched in 6 weeks.
Your involvement will enable the boat to be rebuilt. We intend to match fund every penny raised, this will form a trust fund enabling S130 to live on beyond me as a revenue earning historic craft for generations to come.
THIS VIDEO AND CONTENTS…
Kevin Wheatcroft©️2024 and
#TheWheatcroftCollection©️2024
Hosted by #Ceevisk on behalf of #ExerciseTigerMemorial.Co.UK
and Laurie Bolton - Administrator@
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The attached video was made by our friends at Wargaming / / worldofwarships . We would also like to thank our media partners at NavalHistoria and MilitaryHistoria. Enjoy.
Thanks for following and see you Tuesday, Kevin, Alex, Bismarck and the team.
When I stumbled onto this YT video, I couldn't believe it. My dad was the radio operator on S20 in July 1940 under ObLtn Goetz Freiherr von Mirbach. My dad passed away only a few years ago. His memoires brought me close to his time as a very young soldier. I must come to Devon and step onto this S boat. It's not that easy since I live in Australia and I am now a pensioner. But I shall find a way to stand in the place where my dad stood all these years ago. Made me super emotional. Now that I'm 72 yo time is of the essence. Good job Kevin.
I wish you all the very best of luck in your quest
@@buonafortuna8928 you are very kind
Wow, von Mirbach even has a wikipedia page: en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/G%C3%B6tz_Freiherr_von_Mirbach
G'day to you my Friend ,sounds like you and I have the same problem, I live in West Aust. and am now 74, I too would love to visit this amazing Ship, I had a Airfix Model of one 50 odd years ago, nice to meet a Fellow Aussie!
I truly hope you achieve your emotional dream ,to get on that craft ...❤
As a former E-4 of the German Navy who served between 1995-97 on an Albatros-class boat (S-65 Sperber/P6115), I remember vividly all the pictures with these old S-boats lining the offices of the buildings in Rostock, Warnemünde , where the 2nd squadron was stationed. I never knew that they were so rare nowadays. Thanks for the video.
We had over 11 years owning a hdml 82’ motor launch and I had the pleasure of changing the original pistons and heads ,it had twin Buda diesels, specifically chosen because of their low noise signature.i had to teach my self how to control everything as it was performed in 1943 and operating a ww2 small warship as per the army manuals . I can so relate to the quest to save this unique ship. May the restoration go to plan and thank you so much for the look into the past.
I was in the US Army in 1975. In a transportation unit. It was full of LCM-8s
I was on what's called a small tug ( ST)
ST-2154 we had a BUDA 200 HP as the main engine. 😊
Very informative. S-112 was a vessel involved in the Granville Raids of February and March of 1945. My Grandfather was unfortunately killed in the raid on 9 March, 1945. S-112 was one of the vessels which penetrated the outer harbor on that night. She was a sister ship of S-130.
Another unsung hero of the Merchant Navies. They made the fighting possible.
@@PalleRasmussen Thanks Sir, but he was actually a US Navy sailor aboard Patrol Craft 564, a small all steel subchaser Unfortunately she tangled with three German Artillery Prams and was badly damaged and forced to with draw. This occurred just south of the Isle De Chausey off Granville. He and 11 others sailors were killed with about 15 wounded out of a crew of 65. I did a presentation about it on OTD Military History channel if you want to learn more.
@davidlavigne207. Good to see you here. When I saw this, I had to watch it just to double-check a few design features. Catch you back at @WW2TV.
I've known Kevin quite a long time now, and Tom, Kevin's late father.
True gentleman.
I recollect many times at Donnington talking about the war, the cars were a blurr in the background.
My best award for my military vehicle at The War and Peace Show is from Tom as the honorary judge.
Good days.
Thank you for saving the last one. Absolutely amazing. Good luck from New Zealand.
Blown away my friend .. luvd making the model of the boat as a 9 year old .. 50 years later and I finally get to see a real one … many thanks and the best of luck with the restoration.. 👍🏻😎
I remembered following the early renovations on the S130 website in 2016 but shortly after that, everything seemed to stop, but now i know why.
It’s good to hear of what has been going on in the background & the plans for the future.
One day, it’ll be nice to see her back in the water where she belongs.
All the best for the future. 👍
My Great Grandfather was sunk by S-142 in January 1944. SS Emerald was hit by torpedo and sank in 15sec. My Great Grandfather deep in the belly of the boat stoking the engine fire would have had little chance of escape. I would love to see S-130 restored to its former glory. Looking forward to following this journey.
RIP brave seaman. Lest we Forget. 🫡🕊️🇬🇧🇦🇺🦘
I am so sorry for your great grandfather and your Family.
Best regards from Germany
The unsung heroes of the Merchant Navies.
@@PalleRasmussen I only found this out last year. I have managed to source copies of the blueprint drawings of SS Emerald. So humbling to see the area where my Great Grandfather would have ate, slept and grafted at sea. No ill will to the German sailors at all.
It's wonderful that someone like Mr Wheatcroft has such passion for restoring things of so much historical importance. I would love to see his collection.
the Danish Royal family can NOT give permision to steal parts from danish cultural herritage!
@@timandersen8916 what a strange comment and unpleasant attitude. It should be obvious to anyone who has watched this video that this gentleman it helping preserve this important item. It was stated that the vessels were scuttled at the war's end and in any case they are not, in any way, part of Denmark's heritage.
@@evilgoogleevilgoogle3855 ok so if you live in USA and i travel there and dig up old indian treasures ,its ok for me to keep and take with me to Denmark. coz its not the usa herritage ,its the ones usa all killed in the past, so nobody needs it
Thank goodness there are dedicated, passionate people who preserve history!
yes to that ,but nut at any cost... he stole alot of those metal parts from the 3 boats we have here on the seabed in lunkebugten. it is proberty of DENMARK and NOT some UK bandit
@@timandersen8916 Did you not hear him say he was given permission to take whatever he needed. That doesn't make him a Bandit at all and which would you prefer, to leave them on the Seabed to eventually rust away, or see them back on the surface and at sea so future generations can enjoy them and learn about their history.
@@stephensmith4480 learn about history!! yea i know about the history of those boats , my dad saw what they did at the kapitulation, beffore they scutteled the boats in lunkebugten, my family is from Troense. and that has nothing to do with a local millionære in UK
@@timandersen8916 Maybe not but the point is he was Given permission by YOUR GOVERNMENT so it doesn't make him a Bandit, so wind your Neck in.
@@stephensmith4480 NO NOT the government, he said the ROYAL FAMILY, and we dont live in 1635 ,were the king could do what he wanted, we live in a democracy ,and the Royal family have NO right at all to take decissions on what to do, with the cultural herritage of DENMARK, they are just the most expensive realityshow in the world
My dad spent the whole war in Coastal Forces in MTBs and MGBs and one of his jobs was to capture an E Boat, because the Admiralty knew they had a secret to speed, the Germans wanted to keep it secret so they had a self destruction charge in the stern to remove the Lurssen Effect rudders, which is why there are really not any about now. My Dad didn't find an intact boat until mid 44 and by then it didn't matter.
Kevin Wheatcroft was very helpful when i needed dimensions for a Panzer 2 F storage bin for a project i undertook. He is undoubtebly a busy man but he took the time to provide me with photos and dimensions. I've been following this project for years and i can't wait to see Schnellboot S130 back in the water and fully running again, hopefully in the next 10 years?
Good luck with your restoration of Fraulein S-130.
Wow! The last surviving S-boat is going to be restored to its original self! I'm 68 and grew up building models of ships, planes, tanks etc. We could talk about most of the famous battles which took place. It's truly sad that so much military history has been forgotten in our schools. The first years of World War II were dark ones indeed, as Germany and Japan initially swept every country they invaded and inflicted humiliating defeats on just about everybody. We should never forget our history. Thanks to Mr. Wheatcroft and everyone involved in bringing S-130 back to life again.
My Father was on a DE ( 321 ) in the Mediterranean during WWII. He'd told me the E-Boats were quite a problem, for their size they were Giant Killers.
My cousin George swore he saw 3 of these in
Vietnam during his time there in 1967 & 68.
He had hand built a model of one, a year or so,
before he was drafted.
And George was NO liar.
He believed the East Germans had gifted them
to the Russians, or even Chinese who passed them
on to the Vietnamese, just like they did with WWII
pistols, long guns, and ammo. He even sent home
an MG-42 he found after the Tet offensive in 68.
My Uncle's favorite Christmas present ever!
Three of these beast engines... must have had big tanks!
she's not only the only surviving E-boat, she's also the only surviving Kreigsmarine surface vessel.
Thats a shame
There are still a number of KfKs (Kriegsfischkutter) floating around.
Not necessarily, there is at least one R-boat left and all but one of the Kreigsmarines training tall ships survive (one of which, the former Horst Wessel, is now the training ship for the US Coast Guard). I’d also give credit to the minelayer Kiebitz, which eventually became the training ship and yacht Galeb and is currently under restoration, but she was originally built for the Regina Marina as the armed merchant cruiser Ramb III
@@sirboomsalot4902 I thought Horst Wessel was a Kaisarmarine ship?
@@themanformerlyknownascomme777And that was probably an earlier similar vessel.
Wow, what a thing! Thanks so much Kevin and team for bringing history back to life. Just incredible. Best of luck from New Zealand.
This is absolutely spectacular
Amazing!. It's so heart warming to hear of someone, with the wherewithal, who cares about engineering history, it's all of ours. Glad to hear of it being saved so we can all look back. Thank you Kevin.
YAY!!!! An update on this boat! I had been wondering as the project had gone dark online.
Awesome thing to behold, I love the American PT boat and had heard of the E-boots but until this video I had never seen one, fantastic video
There was one of these on the hard known as the Mini Playa just South of the harbour in Altea Spain , simply sitting there abandoned . It was there throughout the 80s and an enquiry with the Club Nautico right next door might disclose its whereabouts or details of its demise . Absolutely stunning lines for such a cruel vessel .
Fascinating machine, I went to see the remains of the engines of S89 on Crackington Haven in Cornwall. even 60 yeas in the sea the engines still have engine oil in them. Hope to see this on the water.
Its a really good looking design, sleek , clean lines..
Thank you so much
Absolutely incredible! Such an important project. Well done!
Great video classic German marine building these boats were iconic adversaries in their day fast and maneuverable.crewed by brave men.time means we can appreciate these machines now the war is firmly in the past.and adversaries are now firm respected friends
thank you Kevin! Looking forward to seeing it finished!
While on holiday at my aunt's at tonsberg Norway there was one moored in a fjord near to the town.my aunt said the man who lived in it was a German collaborator during ww2 and kept himself to his self. this was 1973 .so I would imagine both boat and the man are long gone.
A labour of love ,total respect for perfection
G'day to you, wow , you dont realize how big they were until you get close up to them, I hope all goes well with this Piece of History, it will look Brilliant when Finished, I had a Airfix Model of one some 50 odd years ago and have always loved the Sleekness of it , looking forward to upcoming progress! Perth West Aust.
Wow, just wow. The very best of luck. Great stuff.
My Father went in through Normandy, Cpt. REME, R.I.P.
Keep up the Good work, Thank you Kevin and your team.
I cannot wait for when the S130 and the Appledore museum open to the public. My great grandfather had his boat built from appledore.
Extremely impressive,, 🤩
Cheers from Sweden,, 🍻🍻🥰👍👍
Great video and an impressive project. Thank you.
Incredible! I was aware that this was being done just around the corner from Torpoint, I’m sat here watching this travelling into Cornwall on the train and look out of the window and there on the river by Treluggen boat yard is a Fairmile D. 😮
Beautful. Thank you both! David. NSW. Australia.
I saw this (I think) moored up at Marchwood over 20 years ago.
I first saw this boat on "Combat Dealers" a few years ago.
They found a bottle of Becks beer unopened in the hull - something to do with good luck or something. I hope Kevin kept it and puts it back as it seems to have worked with this boat being restored.
Fascinating stuff from an engineering point of view too.
From the Land Downunder the Spitfire of the sea .Lest We Forget .
15:01 "Norway had U-boats until 1968". Wrong! Norway still have U-boats. Actually Norway just bought a bunch of new U-boats the other day..
When the boat and its new home are done, I will have to come see.
I grew up in Ulster, and there was a derelict MTB sat on the bank of the River Bann I used to canoe past as a child, late '80s - early '90s. It fascinated me. Eventually, someone in power wanted it gone, so the engines were removed and then the hull was burned.
Such a waste of history.
My father was born in 1938 and grew up near Derry. His father was a WWII Forces Chaplain for all three forces, and my Dad remembers as a child seeing dozens of U boats tied up along the banks of the Foyle in 1945, as the German Atlantic U boat fleet surrenderd in Derry.
The British government decided to make an example of the U boats, towed them all offshore to use as targets, and sank them all.
Is that the one next to the rail line just up from Coleraine? I saw it on GoogleMaps a while back and wondered what it was.
Fantastic machine and a credit to the engineers who built and sailed them. Fabulous piece of history.
Awesome, I wish them luck restoring S130. Good technology deserves to be restored and remembered. Cheers
Great of Kevin to bring everyone up to date on the progress on S - 130, as I along with the other people who've commented had been following the restoration on the internet, does Kevin want too see if he can find the hull for the E100 heavy tank that is rumoured to possibly still exist buried where John Ponds scrapyard used to be in north Portsmouth?
I am truly amazed at the shear size of the S Boat it dwarfs our PT"s, this gentleman is a perfectionist with a capital P, what an amazing project I wish him all the best and as he says this is a piece of history it needs to be saved, I shall be following the project with great interest.
Wow wouldn’t this have been great if he owned U534 instead of it being chopped up and left outdoors in Birkenhead were it is slowly rotting away and is located in just such a wrong location.
S-boats & PT-boats as well as some of the river patrol boats (Vietnam) have always been of great interest, thanks for the video!! Go Navy and Coast Guard 🇺🇲
My god,I’ve been wondering what happened to the Schnellboot! I remember when he first bought it and then it sort of disappeared.
Exactly thesame for me! Finally some news😊
@@panzerkaske4836 Can you imagine how much he’s spent on it so far?🙀
Incredible, those 3 engines!
As a German, I am happy about the preservation of this boat. At the same time, I respect that this is done by a patron from the former enemy country who appears to be more unbiased towards our common history than we ourselves are.
I’m afraid he has hidden right wing sympathies as with many of these collectors😢
@@christianblake3997 If they are hidden how do you know?
You can be a collector without taking on the baggage of the previous owners you know.
@@christianblake3997 Really? thanks for letting us all know.
Lovely video and great this piece of navy history is to be preserved given they played quite a part in the war , apparently there is one sunk in a creek at Newhaven after also being a houseboat..
wow what a project!
That is 'advanced collecting '. Good on him. Think of all the dudes who waste fortunes on buying name brand luxury items. This guy is living my dream
THANKS, guys ! Now I have one MORE addition to my bucket list ! Wonderful video !
Amazing, thank you for doing this and being so enthusiastic. You could not do this in Germany today, unfortunately, without being accused to be a Nazi or glorifying the crimes this party has done, unfortunately.
Unfortunately, true. We really have to thank this man to take up the challenge. I wish him all the best to succeed!
Greetings from Germany.
Of course, something like this could be done in Germany too. It is not forbidden. For example, the U-2540 in Bremerhaven was restored to its original condition, as was the U-boat U-995 in Laboe. One could also include the sailing training ship Gorch Fock 1, which is in Stralsund and has been restored to its original condition. Of course, more could be saved if there was something to save.
@@callsigndd9ls897 I said, you could do in German, but not without being attacked / accused of being a Nazi or glorifying war. I live close to Hürtgenwald (where the big battle happened) - people collected findings and put in small museums (often to cope with the terrible experiences they had themselves) and maintain soldier graveyards … being attacked or homes sprayt with Nazi symbols or hate messages. Your examples are from the 80ties (Wilhelm Bauer UBoot) and/or quasi-government organised … (Gorch Fock is Bundeswehr and had enough opposition not only because of the cost overruns during renovation).
@@AP-nd2yf I did not mean the Gorch Fock (2) of today's German Navy, but the Gorch Fock 1 of the Kriegsmarine (built in 1933), which was captured by the USSR (later Ukraine) after the war and bought back and restored by a support group in Stralsund in 2003. The fact that this ship is actually a "Nazi" ship does not bother anyone. The same applies to the hundreds of tanks, vehicles and aircraft from this period that are on display in German museums. They are all technical witnesses to the times, but no longer artefacts that someone wants to glorify politically. And anyone who opposes such exhibitions of war material is, in my opinion, just as mentally handicapped as the people who actually glorify it. Unique war material are witnesses to the times, nothing more. If it were otherwise, we would also have to abolish all other exhibitions and museums from other, earlier wars.
I think there is a broken one at Arctic Ocean, North East from Kirkenes. It is on my video "Kayaking from Varangerbotten to Russian Border" at 27:32. What say you?
Whilst I have absolutely no time whatsoever for Nazism and what it stood for, I am still, at 61 years of age, as enthralled and intrigued by the fantastic war-machines they devised as I was as a kid reading war comics. I particularly like the JU 88 and FW190D series of aircraft, the VW based Kubelwagens and derivatives, and most spectacularly, the S-Boots. These were amazing boats, or "boots", and still have stunning performance specifications.
9000 л.с. с ума сойти! это чудовищная мощность для маленького деревянного корыта. Пароход "Грейт Истерн" приводился в движение двигателями суммарной мощностью всего 8000 л.с. (для сравнения)
I dont know the exact model but my Uncle Mike Watkiss , bought an ex Eboat from Germany some 30 years ago , he restored it to seagoing condition and chartered it under the banner of "Blue Water cruises" I went on it and was amazed at the engines being installed MWM.s not origional and unfortunately it came to grief in a storm whilst lying at anchor in Portsmouth by a drifting boat ramming it and sinking it in Portsmouth harbour where it had to be raised because of fuel contamination and scrapped . At the time , I had a Samuel White MTB no 207 and remember we had very spirited debates on who had the better boat !! My uncles boat was called "Baltic Surveyor "
I came close to buying s Seaplane tender nothing as big as this but still as historic boat. Sadly I couldnt find anywhere to put the boat to restore it so that wast that. However I have seen one fully restored now. I cant WAIT to see this boat up and running those engines look superb.
Daß ein Engländer ein Kriegsschiff vom "Feind" restauriert ist erstaunlich! Vielen Dank dafür! Ich bin ein absoluter Fan der deutschen Schnellboote ! Im Modell habe ich die Entwicklung der Schnellboote nachgebaut!
BRAVO for saving a one-of-a-kind piece of military history. No matter whether its Axis or Allied or any time period of warfare, saving things of this nature is very important and I wish I had the funds to foster a collection for public viewing. I can't get over how big of a task this is to undertake, a 120-ton ship, and astonishing that he has managed to track down so much original equipment up to and including an Enigma machine that someone was willing to sell off. Being able to visit something like this is way cooler than just looking at pictures in a history book and buying a ticket to ride on it and go 70mph would really take the cake 👍💯
@14:54 the 4-tone camouflage paint scheme looks to be something that was probably used in Norway to blend in better with the Fjord coastal terrain and took a heck of a lot of time to apply it. I don't think I have ever seen anything so intricate like it before.
So cool, I wonder who the man is thats funding all of this!
Good we have someone to restore these things for the future.
Phew, exhausting work!
Particularly if he wants it all to be running, which would be amazing.
Thank God this piece of history hasn't been erased. It's critically important to save every instrument of war that can be saved so that future generations can look, touch and learn about every facet of the wars that have been fought. No matter what side the hardware fought for.
Wow. Stunning project. Respect 👌
There’s another in Düsseldorf
Wow what a fantastic project to have well done Kevin and your team hope to visit
You couldn't wish to meet a nicer bloke, history in safe hands with Kevin, keep up the good work.
Look forward to seeing this someday
So excited to hear what is happening to S-130. I can't wait till she's finished so I can see her myself. Great stories of how the parts were found. I wish Kevin and his team all the best in bringing her back to life
that's incredible. I don't have words other than just incredible. I didn't think there were any left.
I have to compas for one of those. Made by C. Plath, who is still in buisness to this day.
Amazing find. The last one left.
I’ve always had interest in German torpedo boats. Never thought I’d found a channel of a team wanting to restore one. This is surreal! I hoped it to see it roaring the seas again.
He talks about only using war time components but at 11.26 they show a control panel made up of modern contactors and overloads and cable ducts all of which I am using in my line of work today. It looks like Telemecanique gear which was French in origin. it is now known as Schneider brand.
Incredible! I hope to be able to see it in its new home when complete. I will definitely make the trip from Canada to the UK for this alone. Now to live long enough. I have always been intrigued by the Schnellboot. Lurssen designed a thoroughbred. I built the Revell 1/72 S-100 class model a few years back. Love looking at the thing.
If I remember correctly, there is a MTB on the river Crouch in Essex that has been turned into a house boat
Seen this boat at mount edgecombe
Bought not Brought
This is fantastic!
S-boat pretty Snchnell torps
Blimey! Mg42 at the bow ..and Bobs yuur Uncle.
Is there a RAF MTB afloat. Rescue version?
Anyone
Imagine an exhibition with this and its Italian, British and American counterparts- I am not certain Japan had any or if any is still around. I know Italy did, but doubt any are still around. But still; to watch them sail together...
I can only imagine what it would be like in another probably 10 years to see S-130 go head to head in maneuvers against a couple of MTB's in the middle of the English Channel. I don't know how many "Peter Tares" are still seaworthy in England or France, but I know there are quite a few in the US (two in California, one in Louisiana, one in Washington, and I believe one in New York or New Jersey).
There's an R(Rescue) Boat in the River Stour, just outside Sandwich in Kent. Unfortunately, it sunk (1990's)and has long since settled into soft mud...gone but still there...anybody?
I wish him well and so will look forward to any updates on the restoration 👍👍🇦🇺
I Osbrone four working WW 2 ELCO Motor Torpedo Boats each boat is 90 foot long 82 tons with 3 v 12 Packard aircraft engines. And they are on the water at East Chicago Indiana.
Great project, well done, so far. Bit surprised why the Germans don't have some organization already restoring one. That would be helpful. I guess this type of ship is rare, by now. Good luck!
Beautiful design! I'm so glad that one has been saved from the scrappers, and is being restored!
Imagine the kind of wealth that can afford to do such a massive undertaking! Awesome job, I really hope to see it operating someday.
We have got an originallbronze anchor
The anchor we have came off the further Kevin I believe bought aurther for the engines,its for sale located in portsmouth
Nice docu, but 720P, stuttering, audio out of sync, ... . What decade was this filmed in ?
Cant wait for when he puts his collection public. Hes going to be one of the leading figures in terms of restorations, having multiple Tigers, Tiger 2s and shermans, as well as mutliple SPGs etc, all in running order. Its going to be a collection worth seeing.
This is truly fantastic. I hope the project comes to fruition. But, is there not a second one rotting away in a river in Germany Somewhere. I thougth Mark Felton did a program about it.