4:13 - I will never understand why people feel the need to spray paint over stuff that they don’t privately own. It looks awful. But that aside, you have amazing videos. I grew up around these places and never realized they were there! Incredible footage!
One interesting fact is that one of the US Navy ships that participated in hunting down U-853 still survives to this day....USS Atherton, a destroyer escort. It's likely her Hedgehog depth charges dealt some of the killing hits on U-853. After WW2, the Atherton was transferred to the newly formed Japanese Self Defense Naval Force. Then she was sold to the Philippine Navy, serving until 2018. The Philippine Navy has plans to turn the ship into a museum exhibit at Cavite Bay.
Fantastic documentary. Although I have lived in Rhode Island since 1976, this is the first I have heard about a German U-Boat sinking off the coast. Thank you - this is obviously a labor of love for you and I really appreciate you sharing.
heard about this and have been to an undergournd bunker at point judith. many tidibits of U boats and german spies trying to blow up little known spots on the upper east coast 😊
its a war grave and I went down on it years ago with the Grey Eagle dive charter when the pressure hull was pretty much intact and a couple of the guys actually did a penetration dive and human bones were visible. I have seen newer vids of the wreck and its in rough shape now compared to back then. Never heard of magnetic depth charges as they were called depth charges for a reason - - the depth at which they would explode was manually set before they were launched and it was the concussive force detonating in close proximity that would cause damage so that the pressure hull was breached and if you can get water inside the sub loses buoyancy and sinks deeper where the water under pressure is a force of its own creating even greater issues. At 130/140 ft. on the bottom the pressure simply forces more water through any breach but at greater depths the external water pressure would create an implosion crushing the hull much the same as someone might crush a beer can.
@4 Dogs Gaming when I dove on it was more than 30 years ago in fact someone brought up a rubber boot in his "bug bag" and it contained bones which the next flight of divers put back in the wreck. I'm trying to find one of the older videos of the inside as there was a skull clearly visible in it - - you had to be very careful not to stir up the silt even back then because vis went to zero with one errant kick hence the use of a wreck reel. Nitrox was just coming into use back then so just on air your bottom time was very limited even using Navy tables which gave a little more than PADI unless you were going to do a decompression dive like on the Dorea. Newer videos show how degraded the wreck has become - - I saw one that was done 10 years after we dove it and the changes were profound
@4 Dogs Gaming found the video of a penetration dive by Capt. Bill Palmer who found the sub again after it had been forgotten about for years - - the video is titled Last Voyage of the 853 by Gregory Pettys - - several skulls and various bones of lost crew members were shown
I've driven past those decrepit basketball hoops numerous times on the way to the Point Judith Lighthouse and once explored the area from the path along the road to the Fisherman's Memorial site. It was THRILLING to find such an exceptional video delineating the history of that spot, because I've always wondered about it! I would never have guessed there was such a colorful backstory to it. I also appreciate the great historical footage you included - felt like history come alive for me, and this really made my day! Keep up the great work!
Great work! Where I live in Oregon in the Umpqua valley used to live in Port Orford on the coast where a Japanese pilot bombed the nearby forest around Coast Guard Hill. There are those cement submarine I guess houses below the cliffs there. Later I was told the Japanese pilot came back, or was invited back to Port Orford for a visit! Crazy world.
I go to the University of Rhode Island, about a 20 minute drive from point judith. There's a lot of cool abandoned ww2 stuff in the area. For those who don't know, RI is roughly the shape of a tall rectangle with the Bay on the lower right side. Within the bay are several long, North/South oriented islands, with Newport (Port with a big naval base) on the biggest one. Imagine like a fork pointing down, with the tine on the left being longer than the others. Point judith is the tip of the leftmost tine. Further up that tine is the URI Bay Campus (GSO), which used to be a coastal defense station and later a German POW camp. It's now one of the main locations for oceanographic research for the North Atlantic and the NA east coast. I go there for classes all the time now, and there's a sealed off bunker right at the main entrance. There's also a lot of wierd concrete geometry left over from large gun emplacements that they had to work around when building the new classroom and lab buildings. They've even got a nuclear reactor there now for the physics department. Further up the same tine is Quonsett Airport, which is currently the RI Air Natl. Guard HQ. During and post-ww2, it was a training ground for pilots. If you've seen the movie Devotion, they spend the first half of the movie there, living in South Kingstown (where the URI main campus is). It used to have a small air museum (with a flyable Hellcat!) But they ran out of funding in 2015, and sold their functioning planes to other air museums. The ones they had in pieces however, ended up outdoors displayed on top of some shipping containers next to one of the parking lots. One of those displayed planes is Ted Williams' F9F Panther jet fighter. Ted Williams as in, the Ted Williams Tunnel in Boston, MLB hall of famer, John Glenn's (the astronaut) wingman. Moving to the second tine, you get Jamestown island. The southernmost part of the island is Beavertail State park. There's several small pits there where AA guns used to be, and another sealed off bunker. Further up Jamestown island, directly across from GSO is Fort Getty
Love these exploring abandoned places . I am a 73 y/o brought up in Burrillville and as a young boy did lots of exploring in the ample woods there. Amazing the things you find way out in the woods. I explored a long time burned down textile mill in what was known as Gazzaville. The bushings and stone towers for the water wheels are still there... also about 4 or 5 foundations filled in and grown over. Love these mini docs you do. Keep it up !
You did a great job with the filming, story and the history.I was born and raised in RI. I don't live there now. I have never heard of this. Last summer went to point Judith had lunch at George's. If I knew, I would have checked this out. I have lived in 4 different states( husband was in the navy). People do not realize how awesome our history is. Frankly, many people didn't know RI is even a state. Yes, very true.
What an excellent video. You took two great subjects; abandoned places and WW2 history and combined them in an entertaining and educational way. You just gained a new subscriber.
Love the peace and quiet of abandoned places. Love the clear cut clash between good and evil during the Big One. Total commitment by government and people both.
If you look behind the the fire control tower, you can see evidence of a wooden roof, the fire control towers were designed to look like houses, as our videographer said. There are actually four main gun batteries, and I believe 2 coastal smaller gun batteries. In Narragansett there are two 16” gun batteries, one in Fisherman’s memorial park and one in Ft Greene. There is also a smaller coastal gun battery at Pt. Judith. In Sakonnet Pt. there is one 16” gun battery, and one 8” gun battery(which has been demolished), and a smaller coastal gun battery which has also been demolished. The batteries and coastal defenses were generally set up the same way. I was actually very lucky to find and go through all of these locations years ago.......pretty amazing. Thanks for the video.
Why go through the trouble of making them "Bunkers" in the first place? the walls appear to be about one foot thick, a .50cal could probably punch through that, not no mention a naval threat.
If you visit Maine, up in the hill overlooking Popham beach and Fort Popham, is Fort Baldwin, an abandoned era fort with bunkers and a similar concrete triangulation type observation tower. Lots of people visit the beach and Fort Popham, but never even notice Fort Baldwin tucked in the woods a short hike up on the hill. Maine Yankee also had an active warning evacuation siren on the hill before the nuclear power plant was decommissioned.
Jason, thank you oh so very much. I've been a follower (relatively new) of yours and just the narration, the editing, drone shots, has improved so so much; leading to a more immersive experience. I absolutely love history in general, and to find it here in RI in such an intimate way is so amazing. Thank you for what you do to us, you are literally actively preserving history. History that may otherwise be forgotten, especially ones that are in our backyard. Keep it up!!
It's crazy to me to watch this video because I've explored those bunkers myself. They sure are "all sealed up, with rocks" (I like what you did with that sneaky graphic there). I'll have to go back sometime. Keep up this awesome content
@@entertainme7523 the rocks in the graphic is (or at least was, last time I was there) the exact way the rocks are placed at the actual bunker and its easy to slip in through the top corner.
@@MrJDawg1337 just go to beaver point, the bunker there is open and it is the same design as the Point Judith one. Both had 2 rapid fire 6” naval guns that were armored covered. They had a range of 12-15 miles. The big guns up the road from Point Judith at Fisherman’s and the active base Fort Greene all had 4 total 16” naval guns that could shoot 25 miles. Only Fort Greene is unassailable but is in the best condition as is the command and control bunker.
Never heard of "Magnetic Depth Charges" and I have studied World War II history for more than 40 years. Depth charges used a hydrostatic pressure fuse to explode. You set the depth, drop the charge, and when it reachs set depth it explodes. Hedgehogs were an ahead thrown weapon like a mortar, 24 in a pattern, and exploded on contact with the sub. Those holes on the wreck look like Hedgehog impacts not the results of depth charges. Depth charges would likely crack the pressure hull not blow holes in it. Also, Hedgehogs were the preferred weapon as they didn't roil up the water like a depth charge pattern. Otherwise, your video seemed very well researched. When I was a 7 or 8, my father took me to that area to see the remains of the gun batteries from the war. The guns had been removed but the sites were still there. There were a number in that area as Newport was a major destroyer base during the war.
For some reason I wanted to look into this. Can find references to them being used by USN, probably late in the war, notably: "Magnetic depth charges were also tried, but reliability problems precluded widespread use although the results obtained were outstanding," whatever that means. Magnetic mines had been used for a long time, why not?
I love this so much! From the brilliant editing, to the presentation of the history, this has to be one of my favorite of your videos. Keep exploring!!
All you're videos are high level filming and the information is on point and accurate. Nice to see the story of U-853 getting some love. Keep up the good work and stay safe.
I’ve been getting into lighthouses and local history. Was down at pt Judith the other day, so cool didn’t know about the battle of pt Judith at all. Can’t believe there’s a u boat off the coast! Great job with all these videos. Was cool to see an older one. They keep getting better and better!
I have watched a couple of your videos so far and wanted to tell you how much I appreciate them. Most youtube videos of abandoned places are done by people who have no desire to research the history of the places they are showing. Most I consider nothing more than trespassers. Your videos on the other hand are entertaining and educational. Thank-you for your work.
My grandparents had a ocean house there . They were ordered out and moved to bonnet shores. The Bonnet shores house still exists. It’s at the top of the drive with a huge rock out front
RI local - loving these videos! Such great content and so well done! Awesome job guys! Looking forward to more and especially love the history lessons.
Isn't the submarine considered or classified as a War Grave? If not, it really should be. My wife and I visited this area back in the 90s and have great memories of our time exploring. Have to add it to our bucket list to revisit now that we're both retired. Great video.
The mission of these U-boats were not only to sink allied shipping, but to place saboteurs on beaches to destroy targets of opportunity such as defense plants and I'm pretty sure that Rhode Island had a P.O.W. camp. There was a book I had once titled "Defenses of Narragansett bay" that was about all these forts and batteries including Fort Addams in Newport.. If you want to know about the Navy's role in Rhode Island go to Barnes and Noble' s local history section and there is three books there about the Navy in Newport and the Seabees in Davisville. Many pictures.
Great video! Your right there is lots of New England history to be found. You just have to look. Like I say in my videos. You just don’t know what you might find. When you take a walk in the woods of New England!
I have family that has lived in and around this area for years, Plymouth, Marion, Mattapoisett, Sandwich, Barnstable, and Nantucket. The history you show us that was in our own backyard is certainly amazing. I have a nephew who is studying at Mass Maritime Academy so I will definitely refer your channel to him. Thanks and looking forward to more of your work. Don’t forget there were subs spotting groups all around the east coast. I visited one at Manteo, NC and there’s is good history on sub traffic around FL too. As the German Kriegs Marine used to say, “Happy hunting!”
@@entertainme7523 Well I imagine we the veterans that have been more fortunate than others would if it was asked of us. If small donations can fill Trump's pockets for the wrong reasons why can't small donations do some good for veterans in need?
Your videos are amazing! Beautifully researched, written, shot, edited and narrated. Your vibrating red-tinted transition is gorgeous! I'm so happy to discover your work.
He didn't intentionally kill his sub mates. He also didn't ignore the cease fire order as mentioned, his radio was out. In his mind, he was still fighting a war and was following directions. Loss of communications is not a reason to end a mission. He was doing what he was trained to do. Any Veteran, such as myself would tell you that. Hard to fathom how close the war got to our East Coast.
For years I would run by that thing about once a week and wonder what it was....I asked a bunch of people down here...no one knew. This was so interesting. Thank you Jason!
There is quite a larger bunker system on Jamestown at Fort Wetherill. It faces south and you can see both Point Judith and downtown Newport from it. Rather impressive. Most of it has been sealed, but not all (the last time I was there). Explored them ages ago, very narrow corridors, high ceilings with rails on them to transport shells/ammo? There is an entrance to the bunker system on the cliffside, but it's ~100' above the shore and 25' down from the top. Inadvertently popped out of it while exploring.
Digging your vid's from Narr. We used to party inside those bunkers in the 80's. I wonder why they filled this all in with rocks but we can freely walk through Fort Wetherall and over by Fisherman's Memorial by the Escape Rd...
Just discovered your channel tonight. I'm originally from CT but rode my motorcycle all over RI, including the abandoned railroad tracks between Moosup, CT and Coventry, RI. I explored that coastal defense site near Misquamicut Beach. Thanks for this blast from the past - and the learning opportunity!
Jason, interesting video, thank you for the posting. It is very close to a place I visited years ago in an "earlier life" just off of Watch Hill, R.I. I believe it was named Ft. Mansfield and dates back to WWI. It makes for a nice walk along the beach.... you might enjoy it. Cheers!
Hi Jason like your channel there are tons of artillery sites in ri . when I was a quohogger I would beach my skiff on a shore on some of the islands and some islands in the bay still have antiaircraft weapons laying in weeds and overgrowth. Prudence Island is one. You can still find old corroded ammo on the beach when we get storms.
I really appreciate the past service of the US Army Coast Artillery Corps to quietly safeguard coastal areas; at least until the large cannons were fired with rattled civilian nerves and broken windows. Unfortunate, many positions fell into disrepair after caretaker status ended and the weapons were scrapped; some preserved, few in arrested decay and most in open decay. Beautiful area. Grand history. Thanks for the video to include the explores and
excellent video. We're in southeast Delaware. There's quite a few WWII observation towers near here: Bethany Beach. There's a battery, I think in Lewes, DE. That one is Park land. Those U-boats were serious business.
Why yes, I enjoy exploring abandoned places and I'm very much interested in WW II; that was really interesting Jason, thank you for making and posting it.
Seriously Well done. Gotten through several of your jam packed all points info with profound optics and sound balance. so great work! great transitions too.. (uber quality) Our Channels seek similar mystery, history and adventure. Very refreshing to see your clear format! On Board kind sir.
i have to say one of the best and well made documentary on you tube ever if you can get a chance in litttle compton there is a bunker located there i belive it is called ft church as a lifer of newport country a hug thumbs up keep up the great work you do
Yes you are correct I have been in it a few times. In total there were 4 bunkers spread out that consisted of Fort Church. Now only 2 really still exist and 1 has been partially made into or combined with a coastal mansion.
you should go to Freetown forest, copicut. old indian war grounds and haunted. do some metacomet sites, theyre everywhere. rehobeth, dartmouth, gansett, adamsville etc
truly appreciate this history, narrative, and video ---- very informative, hope to incorporate in the Camp orientation - when its revived next season. Thank you. Vin
This was really, really well done. I learned a bunch of stuff I didn't even suspect. It was fun, but the end is deeply philosophical. AND you're a guy who gets the details about artillery right but appreciates a cute bunny.
Very well done, great footage at one time there was a net that stopped U-boats from entering the bay, also three of the German sailors bodies were removed from the wreck and were buried in a Newport cemetery. The German government told the people who retrieved the bodies to leave the rest in the wreck. My grandfather was an Armed Guard member, they were US Navy gunners on Liberty ships against German U-boats in the battle of the Atlantic.
Jason, as usual, just an excellent, informative and beautifully shot video. I and my family (RI natives, now in North Carolina) really appreciate your work. You, Amy and your families please stay safe!
I grew up near these, I always wondered what those buildings were whenever we went to the lighthouse beach. I thought they were an old school or summer camp. Me and brothers used to go into the bunkers that have been blocked off and light fireworks too. It was pretty terrifying and definitely not safe to go in. It's a memorial site now. Love your stuff, I'm curious if you've done the anything on the bunkers at fisherman's memorial camp grounds. I remember me and some friends used to go in that place growing up too. I'll have to see what else you've done.
They were a summer camp. I summered nearby beginning in the early 60s and I can clearly remember the concrete structure shown with its cottage camouflage intact (wandered through that and the then open bunker countless times). There were two additional concrete shells looking much like this one does now, and several other wooden buildings which I assume were the barracks built in the 1940s. The city of Providence would send teenage boys here for a week of camp until at least the early 70s. The basketball court was likely built at that time, and probably the two buildings that remain there, one most likely being a dining hall. Over the years the other two concrete structures - I always assumed they were pillboxes (note the metal brackets above the window slits) for defense in the case of an invasion - were torn down, the barracks were the next to go and by sometime in the 80s the remaining property was fixed up for use by senior citizens on day trips from the city. As stated, it's been unused for 20 years or so, but facing some criticism the city began restoring the two buildings in the fall of 2022.. so maybe the seniors will be back. Also, this was just the forward position of Ft Green.. the main battery, a pair of 16" "battleship" guns were in the bunker where Fisherman's Memorial Campground is. There was another 16" gun battery in Little Compton and these two could lay down an overlapping zone of fire covering the entire entrance to Narragansett Bay, protecting the Naval Base at Quonsett and countless other military facilities up and down the bay. There's a book titled The Defenses of Narragansett Bay in WW2 that details the many coast forts, bases and the submarine net that closed off the bay from the URI Bay Campus to Jamestown
The water was shallow, ergo the U-boat remained in shallow water. Knowing it was a submarine, I giggled when you said flank speed (seven noisy knots). If the radio was broken, he didn't know to stop. If he didn't know to stop, how could he have "wasted" those lives? Hindsight is 20/20 I guess.
I had no idea there was a German U-Boat sunk off of point Judith. I've explored fort Greene, fort wetherill and fort Getty and I have spent days on end exploring fort Adams. Awesome video Jason ✌️🇺🇲
Just came across this video fantastic job I grew up in the summer many many years back at breakwater village across the street It is unfortunate you were unable to share some of the images of what that base truly looked like There was nearly a dozen more buildings on that site near the basketball courts "the barracksThere was nearly a dozen more buildings on that site near the basketball courts "the barracks All in all very well done brought back a lot of memories
There is some kind of abandoned military installation on Prudence Island. Big earthen bunkers. ... ferry ride over, so that is the start of the exploration!
Once again...a stellar job of exploring. Good job on the history and details too! Hmmm, I think you got me hooked on your adventures,, Happy New Year!!
Good research, thank you! I have spent hours exploring the bunkers at Fisherman's memorial...not sure if they're still there. War seems like such a pointless loss of life. But this is well done, thank you!!
My Uncles brother was stationed at Ft. Wetherill, during WWII. Apparently, they maintained chains, that stretched from there, to Ft. Adams, that were to be raised if they suspected U-Boats might heading up the Bay towards the Naval War College(the original idea for this had been used for the same thing, in the 1812 War). This was all highly-classified, at the time, and most people I knew in Newport--even the old-timers--had never heard of this. One day, when I was working the water-front, back in the 80's, I heard that somebody, dragging for pogies, came up hard on something in that area and it turned out, upon investigation, the Navy officially owned up to it and the chains were finally removed.
Nice video and so interesting.I live in Rhode Island and haven't seen much of historic areas but know they are all around me if I look hard.I was very lucky to see the Russian sub in Providence at least before it was sunk by the storm surge..such a shame.
4:13 - I will never understand why people feel the need to spray paint over stuff that they don’t privately own. It looks awful.
But that aside, you have amazing videos. I grew up around these places and never realized they were there! Incredible footage!
One interesting fact is that one of the US Navy ships that participated in hunting down U-853 still survives to this day....USS Atherton, a destroyer escort. It's likely her Hedgehog depth charges dealt some of the killing hits on U-853. After WW2, the Atherton was transferred to the newly formed Japanese Self Defense Naval Force. Then she was sold to the Philippine Navy, serving until 2018. The Philippine Navy has plans to turn the ship into a museum exhibit at Cavite Bay.
That's pretty damn cool
Fantastic documentary. Although I have lived in Rhode Island since 1976, this is the first I have heard about a German U-Boat sinking off the coast. Thank you - this is obviously a labor of love for you and I really appreciate you sharing.
I heard about it by a wife who husband died in the wreckage. I don't know how or why she lived here in Rhode Island. I didn't ask.
heard about this and have been to an undergournd bunker at point judith. many tidibits of U boats and german spies trying to blow up little known spots on the upper east coast 😊
This is incredibly made, this deserves so much more love
Give it time
Your a rocket scientist
The base or the video? And you know neither is sentient, and therefore cannot feel or appreciate any "love" you might send them.
I dove on the U-853. Remains of the crew could still be seen. International grave. Also dove the Black Point. Will always have those memories.
its a war grave and I went down on it years ago with the Grey Eagle dive charter when the pressure hull was pretty much intact and a couple of the guys actually did a penetration dive and human bones were visible. I have seen newer vids of the wreck and its in rough shape now compared to back then. Never heard of magnetic depth charges as they were called depth charges for a reason - - the depth at which they would explode was manually set before they were launched and it was the concussive force detonating in close proximity that would cause damage so that the pressure hull was breached and if you can get water inside the sub loses buoyancy and sinks deeper where the water under pressure is a force of its own creating even greater issues. At 130/140 ft. on the bottom the pressure simply forces more water through any breach but at greater depths the external water pressure would create an implosion crushing the hull much the same as someone might crush a beer can.
@@garydoyle7155 magnetic charges were tried and failed badly, proximity, contact, and regular depth were the only full service depth charges used
@4 Dogs Gaming when I dove on it was more than 30 years ago in fact someone brought up a rubber boot in his "bug bag" and it contained bones which the next flight of divers put back in the wreck. I'm trying to find one of the older videos of the inside as there was a skull clearly visible in it - - you had to be very careful not to stir up the silt even back then because vis went to zero with one errant kick hence the use of a wreck reel. Nitrox was just coming into use back then so just on air your bottom time was very limited even using Navy tables which gave a little more than PADI unless you were going to do a decompression dive like on the Dorea. Newer videos show how degraded the wreck has become - - I saw one that was done 10 years after we dove it and the changes were profound
@4 Dogs Gaming found the video of a penetration dive by Capt. Bill Palmer who found the sub again after it had been forgotten about for years - - the video is titled Last Voyage of the 853 by Gregory Pettys - - several skulls and various bones of lost crew members were shown
What’s the black point like peter?
I've driven past those decrepit basketball hoops numerous times on the way to the Point Judith Lighthouse and once explored the area from the path along the road to the Fisherman's Memorial site. It was THRILLING to find such an exceptional video delineating the history of that spot, because I've always wondered about it! I would never have guessed there was such a colorful backstory to it. I also appreciate the great historical footage you included - felt like history come alive for me, and this really made my day! Keep up the great work!
Great work!
Where I live in Oregon in the Umpqua valley used to live in Port Orford on the coast where a Japanese pilot bombed the nearby forest around Coast Guard Hill.
There are those cement submarine I guess houses below the cliffs there.
Later I was told the Japanese pilot came back, or was invited back to Port Orford for a visit!
Crazy world.
I go to the University of Rhode Island, about a 20 minute drive from point judith. There's a lot of cool abandoned ww2 stuff in the area.
For those who don't know, RI is roughly the shape of a tall rectangle with the Bay on the lower right side. Within the bay are several long, North/South oriented islands, with Newport (Port with a big naval base) on the biggest one. Imagine like a fork pointing down, with the tine on the left being longer than the others.
Point judith is the tip of the leftmost tine. Further up that tine is the URI Bay Campus (GSO), which used to be a coastal defense station and later a German POW camp. It's now one of the main locations for oceanographic research for the North Atlantic and the NA east coast. I go there for classes all the time now, and there's a sealed off bunker right at the main entrance. There's also a lot of wierd concrete geometry left over from large gun emplacements that they had to work around when building the new classroom and lab buildings. They've even got a nuclear reactor there now for the physics department.
Further up the same tine is Quonsett Airport, which is currently the RI Air Natl. Guard HQ. During and post-ww2, it was a training ground for pilots. If you've seen the movie Devotion, they spend the first half of the movie there, living in South Kingstown (where the URI main campus is). It used to have a small air museum (with a flyable Hellcat!) But they ran out of funding in 2015, and sold their functioning planes to other air museums. The ones they had in pieces however, ended up outdoors displayed on top of some shipping containers next to one of the parking lots. One of those displayed planes is Ted Williams' F9F Panther jet fighter. Ted Williams as in, the Ted Williams Tunnel in Boston, MLB hall of famer, John Glenn's (the astronaut) wingman.
Moving to the second tine, you get Jamestown island. The southernmost part of the island is Beavertail State park. There's several small pits there where AA guns used to be, and another sealed off bunker. Further up Jamestown island, directly across from GSO is Fort Getty
Love these exploring abandoned places . I am a 73 y/o brought up in Burrillville and as a young boy did lots of exploring in the ample woods there. Amazing the things you find way out in the woods. I explored a long time burned down textile mill in what was known as Gazzaville. The bushings and stone towers for the water wheels are still there... also about 4 or 5 foundations filled in and grown over. Love these mini docs you do. Keep it up !
You did a great job with the filming, story and the history.I was born and raised in RI. I don't live there now. I have never heard of this. Last summer went to point Judith had lunch at George's. If I knew, I would have checked this out. I have lived in 4 different states( husband was in the navy). People do not realize how awesome our history is. Frankly, many people didn't know RI is even a state. Yes, very true.
What an excellent video. You took two great subjects; abandoned places and WW2 history and combined them in an entertaining and educational way. You just gained a new subscriber.
Love the peace and quiet of abandoned places. Love the clear cut clash between good and evil during the Big One. Total commitment by government and people both.
If you look behind the the fire control tower, you can see evidence of a wooden roof, the fire control towers were designed to look like houses, as our videographer said. There are actually four main gun batteries, and I believe 2 coastal smaller gun batteries. In Narragansett there are two 16” gun batteries, one in Fisherman’s memorial park and one in Ft Greene. There is also a smaller coastal gun battery at Pt. Judith. In Sakonnet Pt. there is one 16” gun battery, and one 8” gun battery(which has been demolished), and a smaller coastal gun battery which has also been demolished. The batteries and coastal defenses were generally set up the same way. I was actually very lucky to find and go through all of these locations years ago.......pretty amazing. Thanks for the video.
Why go through the trouble of making them "Bunkers" in the first place? the walls appear to be about one foot thick, a .50cal could probably punch through that, not no mention a naval threat.
If you visit Maine, up in the hill overlooking Popham beach and Fort Popham, is Fort Baldwin, an abandoned era fort with bunkers and a similar concrete triangulation type observation tower. Lots of people visit the beach and Fort Popham, but never even notice Fort Baldwin tucked in the woods a short hike up on the hill. Maine Yankee also had an active warning evacuation siren on the hill before the nuclear power plant was decommissioned.
Jason, thank you oh so very much. I've been a follower (relatively new) of yours and just the narration, the editing, drone shots, has improved so so much; leading to a more immersive experience. I absolutely love history in general, and to find it here in RI in such an intimate way is so amazing. Thank you for what you do to us, you are literally actively preserving history. History that may otherwise be forgotten, especially ones that are in our backyard. Keep it up!!
Top notch man. I'm really feeling this one
It's crazy to me to watch this video because I've explored those bunkers myself. They sure are "all sealed up, with rocks" (I like what you did with that sneaky graphic there). I'll have to go back sometime. Keep up this awesome content
You think they would sell off the bungalow
Sneaky?
@@entertainme7523 the rocks in the graphic is (or at least was, last time I was there) the exact way the rocks are placed at the actual bunker and its easy to slip in through the top corner.
@@MrJDawg1337 just go to beaver point, the bunker there is open and it is the same design as the Point Judith one. Both had 2 rapid fire 6” naval guns that were armored covered. They had a range of 12-15 miles. The big guns up the road from Point Judith at Fisherman’s and the active base Fort Greene all had 4 total 16” naval guns that could shoot 25 miles. Only Fort Greene is unassailable but is in the best condition as is the command and control bunker.
Never heard of "Magnetic Depth Charges" and I have studied World War II history for more than 40 years. Depth charges used a hydrostatic pressure fuse to explode. You set the depth, drop the charge, and when it reachs set depth it explodes. Hedgehogs were an ahead thrown weapon like a mortar, 24 in a pattern, and exploded on contact with the sub. Those holes on the wreck look like Hedgehog impacts not the results of depth charges. Depth charges would likely crack the pressure hull not blow holes in it. Also, Hedgehogs were the preferred weapon as they didn't roil up the water like a depth charge pattern. Otherwise, your video seemed very well researched. When I was a 7 or 8, my father took me to that area to see the remains of the gun batteries from the war. The guns had been removed but the sites were still there. There were a number in that area as Newport was a major destroyer base during the war.
For some reason I wanted to look into this. Can find references to them being used by USN, probably late in the war, notably: "Magnetic depth charges were also tried, but reliability problems precluded widespread use although the results obtained were outstanding," whatever that means. Magnetic mines had been used for a long time, why not?
There is still unexploded ordinance around the vessel marked on charts, and you can swim off during a good dive to find them.
I love this so much! From the brilliant editing, to the presentation of the history, this has to be one of my favorite of your videos. Keep exploring!!
All you're videos are high level filming and the information is on point and accurate. Nice to see the story of U-853 getting some love. Keep up the good work and stay safe.
Wow, this was amazing
Videography
Editing
Camera work
Music
Writing
That was great
I’ve been getting into lighthouses and local history. Was down at pt Judith the other day, so cool didn’t know about the battle of pt Judith at all. Can’t believe there’s a u boat off the coast!
Great job with all these videos. Was cool to see an older one. They keep getting better and better!
I have watched a couple of your videos so far and wanted to tell you how much I appreciate them. Most youtube videos of abandoned places are done by people who have no desire to research the history of the places they are showing. Most I consider nothing more than trespassers. Your videos on the other hand are entertaining and educational. Thank-you for your work.
My grandparents had a ocean house there . They were ordered out and moved to bonnet shores. The Bonnet shores house still exists. It’s at the top of the drive with a huge rock out front
At one point the hatches were opened by a film crew in the 1960's to do a movie and Germany stopped it as a war grave. I lived in Pt. Judith.
RI local - loving these videos! Such great content and so well done! Awesome job guys! Looking forward to more and especially love the history lessons.
It's a saddening waste for these installations to have been abandoned like this. The day may come when they're needed again.
Isn't the submarine considered or classified as a War Grave? If not, it really should be. My wife and I visited this area back in the 90s and have great memories of our time exploring. Have to add it to our bucket list to revisit now that we're both retired. Great video.
The mission of these U-boats were not only to sink allied shipping, but to place saboteurs on beaches to destroy targets of opportunity such as defense plants and I'm pretty sure that Rhode Island had a P.O.W. camp. There was a book I had once titled "Defenses of Narragansett bay" that was about all these forts and batteries including Fort Addams in Newport.. If you want to know about the Navy's role in Rhode Island go to Barnes and Noble' s local history section and there is three books there about the Navy in Newport and the Seabees in Davisville. Many pictures.
The prison camp to which you refer was located at what's now Fort Getty park in Jamestown, RI.
Fantastic documentary as usual. Thank you for producing these!
That was a Ware-Rabbit, You are lucky to survive.
Yea he has 10 inch claws and can crush a engine block with his teath and can jump 50 feet and run up to 70 miles an hour
Great video! Your right there is lots of New England history to be found. You just have to look. Like I say in my videos. You just don’t know what you might find. When you take a walk in the woods of New England!
I have family that has lived in and around this area for years, Plymouth, Marion, Mattapoisett, Sandwich, Barnstable, and Nantucket. The history you show us that was in our own backyard is certainly amazing. I have a nephew who is studying at Mass Maritime Academy so I will definitely refer your channel to him. Thanks and looking forward to more of your work. Don’t forget there were subs spotting groups all around the east coast. I visited one at Manteo, NC and there’s is good history on sub traffic around FL too. As the German Kriegs Marine used to say, “Happy hunting!”
Enjoyed that. Informative, educational and entertaining format. As a voice over narration was excellent as well.
That entire facility should be cleaned out, and used for a Tiny Home community, for Homeless Veterans.
Who's gonna pay for it?
@@entertainme7523 Well I imagine we the veterans that have been more fortunate than others would if it was asked of us. If small donations can fill Trump's pockets for the wrong reasons why can't small donations do some good for veterans in need?
@jbos5107 I'd like to see the whole based preserved as much as possible so it looks the same as when it was built.
Beat plan right there
@@entertainme7523maybe some of those tax dollars going overseas
If you haven't been to the old Mowry foundation, corn crib,, and cemeteries.. you should. Love to see you bring it to life! Thanks
Your videos are amazing! Beautifully researched, written, shot, edited and narrated. Your vibrating red-tinted transition is gorgeous! I'm so happy to discover your work.
He didn't intentionally kill his sub mates. He also didn't ignore the cease fire order as mentioned, his radio was out. In his mind, he was still fighting a war and was following directions. Loss of communications is not a reason to end a mission. He was doing what he was trained to do. Any Veteran, such as myself would tell you that. Hard to fathom how close the war got to our East Coast.
And possible radio failure is mentioned in the commentary.
Thanks for the amazing history lesson! Beautifully shot and edited video...really enjoyed this!
For years I would run by that thing about once a week and wonder what it was....I asked a bunch of people down here...no one knew. This was so interesting. Thank you Jason!
What a great story and such excellent video presentation! I applaud you and your team!
Great videos man, love your content and narration. Keep up the good work.
There is quite a larger bunker system on Jamestown at Fort Wetherill. It faces south and you can see both Point Judith and downtown Newport from it. Rather impressive. Most of it has been sealed, but not all (the last time I was there). Explored them ages ago, very narrow corridors, high ceilings with rails on them to transport shells/ammo? There is an entrance to the bunker system on the cliffside, but it's ~100' above the shore and 25' down from the top. Inadvertently popped out of it while exploring.
Digging your vid's from Narr. We used to party inside those bunkers in the 80's. I wonder why they filled this all in with rocks but we can freely walk through Fort Wetherall and over by Fisherman's Memorial by the Escape Rd...
The reason they gave us was that it structurally wasn’t sound
Just discovered your channel tonight. I'm originally from CT but rode my motorcycle all over RI, including the abandoned railroad tracks between Moosup, CT and Coventry, RI. I explored that coastal defense site near Misquamicut Beach. Thanks for this blast from the past - and the learning opportunity!
Hey thank you so much for watching and for the contribution - I'm glad you're enjoying my series
Fantastically done video!
Jason, interesting video, thank you for the posting. It is very close to a place I visited years ago in an "earlier life" just off of Watch Hill, R.I. I believe it was named Ft. Mansfield and dates back to WWI. It makes for a nice walk along the beach.... you might enjoy it. Cheers!
Hi Jason like your channel there are tons of artillery sites in ri . when I was a quohogger I would beach my skiff on a shore on some of the islands and some islands in the bay still have antiaircraft weapons laying in weeds and overgrowth. Prudence Island is one.
You can still find old corroded ammo on the beach when we get storms.
I really appreciate the past service of the US Army Coast Artillery Corps to quietly safeguard coastal areas; at least until the large cannons were fired with rattled civilian nerves and broken windows.
Unfortunate, many positions fell into disrepair after caretaker status ended and the weapons were scrapped; some preserved, few in arrested decay and most in open decay.
Beautiful area. Grand history.
Thanks for the video to include the explores and
excellent video.
We're in southeast Delaware.
There's quite a few WWII observation towers near here: Bethany Beach.
There's a battery, I think in Lewes, DE. That one is Park land.
Those U-boats were serious business.
Why yes, I enjoy exploring abandoned places and I'm very much interested in WW II; that was really interesting Jason, thank you for making and posting it.
Awesome history lesson.. I’m a navy sub vet and enjoy this type of TH-cam. New sub👍🏾
Sitting in my house on point Judith rd in Narragansett wondering how on earth I was recommended this video lol
I'm out on block island wondering the same thing
In North Kingstown RI thinking the same
Cranston same thing
😂😂😂
Bristol same here
Exceptionally well done. Good edits and it's nice to see the RIGHT period images.
Seriously Well done. Gotten through several of your jam packed all points info with profound optics and sound balance. so great work! great transitions too.. (uber quality) Our Channels seek similar mystery, history and adventure. Very refreshing to see your clear format! On Board kind sir.
i have to say one of the best and well made documentary on you tube ever if you can get a chance in litttle compton there is a bunker located there i belive it is called ft church as a lifer of newport country a hug thumbs up keep up the great work you do
Yes you are correct I have been in it a few times. In total there were 4 bunkers spread out that consisted of Fort Church. Now only 2 really still exist and 1 has been partially made into or combined with a coastal mansion.
The camouflaged roof shingles are made of Asbestos
I love the smell of napalm in the morning
@@ButtahDawgMcDouble distant fortunut son and hueys
This is a really well made documentary.
Well done . ....
Man this is awesome!!! Incredible, very well done!!!!
you should go to Freetown forest, copicut. old indian war grounds and haunted. do some metacomet sites, theyre everywhere. rehobeth, dartmouth, gansett, adamsville etc
Great video, I’ve lived in Rhode Island my entire life and have never seen that fort . Time to go exploring 😎
Thank you for this video. Up until there has been little about the U Boats off the US coast, and this was a great addition to that history.
Dude! Awesome video and especially the editing. Keep up the good work!
Get Mr. Trump right on it.
Easy thumbs up for this video. Super impressed by the editing and research 👍👍👍 and of course I’m subbing.
truly appreciate this history, narrative, and video ---- very informative, hope to incorporate in the Camp orientation - when its revived next season. Thank you. Vin
I live in point Judith. Loved smoking there as a kid
I grew up here every summer since 1977 and we as kids would always go in these structures. Go at night it’s pretty creepy
How does each video get better and better?
Majik?
Just got this in my recommended amd glad i was got a new sub here!! Great video
This was really, really well done. I learned a bunch of stuff I didn't even suspect. It was fun, but the end is deeply philosophical. AND you're a guy who gets the details about artillery right but appreciates a cute bunny.
Bro, I just discovered your channel. TH-cam wasn't wrong today... RI represent!!!
Very well done, great footage at one time there was a net that stopped U-boats from entering the bay, also three of the German sailors bodies were removed from the wreck and were buried in a Newport cemetery. The German government told the people who retrieved the bodies to leave the rest in the wreck. My grandfather was an Armed Guard member, they were US Navy gunners on Liberty ships against German U-boats in the battle of the Atlantic.
This is awesome, keep them coming 👍🏼
Jason, as usual, just an excellent, informative and beautifully shot video. I and my family (RI natives, now in North Carolina) really appreciate your work. You, Amy and your families please stay safe!
Great work and I appreciate it and all that you and your team digs up, report and share
Awesome footage
Never knew this and my family go to Rhode Island every summer! Thanks for sharing
I grew up near these, I always wondered what those buildings were whenever we went to the lighthouse beach. I thought they were an old school or summer camp.
Me and brothers used to go into the bunkers that have been blocked off and light fireworks too. It was pretty terrifying and definitely not safe to go in. It's a memorial site now.
Love your stuff, I'm curious if you've done the anything on the bunkers at fisherman's memorial camp grounds. I remember me and some friends used to go in that place growing up too. I'll have to see what else you've done.
They were a summer camp. I summered nearby beginning in the early 60s and I can clearly remember the concrete structure shown with its cottage camouflage intact (wandered through that and the then open bunker countless times). There were two additional concrete shells looking much like this one does now, and several other wooden buildings which I assume were the barracks built in the 1940s. The city of Providence would send teenage boys here for a week of camp until at least the early 70s. The basketball court was likely built at that time, and probably the two buildings that remain there, one most likely being a dining hall.
Over the years the other two concrete structures - I always assumed they were pillboxes (note the metal brackets above the window slits) for defense in the case of an invasion - were torn down, the barracks were the next to go and by sometime in the 80s the remaining property was fixed up for use by senior citizens on day trips from the city. As stated, it's been unused for 20 years or so, but facing some criticism the city began restoring the two buildings in the fall of 2022.. so maybe the seniors will be back.
Also, this was just the forward position of Ft Green.. the main battery, a pair of 16" "battleship" guns were in the bunker where Fisherman's Memorial Campground is. There was another 16" gun battery in Little Compton and these two could lay down an overlapping zone of fire covering the entire entrance to Narragansett Bay, protecting the Naval Base at Quonsett and countless other military facilities up and down the bay. There's a book titled The Defenses of Narragansett Bay in WW2 that details the many coast forts, bases and the submarine net that closed off the bay from the URI Bay Campus to Jamestown
A very well done video. Exceptional work! 👍
Another good one very well explained have a great voice for this also
The water was shallow, ergo the U-boat remained in shallow water. Knowing it was a submarine, I giggled when you said flank speed (seven noisy knots). If the radio was broken, he didn't know to stop. If he didn't know to stop, how could he have "wasted" those lives? Hindsight is 20/20 I guess.
very interesting! thanks for putting this together!
The Captain was doing his JOB.
I had no idea there was a German U-Boat sunk off of point Judith. I've explored fort Greene, fort wetherill and fort Getty and I have spent days on end exploring fort Adams. Awesome video Jason ✌️🇺🇲
Excellent video, Jason, very well done and extremely interesting. Subscribed!
Just came across this video fantastic job
I grew up in the summer many many years back at breakwater village across the street
It is unfortunate you were unable to share some of the images of what that base truly looked like
There was nearly a dozen more buildings on that site near the basketball courts "the barracksThere was nearly a dozen more buildings on that site near the basketball courts "the barracks
All in all very well done brought back a lot of memories
Thanks for sharing the rich history right under our noses.
There is some kind of abandoned military installation on Prudence Island. Big earthen bunkers. ... ferry ride over, so that is the start of the exploration!
Bro great video!! Very informative! Thanks.🙏🏼
You make great videos man I’m in full on binge mode right now lol
I’m hooked on your videos! Your work is highly appreciated!
Excellent video and history lesson. Thanks. I live in Rhode Island and knew a few WW2 places, but never heard this story! Thanks DD
Once again...a stellar job of exploring. Good job on the history and details too!
Hmmm, I think you got me hooked on your adventures,,
Happy New Year!!
Good research, thank you!
I have spent hours exploring the bunkers at Fisherman's memorial...not sure if they're still there.
War seems like such a pointless loss of life. But this is well done, thank you!!
Wow super cool thanks man for all that information...I go fishing there all the time and never knew why that place was abandoned. God bless
Love all your videos. It’s so cool to see so much history this close to home.
Love that place, my family and I rented at breakwater village from very early 70's through the early 90's
Great job Jason, I surf down there occasionally. I had no idea about the Battle of Pt Judith.
Good job Jason, you'd make a fine teacher or documentary film maker.
My Uncles brother was stationed at Ft. Wetherill, during WWII. Apparently, they maintained chains, that stretched from there, to Ft. Adams, that were to be raised if they suspected U-Boats might heading up the Bay towards the Naval War College(the original idea for this had been used for the same thing, in the 1812 War). This was all highly-classified, at the time, and most people I knew in Newport--even the old-timers--had never heard of this. One day, when I was working the water-front, back in the 80's, I heard that somebody, dragging for pogies, came up hard on something in that area and it turned out, upon investigation, the Navy officially owned up to it and the chains were finally removed.
Nice video and so interesting.I live in Rhode Island and haven't seen much of historic areas but know they are all around me if I look hard.I was very lucky to see the Russian sub in Providence at least before it was sunk by the storm surge..such a shame.