german naval mine waterford

EIREAROEIRE

was walking on a beach today and met an old man got talking to him and he told me he was looking for an old naval mine that was only visible on a very low tide he said the germans planted it in 1950 sounds mad but he was very sure and said he saw it many times any1 ever here about this beach was in the woodstown / passage area

Judgement Day

Five years after the war ended! And nobody thought to get rid of it since - he's delusional or pulling your leg.

bitemybanger

Possible but unlikely. Anyway wasn't yesterday one of the highest tides in quite a few years?

johnny_doyle

as per previous posts, doubt that a known mine would be left in situ.

Waterford Museum has some photos of an aerial mine that was found 1940(ish) and a photo of it being exploded by the authorities. WW2 sea mines have been found off the coast of Waterford - last one in 2005(?) and there are a couple on display e.g Dungarvan.

Much more mine activity around Waterford (and Ireland generally) during WW1 and much closer to the coast/harbours. German u-boat UC-44 was sunk off Waterford in 1917, salvaged and taken to Dunmore harbour. A lot of intel was gathered before it was taken out to sea again and used for depth charge practice. Some relics of this u-boat are on display at the Imperial War Museum in London.

UC-42 was in the news recently having been re-discovered off Cork. This u-boat was also involved in mining operations around Waterford.

pedroeibar1

I don't know if this is German or British. Probably WW2, ashore mid 1950's in Kerry (possibly Derrynane).

johnny_doyle

interesting photo. Not seen that one before.

There is another mine visible in a photo on this page

http://irishhistorypodcast.ie/2012/06/13/photos-from-a-disappearing-world-inis-meain-august-1942/

The page mentions some fishermen killed by a mine washed ashore in Donegal which I assume to be the Ballymanus incident.

http://www.geograph.ie/photo/2424620

A memorial to a similar tale from 1917 :

http://thenewwildgeese.com/profiles/blogs/tr-m-r-tragedy-of-1917

A basic Pathe news clip re mines and minesweeping can be view at

http://bps.britishpathe.com/hls-vod/flash/00000000/00042000/00042810.mp4.m3u8

johnny_doyle

a little bit extra to add to mines and the Waterford area following the recent purchase of "A History of the Irish Naval Service" by Aidan McIvor.

There is a small section in the book re "Minefields and blockships" which mentions the laying of mines around the entrances of Waterford and Cork harbours and areas around Cork by a minefield section. Apparently using locally produced mines cast by Thompsons of Carlow initially and later replaced by mines supplied by the British. Re rogue mines, 183 mines were recorded as destroyed by Marine Service rifle fire and 751 destroyed ashore by the Ordnance Corps.

McIvor also mentions that 6000 Allied mines were swept by 2 Royal Navy minesweeping flotillas operating out of Cobh in the period 1945-7. No mention of German mines for this period.

johnny_doyle

UC-42 back in the news this week

http://www.irishexaminer.com/ireland/german-u-boat-on-cork-coast-to-be-disabled-305627.html#.VK1lnVpoGJ-.facebook