The Most Impossible U-Boat Target of WW2
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- Опубліковано 14 кві 2022
- During the early days of World War 2, the Kriegsmarine sent their U-47 Type VIIB submarine on a one-way mission that was believed to be impossible to achieve.
Led by Captain Gunther Prien, the secret operation consisted of infiltrating the Royal Navy’s most important naval base. Scapa Flow was located in the Orkney Islands in Scotland, and the objective was to do as much damage as possible to the British fleet stationed there.
It was a crazy mission, and even the toughest of sailors doubted that it could be done.
Nevertheless, one cold morning in October of 1939, Captain Prien and his crew set course for Scapa Flow to prove that the Royal Navy was not invincible and that they weren’t afraid of it…
I'm an orkney native, the story of that tragic night is interwoven in to our history. It's still felt here today.
It sure is Scott, my great uncle went down on the Royal Oak
@@harrymarwick2529 I regret to hear that.
Same.
I think about that night every time I drive through Holm village and cross the first Barrier.
🙏😢
I have a relative died on the ship that night.
Always feel a sense of regret that such talented and dedicated people didn't have an opportunity to devote their strengths to a peaceful world.
"War" IS the natural state of man. NOT peace. It's in our nature to want what we don't have.
I wish that the energy, time, and resources that went into nuclear weapons and war had been spent on space exploration .
@@donaldpetkus1637 why? What does space offer, the planet doesn't? Unless your trying to find "god" out there, or some alien to Enslave us? Maybe having advanced WAR TECHNOLOGY would be handy if Alians attacked earth????
Certainly, Fembot Heather; especially lamentable given the missed opportunities to learn from the experience and "lessons" of "The Great War" (WWI).
"The die was cast"....I can only watch Dark Docs, Skies, Tech, Footage, Seas & Dark5 now....the Narration just keeps me so intrigued like no other....Please keep up your incredible work Mr. Dark, and Thank You
The attack on Scape Flow, was one Helluva, daring raid by Gunther Prein.
hey mate, as an ex Australian Airforce person, with a dad that served in the Australian navy in WW2, on a mine sweeper hunting japanese submarines off the Australian east coast, as a radio operator in the bombing of Darwin, I love you're work. awesome mate. History really is war, sad but true. These dark days should never be forgotten. Love your work.
A great piece of history. It's too bad he didn't go into more detail about what Prien had to do to sneak the U-Boat into the harbor, and out.
There is a german 1950s english sub title movie about it
@@JB-rt4mx do you know the name of the film? I'd like to watch it.
@@MartyInLa If you have Disney Plus, there is a Series called "WW2: Hell under the sea" on there about different submarine missions in WW2. Check out Season 3, Episode 1, "Killer Strike". It is an episode about this U-47's mission. It's a really good episode and really good TV series.
@@governorkolp9321 thanks I will watch it
@@JB-rt4mx Movies are no documentaries and there are way too may false informations in them.
Biggest lost of Naval Cadets (under 18 years olds, many were 15 and 16 years of age) It was after the sinking of the Royal Oak that Churchill raise the age for any new person joining, it was too late for those who were under 18 years of age in the Royal Navy and were at sea, My dad was 15 and in the Navy in 39 he had friends that was on the Oak few manage to get ashore and few went down with the ship, Dad was put on a Corvette in June that year and was at sea when it happens, his starting rank was Ship strapper (rigger)
BTW the Royal Oak was at anchor, when she was targetted.
WW2 many kids lied of age. My Dad was a B25 Co Pilot at 15. Most id's didn't have a picture. Captain America, and Edward (of Narnia) may have been fictional but copying the history of the time.
@@dead2selfShema I don't know what the age was for the USA, But in the UK you could joint the cadets at 15, in the Navy you went to sea, In the Army you were to use as a homeland runner, Air force all depending on which section you were going in, but at the Battle of Britain when RAF aerodrome were the targets all those cadets were in harms way, just like in the RN the cadets were in harms way, being on any ship. this is why loads of under 18 years died with the royal oak
Good history but terrible grammar. Go back to school and for God sake don't let anyone copy your bad example. Sorry
Your post needs a lot more editing.
I thought Klink was in the Luftwaffe ;)
😂
He was in the show
I had the same reaction when I saw Werner Klemper in that sub.🤣😂
😂😂
Werner Klemperer was a beautiful singer. Google his name and Bob Banner singing Silent Night. A moving performance by two Jewish men showing respect for their Christian brothers
Drachinfel's great uncle was on board Royal Oak. It helped inspire him to become a naval historian.
i did not know that, you made my day (i always look to learn at least one new thing daily) cheers!
@@mikeholton9876
My father had a saying, "If you learn one thing a day, your day's not wasted".
@@tazman572 he would be correct
My grandad survived the sinking by being in the brig on land for a drunkeness that saved his life then but later ultimately ended it young (54) from a too great love of food and drink. My German grandfathers best school boy friend was Gunther Prien which we found out at my parents wedding. Life sure is weird!
@@tazman572 thats a old saying long before he was born
Loved the Colonel Klink cameo !!
So, I'm not the only one! It's really funny.
The footage of the ship sinking shows the British skill at camouflage. They made a battleship look like an oil tanker!.
Exactly it was a oil tanker another click bait video.
Excellent, seems like a splendid example of dazzle camouflage!
@@zuluwarrior1648 I think the camouflage is really effective on you
Allies made land vehicles and planes out of balloon and cardboard, so axis made fake oiler silhouette for war ships?
...and the destroyers packed like sardines were not in Scapa but the US.
As God is my witness, I could have sworn that Colonel Klink ran a prison camp during WWII...
I had to go back twice, and yep it’s the colonel , it’s from a show called, “One step beyond “ S1 E17
He didn‘t manage to get Sgt. Schultz through a U-boat hatch though.
Yep, free on UA-cam:
ua-cam.com/video/G1yAxUK3-d8/v-deo.html
That's Werner from SILENT SERVICE TV SHOW U-47 IN SCAPA FLOW.
This channel often uses odd and even irrelevant video.
These are some very excellent episodes. Thank you so much for them.
People never seem to realize, that something doesn't need to be invincible, and you don't need to be scared of it, for it to kick your ass.
Would you like to put what you are trying to say in a different way? Because as it stands it is unintelligible.
@@juliane3683
Your inability to comprehend 8th grade level English isn't my problem.....
You go find someone with a college degree and let them read it.
Then they can explain it to you using even simpler words, and maybe some hand gestures as well.
You say: ‘Something doesn’t need to be invincible’. … and then. … ‘ you say - youdon’t need to be scared if it.’
So what is the connotation between those two remarks ?
And then ‘ for it ( presumably ‘this something’ or ‘it’ ) to kick your arse.’
So what you’re saying is that something doesn’t need to be unbeatable.
It’s the word need which is wrong.
Perhaps what you meant to say is: ‘ be thought of as unbeatable and you shouldn’t be scared of it’.
But then any strength in that philosophy is negated by it kicking you in arse anyway.
I think what you’ve done is create a conceptual malapropism.
You’re not aware of it and given your sensitivity and sarcy rudeness it’s not going to do you any good to look into it.
@@juliane3683
If you had watched the video, AND paid attention, you would already know the answer to your question....
No disrespect Robert … but you are missing the point being made. Offering you the opportunity ( by means of an rhetorical question) to reassess and make sense of what you are attempting to convey and then express it cohesively, is admittedly an exercise in semantics; but the point is, as your ‘contribution’ stands, your use of colloquial vernacular in print fails to express an intelligible viewpoint. That is why you were encouraged to put it another way: in order that you could actually make an understandable observation. Now I appreciate that evidently you cannot cope equably with well intentioned critique, and so I imagine that in a fit of pique you will want to have the last word …….
But for me my final observation is, I made a genuinely friendly attempt to help you.
I guess it’s ended up horses and water hasn’t it.
Most interesting. The early naval engagements around that part of Scotland are of great interest to me as my grandfather's ship, HMS Exmouth, was sunk in January 1940 just off Wick, Scotland with the loss of all hands. They were escorting a freighter carrying military supplies to the Orkney Islands. Exmouth was sunk by U-22.
Most of the times that they talked about the commander of the uboat, they showed pictures of someone who looks suspiciously like Werner Klemperer, who played the German POW commander in the sitcom Hogan's Heroes. Whenever they show pictures of what they claimed was the British fleet in Scapa Flow, the pictures were actually of mothballed liberty ships in the United States. The narrative was quite interesting, but I wish that they would use pictures that were more accurate.
Gulf of Biscay? Torpedoes took 10 minutes to strike the Royal Oak? How much of this was just made up?
It is Werner Klemperer. In the late 50s early 60s there was a TV serial program called "The Silent Service" hosted by former WWII sub skipper, RADM Tommy Dykers. It dealt almost exclusively with U.S. submarine operations in the second world war. One of the last episodes however told the story of Günther Prien and his foray into Scapa Flow while commanding the U47.
I have read a blow by blow account of the attack on Scapa Flow by U-47 and it truly is nail biting stuff. The sneaking in via a poorly blockaded channel past the rusting hulks of the block ships and their mooring cables, fighting the current and the close confines, leaves one in a cold sweat. Once inside Scapa Flow and the heart stopping moment that a car's headlights reach out over the water towards U-47 for a brief moment, is then crushed by the realisation that the anchorage was essentially empty. The Royal Navy had decided to disperse from Scapa Flow just after the last Luftwaffe reconnaissance flight had been overhead, so there was no way of knowing that the anchorage was almost empty. Then came the attack on Royal Oak and the first salvo of torpedoes had missed or failed to work. Prien pulled away and motored into another arm of the Flow while his crew reloaded with fresh torpedoes. I can't recall if they modified the firing mechanism or not, but every Navy except for the Japanese was to have reliability issues with their torpedoes at the start of their involvement in the war.
Prien returned to the Royal Oak and fired another salvo and this time two of the torpedoes worked when they struck the Royal Oak and tore a great big hole in her side. Explosions and fire ensued before she turned over and sank with great loss of life. The U-47 then proceeded to make it's escape via the way it had entered and again just managed to scrape past the blockships and out into open water. She quickly made her way back to Germany for a heroes reception for Prien and the entire crew. Meanwhile Britain was mourning the loss of the Royal Oak and the 800 men and boys aboard her when she sank.
U47 returned a hero after sneaking up to him and stabing in his back ...
@@himartem Yeah? That's like the whole entire point of a U Boat. You need to understand that war isn't always fair. Also this was a huge win for the Kriegsmarine
Isn't that Col. Klink pretending to be Captain Prien?
That's him, sure enough. When he had hair.
Wow. Sure looks like him
@@user-rd4gz1nc4e It's him.
If only Colonel Klink was head of the U-Boat training school from the start.
They would have won the war!!
A young Werner Klemperer.
I’m currently in Orkney right now on vacation. You can still see several sunken merchant marine ships sticking out of the water that they used to block the entrance along with a massive sea barrier. Incredible sight.
I think the German High Seas fleet was interred there at the end of the first WW1. Most of ships were scuttled by German crews so you might also see some of those there
Great content love this channel
Out Standing work Herr Prien & and crew of U-47 !
Enjoyed your video and I gave it a Thumbs Up for support
Wow nice video! Subs straight away! Undervalued channel! Keep it up! 🤩
Congratulations on the development of your VO work. I think this is your first vid that has not irked the bejesus out of me. You've almost perfected the pace, got the right amount of colour and inflection in your voice and managed to inform without overdramatization. Good work - and well told.
He still can't pronounce foreign names though
Wow! What an amazing and gutsy mission!
“Preen”
I love how you are using footage from The Silent Service with Werner Klemperer as Capt Prien
Apperently Prien wasn't picked for his skill, he was picked for his attitude. Donitz had only one candidate in mind for his selection and it was this dude. And he DID it
The most skilled of U-boat captains or not, it took tremendous submarine skill and seamanship and nerve and leadership to get in, act, and get out.
Good stuff as always.
OMG! I have that same cutaway model above my desk. I built it over 35 years ago. Awesome!
Churchill: "OMG....... Col. Klink sunk my battleship....................."
politics aside looking at just the skillset, the Kriegsmarine had several sub commanders that were as skilled as any that ever pulled the plug, virtually all of them were eventually killed in action as sub hunting technology outstripped the U Boat's advancement's in evasion technology. nice video.
Another excellent video.
Prien is pronounced like the English word preen. Watched several German language videos to confirm.
Like many others I spotted Werner Klemperer ( Colonel Klink of Hogan's Heroes) in the movie clips.
Also, at 7:05 on the right is Kurt Kreuger, who had a role in "The Enemy Below", a film about a battle between a U.S. destroyer and a U-boat. Even though it is fiction I think it is a must watch for anyone interested in WWII naval history.
German pronunciation for "ie" is "ee" like you said while "ei" is pronounce like "eye". Just some stuff I remember from my 4 years of German in high school. 😃
Yeah, I was wondering what movie "Colonel Klink" was in.
When two vowels go a-walking, the second does the talking. At least that's how I've heard it, for the most part.
@@brucesim2003 Yes, I now remember my 5th grade English teacher always saying that to us many times so we dullards would maybe remember it in life. Ha!
You have to admit that it was good enough work for an episode of the "Silent Service" from which I think I saw Warner Klemperer (different last names) as Captain Prien.
Nice one Lad
Nice video editing and commentary
There was a story of one of the Sailors on the Royal Oak coming up to the deck for a smoke when the ship was hit.That cigarette saved his life
A single cigarette at night was sometimes all it took for one's ship to be spotted and sunk with all hands in pitch black darkness in the freezing Atlantic....
@@intercommerce Perhaps,though there were quite a few ships moored at Scapa Flow so there were more than enough targets.Though an enemy captaining that sub it was some impressive maneuvering getting thru the nets/mines/ships and then back out again
My late fiancées father survived the sinking of HMS Royal Oak, his younger brother didn't. RIP my brothers in arms
A dreadful loss of life but a truly remarkable achievement by a sub crew nonetheless against fearsome natural obstructions augmented by the navy. This area is the focus of tidal energy development for a reason.
Well like 80% of their comrade's they ended up on the ocean floor.... Being in the U-boat arm was almost like a death sentence....
The enigma code was broken early. Every U-boat had to state where it was every day, look up black October, 60 plus uboats sunk in one month, Japanese code was broken early also. Imagine knowing the moves of the enemy on a day to day basis.
*Scenes of Kriegsmarine Captain Prien onboard U-47 were taken from the 1958 movie, "The Silent Service", and were played by none other than "Colonel Klink" (Werner Klemperer) of TV's "Hogan's Heroes" fame.*
Thanks - didn't know this but, yes, it's a young Colonel Klink with hair!
The story of the U 47 was on a series called Silent Service a half hour show produced by the USN it started Werner Klemplerer ( the same guy who played as Kamondant Klink on Hogans Heroes ). I didn't realize how powerful an actor he was until then. What also shocked me was his his starring role in the movie, "Operation Eichmann" wherein you also see John Banner not as a bungling buffoon Sgt. Schultz but as a man of total evil Kommandant of Auschwitz. In this video they used clips from that show. Believe me I didn't think either of them had that kind of roles in them.
I think I read Werner Klemplerer and John Banner were Jewish. Strange they made a living portraying German offices.
@@ronrobertson59 yeah they both where Jewish. How they where able to pull of what they did in ( Operation Eichmann ) is beyond me. Especially the opening statement. I guess that what they did in (Hogans Heroes) was an act of hatered.
Great piece of history explained. I did smile at the shots of a U-boat commander. It's Col. Klink. Actually a clip from of Actor Werner Klemperer in the character of a U-boat commander. Aside from that tidbit the history explained is this video as very interesting.
Is that footage of Werner Kemperer in " The Haunted Uboat" from the "Series One Step Beyond" first season 1959 episode 17? Well put together thank you.
u make great content
Love seeing the clips of Werner Klemperer - AKA Colonel Klink.
Another masterful presentation by this world class historian !!
World class historian? I don't know about that. Try Mark Felton's War Stories if you want accuracy.
That's the first time I have heard this story. Thanks! Very brave little U boat.
I'm glad the Brits eventually found her.
I am British but can still admire heroes of an enemy nation.
Love the shot of Colonel Klink (Werner Klemplerer) as a U-boat commander early in this video. The big question is where was Sergent Schultz and Hogan?
The u-boat was too tight for Schultz.
they all have passed.
@@mtnshooter2487 I think the actor who played Lebeau is still alive?
I know NU-ZINKK!
@@briansearles4473 Brian - he's 96 and going strong (Robert Clary).
The seafloor of scapa flow hosts the worlds largest collection of battleships all in one place to this day
That IS Werner Klemperer, from an episode of Twilight Zone, where he is a passenger on a freighter in WWII, and he is also the captain of the U-Boat that sinks it with him aboard, over and over and over, in a well deserved hell!
I think it was One Step Beyond, not Twilight Zone.
I live in Royal Oak and am reminded of this constantly
COOL VIDEO
Note: Some clips were from a movie with Werner Klemper, AKA Col. Klink of Hogans Hero's.
This is the first time I have seen this heroic story told in detail. I'll have to look for that "Silent Service" episode... starring Colonel Klink! 😄
The Bull of Scapa Flow
What a legend
Always good to see Werner Klemperer, a German-American actor was best known for the role of Colonel Wilhelm Klink on the CBS television sitcom Hogan's Heroes at the helm of a U-Boat.
Nice one! The caption of the U-47 was an actor on Hogan's Heroes Werner Klemperer, Colonel Kink.
Col. Klink, that is.
We American submariners have the highest respect for those of the German navy.
of course. even nowadays German submarines can kill entire US carrier groups undetected. As a matter of fact we actually already did at a sea exercise. oh boy were them US officers on board of the German submarine sweating the entire time. What an embarassement the US military has become. Its probably just as bad as the Russian One by now. :D
There is a memorial marker at the German Naval memorial in Laboe for the lost 52 US U-Boats and their men. It's the only memorial marker for a former enemy's U-Boat men at the site.
Murdering scum. My grandfather survived this. Never forgave. Surgeon Capn. George Lee Ritchie.
prien's log was heavily doctored after the event, and the huge loss of life is partially due to the navy not allowing locals to help, same with the hampshire, didnt want locals to help to stop the story getting out
The story of the Hampshire and Kitchener's knowledge that he would die at sea has fascinated me for decades. I have seen the spot and why his ship went that route, leaving its escorts...and why his body supposedly turned up far away...?
@@johnjephcote7636 there is a photo in a book written by one of the hampshire survivors of my grandparents with a half dozen of the survivors, one of the few local families that helped or didn't listen and helped
Awesome 👏
"What is this man doing here?!"
Hey, the very first shot, showing the submarine captain, was the guy who played Col. Klink in Hogan's Heroes.
The sinking Oak sure looks a lot like a freighter in these clips....LOL
I enjoy seeing Colonel Klink in the videos.
Excellent effort and thoroughly enjoyed the story. Thanks for all the work you put in. Ignore the Armchair Commandos and their stupid criticisms.
So using facts about a thing/happening is STUPID? WTF is this world coming too?????
Very interesting.
Also when I play Silent Hunter III I always pick the type 7b. Type IX are too big and clumsy to get out of depth charge patterns despite having a much bigger payload and range
@Shill of [insert_personal_Boogeyman] I also attempted this as well in SH III. I got in but I didn't get back out.
Best U- Boat book: "Iron Cofffins"...best U-Boat movie: "Das Boot". Watch/read these and you will understand exactly how it was for these brave, doomed sailors and their unique form of war...
Das Boot the TV series, best of all the movies/TVs on U-Boats
What was the source of the stock footage used in this episode? There must have been a film starring Wernher Klemperer as a U-boat commander. It was probably in German, but some of us would like to track it down. Thanks for your excellent series
It is from a early TV series about submariners
i thought col klink was a pow camp commandant?
That was a good one
Thank you.
A victory for the Nazi's, but a tragedy for the Brits.
My Uncle Clarence was in a Nazi POW Camp after his capture at Kasserine Pass. Germans ok, Nazi's no. WW2 brought such loss of life and destruction.
Most Germans though at first hating the National Socialists did eventually quietly admire them, just saying. Brainwashing will take you far especially when you start with the young in schools, you can make them believe up is down.
Gunther prien scappa flow
I wouldn't call what transpired as victory at all. Attacking a nation when not at war is sneaky and cowardly. imho
@@citzeneh2978 Appears you did not understand the facts.
September 3: At 9:00 a.m. the British ambassador to Berlin Nevile Henderson is instructed by the Cabinet to deliver an ultimatum to Germany which expired without answer at 11:00 a.m.[18] As a result at 11:15 a.m. British Standard Time (BST) the Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain announces that Britain is at war with Germany.
Royal Oak Sunk by U-47, 14 October 1939.
and we still glorify the sacrifices made.
never do we look at the root causes, greed ego, nationalism, look at Ukraine, making US arms manufacturers millions, all billed to American tax payer. I married into the prein family Gene pool, glad I am divorced now.
it was a military family also. Captian Prien was very good at keeping a narrow mind and killing people. History keeps replaying we never learn
Sadly the Royal Oak was filled with boys…no way the Germans could’ve known that but it’s very sad nonetheless
All the best to everyone
@@apis_aculei yes, of course they were endangered by their superiors at sea in a live war, not asleep in a supposedly secure harbour
At 7:27 and 7:30 that's Werner Klemperer (Col. Klink from Hogan's Heroes). Also, at 8:13.
Nice to see Werner Klemperer again.
What an intriguing story.
Was the 8.8 cm deck gun on the Type 7 boat, version D, the same gun used as tank and AA artillery? Although I doubt it, there might be a basic similarity.
Hooo-gaaann! Werner actually served in the US Army from 1942-45.
Drachinfel's great uncle was on board Royal Oak. It helped inspire him to become a naval historian
I see Walter Klemperer. AKA, Colonel Klink.
His name was Werner not Walter.
@@GermanShepherd1983 You are correct sir.
Werner ^^
Nice use of movie footage.. it is a good one with Werner Klemperer as Prien (pronounced Preen)..
Does anyone know the movie whose outtakes were used in this documentary. Like many others, Werner Klemperer (aka Col. Klink) is a favorite and I always like to see him in various roles. Thanks.
Is that Col Klink at 7:26? Perhaps Sargent Schultz was on Royal Oak when the first torpedo hit the bow dismissing it saying "I know nothing!"
That had to be Col. Klink in this clip. He looked 100% likes him, so obviously Klink.
Another wild and wacky adventure from the boys at Stalag 13
Klemperer just jumped out at me too. He was in a number of films and TV shows back in his day.
1958 - "U-47 in Scapa Flow", from a series called "The Silent Service."
Thank you for all you're channel's MUCH LOVE FROM ENGLAND GOD SAVE THE QUEEN XX
I kept looking for Sgt Shultz to make an appearance 🤣
Best episode of Hogan's Heroes so far... Even if Sgt Schultz wasn't in it. Lol
I read about this attack, a lot of losses happened because there were electric emergency doors and there was a blackout, logically shutting them down. I don't know if it 's real, but equipping a ship with these devices is a little suicidal
I read this story in a Comic Book in 1962! Great stuff!
Footage of a sinking tanker?
I like history! But did you have to use Colonel Klink?
Right on
Would you do one with the attack on Aruba?
He must've gotten lucky avoiding sub pens both in and out. (Maybe they shut down after dark.)
If you have Disney Plus, there is a Series called "WW2: Hell under the sea" on there about different submarine missions in WW2. Check out Season 3, Episode 1, "Killer Strike". It is an episode about this U-47's mission. It's a really good episode and really good TV series.
While the U-boot mission was well done, it only managed to sink an outdated ship, without real military significance, "not suitable for front-line duty". Arguably, the greatest loss was the crew, not the ship.
It was ¨WELL DONE¨? Had Prien been an Englishman, they would have named a city after him. It is the most audacious naval operation in recorded history. There, fixed it for you.
Col Klink sighting at the beginning😂.