U Boat Pens in Ireland....?
Discussion
Was thinking about a story an ex-RN Clearance Diver told me years ago about there having been Nazi 'U'-boat pens located around the Southern coast of Ireland during WWII - primarily near Cork - and these being used to refuel/replenish vessels hunting in the Atlantic convoy routes. He reckoned he'd actually visited the remains many years ago.
Anyone out there know anything about this? Fact/Fiction/Conspiracy theory???? Has he been breathing too much Helium or had one too many knocks to the head?
Southern Ireland was one of the favourite entry points for Nazi spies coming to Britain '39 to '45, but 'U'-boat pens may be stretching it some...????!
Anyone out there know anything about this? Fact/Fiction/Conspiracy theory???? Has he been breathing too much Helium or had one too many knocks to the head?
Southern Ireland was one of the favourite entry points for Nazi spies coming to Britain '39 to '45, but 'U'-boat pens may be stretching it some...????!
I'm Irish and I can't say I've heard of this. Our countries official staus during the war was neutral, still a lot of people went to fight on the allied side via the British Army.
There would have been such outcry against a Nazi stronghold in Ireland that the people wouldnt have stood for it. Unless it was done in secret. Its unlikely IMO.
There would have been such outcry against a Nazi stronghold in Ireland that the people wouldnt have stood for it. Unless it was done in secret. Its unlikely IMO.
patmahe said:
I'm Irish and I can't say I've heard of this. Our countries official staus during the war was neutral, still a lot of people went to fight on the allied side via the British Army.
There would have been such outcry against a Nazi stronghold in Ireland that the people wouldnt have stood for it. Unless it was done in secret. Its unlikely IMO.
I agree it is unlikely, despite De Valeras strongly pro-Hitler beliefs. They may have offered 'soft' help to the U-boats but I very much doubt they would have built anything so substantial.There would have been such outcry against a Nazi stronghold in Ireland that the people wouldnt have stood for it. Unless it was done in secret. Its unlikely IMO.
patmahe said:
I'm Irish and I can't say I've heard of this. Our countries official staus during the war was neutral, still a lot of people went to fight on the allied side via the British Army.
There would have been such outcry against a Nazi stronghold in Ireland that the people wouldnt have stood for it. Unless it was done in secret. Its unlikely IMO.
Yeah, but this is Cork we're talking about. Dem culchies are feckin' mad.There would have been such outcry against a Nazi stronghold in Ireland that the people wouldnt have stood for it. Unless it was done in secret. Its unlikely IMO.
John
There was rumour about secret bases in 1st WW
http://query.nytimes.com/mem/archive-free/pdf?res=...
http://query.nytimes.com/mem/archive-free/pdf?res=...
Edited by Semi hemi on Monday 12th May 14:56
Semi hemi said:
There was rumour about secret bases in 1st WW
http://query.nytimes.com/mem/archive-free/pdf?res=...
Liny no worky for meeee...http://query.nytimes.com/mem/archive-free/pdf?res=...
Edited by Semi hemi on Monday 12th May 14:56
jshell said:
Semi hemi said:
There was rumour about secret bases in 1st WW
http://query.nytimes.com/mem/archive-free/pdf?res=...
Liny no worky for meeee...http://query.nytimes.com/mem/archive-free/pdf?res=...
Edited by Semi hemi on Monday 12th May 14:56
I'm Irish and never heard of such things - although there are rumours that U-Boats sometimes sheletered in secluded coves on the west coast (Galway, Mayo, Sligo).
Threre was very little the Irish Army or Navy could have done anyway as they were both very small forces with limited weapons and resources.
In Eire, the bulk of the sympathy was pro the Aliies and somewhere between 50,000 and 100,000 Irishmen from south of the border - there are no official figures - served in the British Armed Forces during the war - including some of my relatives.
DeValera was defintely not pro-Nazi, but he did adopt a public Anti-British stance - mainly to satisfy the extreme pro-Republican elements who were a main part of his party's (Fianna Fail) constituency.
The REAL atitude of the Irish government to the waring nations can be deduced from how they dealt with combatants who ended up on Irish soil. Allied airmen and sailors were re-patriated fairly quickly to the UK - often within 24 hours. German sailors and airmen were incarcerated for the duration.
Threre was very little the Irish Army or Navy could have done anyway as they were both very small forces with limited weapons and resources.
In Eire, the bulk of the sympathy was pro the Aliies and somewhere between 50,000 and 100,000 Irishmen from south of the border - there are no official figures - served in the British Armed Forces during the war - including some of my relatives.
DeValera was defintely not pro-Nazi, but he did adopt a public Anti-British stance - mainly to satisfy the extreme pro-Republican elements who were a main part of his party's (Fianna Fail) constituency.
The REAL atitude of the Irish government to the waring nations can be deduced from how they dealt with combatants who ended up on Irish soil. Allied airmen and sailors were re-patriated fairly quickly to the UK - often within 24 hours. German sailors and airmen were incarcerated for the duration.
Surfr said:
That reminds me. Someone claimed that there were some pens down on the Pembrokeshire coast somewhere. There certainly were a lot of old WW2 airfields in that area but I've never heard of a u-boat pen.
I think that might be more based on munition magazines down there - is it true that the War Dept paid for the railway all the way to Fishguard?The RAF had a large contingent of Sunderland flying boats based at Pembroke Dock, right up until 1958. There's one Sunderland lying in the mud at the bottom of the harbour to this day.
Pembroke Dock was therefore quite a miltarised area with lots of defensive positions, anti-aircraft sites and ammunition stores (torpedoes, bombs, depth charges etc).
Pembroke Dock was therefore quite a miltarised area with lots of defensive positions, anti-aircraft sites and ammunition stores (torpedoes, bombs, depth charges etc).
Eric Mc said:
I'm Irish and never heard of such things - although there are rumours that U-Boats sometimes sheletered in secluded coves on the west coast (Galway, Mayo, Sligo).
Threre was very little the Irish Army or Navy could have done anyway as they were both very small forces with limited weapons and resources.
In Eire, the bulk of the sympathy was pro the Aliies and somewhere between 50,000 and 100,000 Irishmen from south of the border - there are no official figures - served in the British Armed Forces during the war - including some of my relatives.
DeValera was defintely not pro-Nazi, but he did adopt a public Anti-British stance - mainly to satisfy the extreme pro-Republican elements who were a main part of his party's (Fianna Fail) constituency.
The REAL atitude of the Irish government to the waring nations can be deduced from how they dealt with combatants who ended up on Irish soil. Allied airmen and sailors were re-patriated fairly quickly to the UK - often within 24 hours. German sailors and airmen were incarcerated for the duration.
Re: RAF and Luftwaffe pilots. Germans were interned. British and other friendlies driven over the border to the North and handed over! A few of the Germans who were interned settled in Ireland after the war.Threre was very little the Irish Army or Navy could have done anyway as they were both very small forces with limited weapons and resources.
In Eire, the bulk of the sympathy was pro the Aliies and somewhere between 50,000 and 100,000 Irishmen from south of the border - there are no official figures - served in the British Armed Forces during the war - including some of my relatives.
DeValera was defintely not pro-Nazi, but he did adopt a public Anti-British stance - mainly to satisfy the extreme pro-Republican elements who were a main part of his party's (Fianna Fail) constituency.
The REAL atitude of the Irish government to the waring nations can be deduced from how they dealt with combatants who ended up on Irish soil. Allied airmen and sailors were re-patriated fairly quickly to the UK - often within 24 hours. German sailors and airmen were incarcerated for the duration.
Pens built? Rubbish. That is not to say U-boats did not shelter in the coast. Your mate was probably brought out to a salmon fishery and given a bit of the Blarney!
Edited by Irish on Monday 12th May 15:29
Eric Mc said:
I'm Irish and never heard of such things - although there are rumours that U-Boats sometimes sheletered in secluded coves on the west coast (Galway, Mayo, Sligo).
Threre was very little the Irish Army or Navy could have done anyway as they were both very small forces with limited weapons and resources.
In Eire, the bulk of the sympathy was pro the Aliies and somewhere between 50,000 and 100,000 Irishmen from south of the border - there are no official figures - served in the British Armed Forces during the war - including some of my relatives.
DeValera was defintely not pro-Nazi, but he did adopt a public Anti-British stance - mainly to satisfy the extreme pro-Republican elements who were a main part of his party's (Fianna Fail) constituency.
The REAL atitude of the Irish government to the waring nations can be deduced from how they dealt with combatants who ended up on Irish soil. Allied airmen and sailors were re-patriated fairly quickly to the UK - often within 24 hours. German sailors and airmen were incarcerated for the duration.
Is it true that Ireland was the only country to send a card of condolence to Germany after Hitler's death?Threre was very little the Irish Army or Navy could have done anyway as they were both very small forces with limited weapons and resources.
In Eire, the bulk of the sympathy was pro the Aliies and somewhere between 50,000 and 100,000 Irishmen from south of the border - there are no official figures - served in the British Armed Forces during the war - including some of my relatives.
DeValera was defintely not pro-Nazi, but he did adopt a public Anti-British stance - mainly to satisfy the extreme pro-Republican elements who were a main part of his party's (Fianna Fail) constituency.
The REAL atitude of the Irish government to the waring nations can be deduced from how they dealt with combatants who ended up on Irish soil. Allied airmen and sailors were re-patriated fairly quickly to the UK - often within 24 hours. German sailors and airmen were incarcerated for the duration.
patmahe said:
Our countries official staus during the war was neutral,
This explains it quite well;http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m2242/is_165...
Lauross said:
Eric Mc said:
I'm Irish and never heard of such things - although there are rumours that U-Boats sometimes sheletered in secluded coves on the west coast (Galway, Mayo, Sligo).
Threre was very little the Irish Army or Navy could have done anyway as they were both very small forces with limited weapons and resources.
In Eire, the bulk of the sympathy was pro the Aliies and somewhere between 50,000 and 100,000 Irishmen from south of the border - there are no official figures - served in the British Armed Forces during the war - including some of my relatives.
DeValera was defintely not pro-Nazi, but he did adopt a public Anti-British stance - mainly to satisfy the extreme pro-Republican elements who were a main part of his party's (Fianna Fail) constituency.
The REAL atitude of the Irish government to the waring nations can be deduced from how they dealt with combatants who ended up on Irish soil. Allied airmen and sailors were re-patriated fairly quickly to the UK - often within 24 hours. German sailors and airmen were incarcerated for the duration.
Is it true that Ireland was the only country to send a card of condolence to Germany after Hitler's death?Threre was very little the Irish Army or Navy could have done anyway as they were both very small forces with limited weapons and resources.
In Eire, the bulk of the sympathy was pro the Aliies and somewhere between 50,000 and 100,000 Irishmen from south of the border - there are no official figures - served in the British Armed Forces during the war - including some of my relatives.
DeValera was defintely not pro-Nazi, but he did adopt a public Anti-British stance - mainly to satisfy the extreme pro-Republican elements who were a main part of his party's (Fianna Fail) constituency.
The REAL atitude of the Irish government to the waring nations can be deduced from how they dealt with combatants who ended up on Irish soil. Allied airmen and sailors were re-patriated fairly quickly to the UK - often within 24 hours. German sailors and airmen were incarcerated for the duration.
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