U864 was sunk with all hands off Norway in 1945 by the British sub HMS Venturer - the only recorded fight to the finish by two submarines - while transporting to Japan 60 tons of toxic mercury for use in weapons manufacture.
The wreck will probably be covered by a gigantic mound of gravel and sand, concreted for stability and extending 12m above it, to allow for a shifting seabed.
The remarkable story of the duel between HMS Venturer and U864, and the results of a recent diving expedition to the site of the U-boat wreck, is the subject of a BBC2 Timewatch documentary, to be screened on 2 January.
At the time of the sinking, U864 was on a top-secret mission. In addition to the mercury it carried newly developed aircraft jet engines and missile guidance systems, and a number of scientists connected with the new technologies. |
