the U714 Story

U714_a_

U714 Returning to the U-Boat Base in La Pallice in Occupied France after a Patrol in 1944

Discovery of U714

The U714 is a TypeVII U-Boat which lies in 58-60 metres 5 miles from Eyemouth. She was sunk in a famous engagement with HMSAS Natal on the 14 March 1945 with the loss of all her Crew. She lay forgotten until late Summer 2006 when Marinequest ran their first Mixed Gas Trip to a well known Fishermans Snag known as the 'Willie Bain', this was thought to be an upside down Trawler lost in the dim and distant past. When we dived her it became clear it wasnt a Trawler it appeared to be a Submarine lying on its side. Conditions in this area are 'challenging' with poor visibility and normally very dark. Initial research threw up the H11 a British WW1 Submarine lost while being towed to the Scrapyard in 1920, the positions we were given were accurate, but the depth at 70m seemed wrong.

After several dives in which we were convincing ourselves we were looking at H11 doubt began to creep in and finally in October I was Diving in great conditions with Bruce Sloan when we discovered the Stern Torpedo Tube and seeing the arrangement of Props, Rudders and Hydroplanes and the Shark like intact Bow it was clear it was a German U-Boat, and a Type VII. Other Divers noticed the Schnorkel and the RDF loop and no Deck Gun, but a Gun Mount still in place, so it was a late War TypeVII, and the only one sunk a few miles away according to the Admiralty was U714. Later Innes McCartney Dived her, and photographed allthe features we had seen and confirmed our ID.

Click here to view the U714 Video from YouTube taken by GraemeG from Divetech

The Dive
She lies on her Starboard side and is very intact with damage to the Port side Plating consistant with the 'Tin Opener' Depth Charging a few days later to try and confirm the Kill. We noticed damage on her Stern consistant with a Depth Charge which had opened an Oiltank and displaced the Aft Torpedo Tube, this probably flooded her very quickly killing all the Crew. The Conning Tower is intact with the Attack Periscope retracted, open hatches can be seen which probably sprang open after flooding/depth charging. The Bow is intact and the torpedo tube doors are closed, Starboard side of the Wreck on the Seabed is the remains of the Conning Tower Plating and AA Guns all probably pulled off by Trawling over the years. Off the Wreck we found what looked like an unexploded Depth Charge as well as Liferaft Canisters.
Normally a Dark Dive with variable Visibility it is best Dived on Neap Tides in periods of no Rainfall.

Last Patrol

She had left Horten on 03 March 1945 and made her way across the North Sea to her Patrol Area off the Firth of Forth, in 1945 this was suicidal as the Radar anmd improved Sonar meant the Navy and RAF were sinking many U-Boats in the North Sea.
On 10 March he sank the Nordhav 2 an Escort Ship off Dundee, and on 14 March torpedoed the Swedish Freighter Magne off Eyemouth.
The Natal was a brand New Frigate and had just been commissioned, she had left the Tyne that Morning to head up to Mull for Work up Training. She was alerted by another Ship from the Convoy that Magne had been sunk and arrived to lend a hand to the Elderly Escort HMS Wivern, while on station her ASDIC picked up a Submarine Target off her Port beam she immediately attacked with the New Secret Weapon - Squid, a Multi Forward Firing Depth Charge Mortar that was linked to the Ships Asdic to give the precise location and Depth of the Target. after 2 Salvos a quantity of Oil an Wreckage was brought up and the target lost.
Natal then left to proceed to Mull while a Hunter Killer Group Depth Charged the area to bring up evidence, a shield depicting a Diving U-Boat was recovered. This was later presented to the Natal and was kept in the Ship until she was scrapped in the 1970's.
Her sinking was considered an outstanding feat and an RN Battle Honour was awarded to the Ship as well as Decorations for several of her Crew

HMS_Loch_Achray

HMS Loch Cree sister ship of HMSAS Natal

Schwebke

Hans Joachim Schwebke
Skipper U714 died 14/3/1945 age 28

stokerhall

Lt-Commander D A ('Stoker') Hall DSC Bar
Skipper HMAS Natal

Protecting the Wrecksite

Over the next few months we made several contacts including the Natal Association from South Africa including one of the Sailors who as an 18 year old had been operating the Squid launcher that Day, This then led to us being Contacted by Axel Schwebcke the Son of the U-Boat Skipper Hans Joachim Schwebcke, both he and the Natal Association were concerned about disturbance to the Wreck by Divers after recent Newspaper Stories in Germany of UK Divers looting WW1 U-Boats in the Channel. We assured them that this wouldnt be allowed as the position was a secret and would not be published
In 2008 we managed to get her protected as a War Grave to prevent any disturbance, she can be Dived but it is Look - Dont Touch and respect the last resting place of her 50 Crew who are 'Still On Patrol'.

In 2008 Axel visited Scotland I travelled to Eyemouth to meet him and accompany him out on Marinequests Boat to lay a Wreath above his Fathers resting place. it was a very emotional moment that I will never forget, Axel was only a year old when his father perished and never knew him, his Mother is still alive and was very happy that his final resting place had been found. She had been told that the Crew had been shot while in the water by the Royal Navy after escaping the sinking Submarine, this seems to be propaganda as we have no mention of survivors or bodies being recovered in the reports and with the damage seen we expect she flooded very quickly entombing the crew forever in their Boat, the open hatches are not a sign of an escape attempt, these hatches are sprung to allow easy opening and the latches are only to initially
close them to allow the boat to Dive, once underwater the hatches are held closed by water pressure, it is thought that as the latches corroded over the years and the effect of nets dragged over the wreck the hatches were sprung open.

We are still in regular contact and I hope one day to be able to tell the story of U714 and his Fathers life in the Kriegsmarine serving on the Graf Spee, and after the Battle of the River Plate, and the scuttling of Graf Spee he was interned but managed to escape from South America and making it back to Germany via Russia Japan and USA to serve in the U-Boats

Video by Graham from Dive Tec, he has several excellent video clips on YouTube

Have a look at these U-Boat Links :-
U-Boat Net and U Boat Waffe which gives info on U 714, Nordhav and Magne