German Navy

Gone to the bottom ...

Commander of U-1206, a Type VIIC u-boat. U-1206 does not owe its place in history to a heavy sinking tonnage - it never sank a ship. It is, however, notable for the manner of its own sinking, on 14 April 1945, in the course of its first active patrol. U-1206, a late-model boat, was fitted with all the modern conveniences, including a state-of-the-art high-pressure ... toilet. This device, however, had the disadvantage that it had a very precise and complicated operating procedure, requiring the skills of a specialised technician in attendance- not ideal in a piece of gear that is often operated, in more ways than one, under high pressure. On the date in question, while submerged 200 feet off Peterhead, Scotland, somebody apparently failed to follow the correct procedure in using the toilet. The superloo objected to this, and indicated its objection by backing up - spectacularly - flooding large parts of the boat and swamping its batteries, which added to the problem by combining with the seawater to produce a large volume of chlorine gas. The captain had no alternative but to surface immediately - and quickly found himself under attack from British coastal patrol aircraft, leaving him, again, with no alternative but to scuttle the boat. Unfortunately, four crewmen were killed in the incident overall. The deaths were, of course, sad, especially with the war almost over, but I find it impossible not to see a certain humour in this affair. Have I forgotten something ? Oh yes, the name of the Captain of U-1206 was ... Kapitanliutnant Karl-Adolf Schlitt. Believe me, not even I could make this up ... Best regards, JR.