U-853 A look inside

[jdelprete]

If you get up into the forward torpedo room, the tubes look a lot like this. But I would warn you that the areas forward of the conning tower are the hardest to penetrate and have most of the entanglement hazards. Don't go there unless you know what you are doing.

Anyone doing the U-853 for the first time would be wise to just poke their heads into some of the bomb holes. If you have to be inside of the boat, go to the after torpedo room and go forward into the eletric motor room and right out the bomb hole on your right. It is a direct line of sight run with little entanglement.

To get into the forward Torpedo room the best way is through the forward torpedo loading hatch. But this takes a bit of practice. Go to the aft loading hatch and practice getting in and out through it. As the upper deck of the aft torpedo room was blasted off, all you are doing is going through a ring and not really into an overhead environment.

I hope to dive the 853 this summer. any other advie you can offer is greatly appreciated.

Jim

 

[matt_unique]

I hope to dive the 853 this summer. any other advie you can offer is greatly appreciated.

Jim

I'm sure there is quite an archive on this very question, but hey, it's always fun to talk about the U853!

I think if you are comfortable diving the Chester Poling (stern) at night you are ready to dive the U853 during the day. It's the most advanced 125' dive site I have ever seen. The range of conditions available on this wreck is really something. I have personally seen 40' of vis, no current, and comfortable ambient light at depth. I have also seen 5' of vis, fast current that was difficult to swim against at depth, and extremely low ambient light. As a non-deco dive you can see half the wreck on one dive. Conning Tower to Stern and back or Conning Tower to Bow and back.

I would suggest a dive charter that runs out of Pt. Judith RI. Pt. Judith is the closest point of mainland to the U853. I don't know what charters operate from that location these days.

--Matt

 

[wreckedinri]

. . . but hey, it's always fun to talk about the U853!
--Matt

Yes it is!
FWIW, this Dude has some very nice shots in and around the 853.
http://www.deepscape.com/newengland/index.html

Dennis

 

[wreck.reel]

I'm sure there is quite an archive on this very question, but hey, it's always fun to talk about the U853!

I think if you are comfortable diving the Chester Poling (stern) at night you are ready to dive the U853 during the day. It's the most advanced 125' dive site I have ever seen. The range of conditions available on this wreck is really something. I have personally seen 40' of vis, no current, and comfortable ambient light at depth. I have also seen 5' of vis, fast current that was difficult to swim against at depth, and extremely low ambient light. As a non-deco dive you can see half the wreck on one dive. Conning Tower to Stern and back or Conning Tower to Bow and back.

I would suggest a dive charter that runs out of Pt. Judith RI. Pt. Judith is the closest point of mainland to the U853. I don't know what charters operate from that location these days.
--Matt

Matt i agree the 853 is fun to talk about but I dont agree that it is the most advanced dive for its depth. It is an advanced dive for shure and im very carefull with who i bring to the 853 on my boat. The area that the uboat is in doese have a small amount current. If you use a current chart of the area you can avode the days that have greatest current. Once a month there is a couple day period that current is stronger than normal but even then it is not a ripping current. The dive charters dont plan there dives around the current for this dive so sometimes you can hit it on a bad day.
The vis on the 853 is normaly pretty good but yes there are some bad days just like every other wreck. I use to dive the U-853 alot. I mostly dive wrecks that are much less known now but i still dive the 853 a hand full of times evey year.

 

[jdelprete]

Luckily my dive buddy has a boat so we need not take a charter, just need to find the time and the good weather

 

[jdelprete]

Here is a question for you all. Where can I find a nice marine map showing many of the current wrecks out off new england today? Do they have any such thing compiled/ worse comes to worse if I could find a decent map I could plot them all from loran numbers but wanted to see if anyone knew what was out there first.

 

[matt_unique]

Matt i agree the 853 is fun to talk about but I dont agree that it is the most advanced dive for its depth. It is an advanced dive for shure and im very carefull with who i bring to the 853 on my boat. The area that the uboat is in doese have a small amount current. If you use a current chart of the area you can avode the days that have greatest current. Once a month there is a couple day period that current is stronger than normal but even then it is not a ripping current. The dive charters dont plan there dives around the current for this dive so sometimes you can hit it on a bad day.
The vis on the 853 is normaly pretty good but yes there are some bad days just like every other wreck. I use to dive the U-853 alot. I mostly dive wrecks that are much less known now but i still dive the 853 a hand full of times evey year.

What other 125' wrecks in this area would you consider more advanced? I keep my boat in Salem less my once a month weekend at the Block. I have only been on the USS-Bass, U853, and Blackpoint in the BI Sound.

--Matt

 

[wreckedinri]

What other 125' wrecks in this area would you consider more advanced? . . . --Matt

In my experience both theTrojan and the Sea Connett (both at 100 fsw) can be scarier than the U-boat. But then again . . . I'm easily scared.

 

[Soggy]

But then again . . . I'm easily scared.

Easily scared? Surely, not this guy...

 

[Gilldiver]

I hope to dive the 853 this summer. any other advie you can offer is greatly appreciated.

Jim

Whenever diving any wreck it is always good to know the wreck before the dive. Some wrecks you can only get a photo off, but others like the U-853 there are a lot more resources. The best is the U-505 at the Museum of Science in Chicago. The 505 is of the same design as the 853 and any trip to her will open your eyes much better then I can to what is in the wreck. But look around and get some scetches of the layout of the boat.

Outside of the U-853

But from bow to stern on deck: The upper part of the bow has fallen off and now lies to the Port side. Be careful it as the sheet metal is thin and very sharp. Last year I saw parts of it flexing in the current. Looking around about 5’ off the sand you will see the forward torpedo tubes, 3 of the tube doors have been opened. If you look in the upper left hand tube, you will see the remains of one of the torpedoes. A little further back at sand level are the forward diving planes. Back up top and working back you will find the windless and forward torpedo loading hatch. This hatch is about 22” in diameter and is the largest hatch into the sub. As you head back, the upper portion of the pressure hull is all that remains as the decking has all corroded away. The next “hatch” that you will find is a rectangular hatch. This is the battery loading hatch and was never opened at sea. Smaller divers can get through it with some effort, but I would need to take my tanks off. About 10-15 aft of the battery hatch is the forward crew hatch into the crews quarters. A small diver can get through with tanks on, but it helps if you have someong to help, and you need to be "clean," no canister lights, stage bottles, reels etc. to clutter up your chest or sides.

Don’t be looking for a large deck gun like you see in all the movies. The Type IX had a 105 mm gun at the beginning of the war but all had them removed by the end of 1943. The largest gun the U-853 had at the time of sinking was a 37mm anti-aircraft gun.

As you head further back you will find the forward “bomb” hole. This is the area directly over the captain’s cabin, sound and radio rooms which are long gone. A quick drop into the hole and you will find the round hatch into the control room. This hatch is about 30” wide and easily penetrated – more on penetration later. Looking forward in the bomb hole you will see hull plating bent down to your right and if you look to the left you can see access into the forward crews quarters.

Just as you come out of the bomb hole look on the right side of the wreck and you will see a long “pipe.” This pipe is the snorkel in the retracted position. The air head is at the end away from the conning tower. No just aft of the bomb hole is the conning tower. On top you will see a bright silver pipe coming up, this is the remains of the attack periscope, the actual head was cut off back in the 60’s or 70’s. The next pipe back is the search periscope in its retracted position. All you see is the periscope head as the lens is long gone. In front of the periscopes is a small hatch into the conning tower. This hatch is the smallest hatch on the boat and few have gone through it.

Aft of the conning tower is the mount for the 37mm AA gun. Further aft is a hatch into the engine room. Next, aft on the right side of the wreck is a bomb hole into the electric motor room, you will need to drop over the side to find it. The hole is large enough to get through easily, but watch out for the sharp sides.

Heading further aft you will find the aft torpedo loading hatch and the remains of the after torpedo room. The top hull plating is blasted away and you can drop right down into it with plenty of room to look around. Looking forward is a round hatch into the Electric motor room. On most days looking through this hatch you will see the bomb hole and if you have to be “inside” the sub, this is the best straight through of about 15 feet, in the hatch and out the bomb hole. Looking aft you will see more hull plates blasted down and if you look behind them you will see the tops of two parallel horizontal tubes, these are the aft torpedo tubes. You can now exit straight up through the bomb hole or out the left hand side of the wreck at sand level and have a look at the remains of the propeller shafts and steering mechanisms and rudders/dive planes.

My next post will go through the sub compartment by compartment.