Here is my second post on diving the U-853.
First I made a few corrections to the original post, one is a typo about the aft torpedo room and the other was to add in the crews hatch into the crew quarters forward of the control room.
U-853 a Type IX German U-boat by compartment
From the front to the back. Any descriptions as to left or right will be in relation to the diver, not the actual right (starboard) or left (port) side of the sub. The directions will be for a diver moving from forward to the stern unless otherwise noted.
Compartments
Forward Torpedo Room
Crews Quarters, Captains Cabin, Radio & Sound Rooms
Control Room
Conning Tower (above the control room)
Diesel Engine Room
Electric Motor Room
After Torpedo Room
First, all the rooms are tight and it is almost imposable not to stir up the bottom. The good news is that a lot of the sand and silt is really sand and shell and doesnt come up without a bit of effort. But it will cloud out and there is always the possibility that another diver has been in the room to mess things up for you. I highly recommend that no one new to the wreck penetrate the sub without a buddy who knows it and has many dives on it.
Next there are human remains in the forward torpedo room, crews quarters, and control room that may be on the surface and easily seen. Proper respect for these remains should be shown at all times. In other words, leave them alone.
Forward Torpedo Room
There are only two ways in to this room. The first and best is through the torpedo loading hatch. I am 63 and with twin 100s and a dry suit I can get through the hatch. But you need to clean up remove any reels, stage bottles, etc and hold them in front of you. A small canister light on your belt strap should be OK but you may need to guide it a bit.. Once through, clip everything back on. You should be on some firm sand and shell facing forward and may see the round disk of the hatch to the after compartments right next to you. If you see a round hatch combing right in front of you on a bulkhead, you are facing aft, turn around. A bit forward and to your left is the remains of a torpedo, (please dont play with it, I may be in the water if it goes off). On the overhead in front of you, you will see two I-beams, these were for supporting the torpedoes as they were loaded into the tubes. They are your guides in any silt out. If you are silted out, stop, feel upward and find these I-beams, they are the highway out. At one end are the torpedo tubes at the other end are the hatches, if you hit the tubes, turn around and follow them back to the hatches.
As you move forward the sand and shell change to light silt, so be careful and maintain your buoyancy and keep the dangles out of the silt. At the torpedo tubes you will find that the two lower tubes are covered over with sand/silt, but the two upper ones are visible. The right hand side tube has had its door opened; the left hand tube is still closed (and loaded). By now rust and silt that have been stirred up will start clouding around you, it is time to move back aft. Remember to use the I-beams if there is a lot of silt and if you ran a line, keep it tight and reel it back up so it doesnt become an entanglement for the next guy.
Back at the hatches you can exit out the torpedo loading hatch or go through the round bulkhead hatch into the crews quarters. To get out the loading hatch gather all your stuff into your hands and keep it all in front of you and launch up into the opening and onto the deck.
Crews Quarters
If you go through the round hatch into crews quarters the entries and exit are the hatch from the forward torpedo room, the square battery loading hatch, a round crew accesses hatch, and the forward bomb hole. I have never used the square or round hatches as the bomb hole is just so much easier.
As you enter the crews quarters from the torpedo room you will be in an area with a lot of silt that can be stirred up easily. There will also be the largest number of human remains which will be long arm and leg bones and a few skulls etc. This area can get spooky especially if you are a bit narced, be ready for it. As you head aft try to keep over to your right to get by some vertical supports from the old bulkheads which have rusted away About this time you will be under the square hatch and should be able to see the green glow of the light outside. A littler further aft you will be at the first bulkhead, look to your left and you should a cubby that is the ships kitchen. If you look closely you will see the electrical elements of the cook top. Go through the remains of the bulkhead hatch, which is rectangular and not round, and you will be in officers country. This is where the executive officer and senior petty officers were. In this area you will be under the round hatch and should see the green glow of it if you look up. Keep to the right side as you move forward so that you can get around the hull plating that is blown down from when she was sunk. As soon as you are past the plating you will have an unobstructed exit out of the sub through the bomb hole. The area where the bomb hole is was the captain quarters (right side), radio and sound rooms (left side) were. In the bomb hole looking aft you will see the round hatch into the control room.
The next posts will be on the control room and conning tower. My 3rd post will be on the diesel engine, electric motor, and after torpedo rooms.