A NEW BIBER WRECK FOUND IN WAAL HOLLAND

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New Biber found in Waal Holland.

http://provincie-gelderland.citysite.nl ... +Waal.html

This URL has a video news broadcast of the digging up of it. Click onto the speaker to get sound.... mostly digging and light hammering sounds.



Original article in Dutch.

Gendt: Duitse miniduikboot in Waal
GENDT - In de Waal bij Gendt is vrijdagmiddag een Duitse Biber miniduikboot uit de Tweede Wereldoorlog gevonden.

De duikboot is waarschijnlijk gebruikt bij een mislukte poging om de Nijmeegse verkeers- en spoorbrug te vernietigen na de verovering van de oeververbindingen op 20 september 1944 door de geallieerden.

De Duitsers ondernamen daarna diverse pogingen met vliegtuigen, duikboten en kikvorsmannen. Op 29 september 1944 bliezen Duitse kikvorsmannen een deel van de spoorbrug op. Rijkwaterstaat zal de boot aan een museum schenken.


De Nijmeegse spoorbrug nadat Duitse kikvorsmannen de middelste boog hadden opgeblazen.
In januari 1945 ondernamen de Duitsers vanuit Emmerich diverse aanvallen op de bruggen met zogeheten Biber mini-duikboten van het Kleinkampf Verband van de Kriegsmarine. Een Marineonderdeel dat in de nadagen van de oorlog door de Duitsers in het leven was geroepen om met diverse modellen dwergduikboten aanvallen uit te voeren op geallieerde havens.

Bij de aanvallen op de Nijmeegse bruggen kwamen de torpedo's niet verder dan de anti-topedo netten die de geallieerden in de rivier hadden opgehangen. Een aantal boten raakte verstrikt in deze netten. De nu gevonden boot is waarschijnlijk verloren gegaan bij een van die aanvallen.



Een Duitse eenpersoons Biber-duikboot
vrijdag 25 september 2009 | 15:29 | Laatst bijgewerkt op: vrijdag 25 september 2009 | 18:27


"MACHINE TRANSLATION" FROM FREETRANSLATION.COM

This translation is ideal for "gisting" purposes, providing a basic understanding of the original text.

Gendt: German mini submarine in Walloon Gendt: German mini submarine in Walloon GENDT - In the Walloon with Gendt is friday noon a German Biber mini submarine found from the Second world War.

The submarines is probable uses to destroy by a failed attempt round the Nijmeegse traffics and track bridge after the conquest of the bank connections on 20 September 1944 through the geallieerden.

The Germans made after that various attempts with airplanes, submarines and kikvorsmannen. On 29 September 1944, German kikvorsmannen blew up a part of the track bridge. Realm public works will serve the boat at a museum.

The Nijmeegse track bridge after German kikvorsmannen the middel arc had blown up. In January 1945 undertaken the Germans from Emmerich various attacks on the bridges with so-called Biber mini-submarines of the Kleinkampf Connection of the Kriegsmarine. A Marineonderdeel that in the nadagen of the war through the Germans in the life had been called with various models dwarf submarines attack from to lead on geallieerde harbors.

At the attacks on the Nijmeegse bridges, the torpedoes came not further then the anti-topedo nets that the geallieerden in the river hung had. A number bluntly hit entangles in these nets. The now found boat is probable lost gone by a by that attacks.

A German eenpersoons Biber-submarine Friday 25 September 2009 | 15:29 | Recently improved on: Friday 25 September 2009 | 18:27

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Re: A NEW BIBER WRECK FOUND IN WAAL HOLLAND

FYI THIS IS THE STORY BEHIND WHAT THIS BIBER WAS INVOLVED WITH ON THE WAAL RIVER.

My punch line for this whole story is that "It wasn't like the Germans weren't trying hard."

The Germans made a submarine attack about 80 miles inland.
Waal, Holland is downstream of Nijmegen and the "bridge to far."

K-VERBANDE ATTACKS ALLIED ARMIES 80 MILES INLAND!

INTRODUCTION

The German forces had taken Nijmegen, Netherlands. Then, several years later, during the later part of "Operation Market Garden the Allies successfully took back and maintained control of the bridges in this area. These events were the subject of the movie "A Bridge Too Far." The German military then desperately tried to destroy these bridges. Under those most difficult circumstances they tried or used everything available to them at that time, and this included the use of K-Verbande (Small Battle Units including German frogmen, midget subs and one-man torpedoes). The phrase "It wasn’t like they weren’t trying." comes to mind.

RULE OF THUMB. The best information is that which comes closest to the original observations. The worst information is that which comes fourth or fifth hand or more – no matter how reputable the original source. Here are two reports detailing this incident. The first is based upon Canadian Military observations at that time. The second is ultimately based upon C.D. Becker’s detailed interviews of Biber crewmen who were there.

THE CANADIAN MILITARY’S REPORT OF THE K-VERBANDE’S ATTEMPTS TO DESTROY THE NIJMEGEN BRIDGES.

Page 108. Para. 149. One of the more exciting incidents in this locality [the Nijmegen area] took place on 13 Jan when the midget submarines observed by 3 Cdn Inf Div., were reported to be traveling downstream towards the 49 Div sector. These were eventually clearly seen and engaged by direct 40-mm fire as well as by ground artillery, with the result that one at least was destroyed. The underwater explosions, which followed for some time, however, lent truth to the belief that the enemy was attempting to destroy whatever bridges or booms had over the Waal River.

Page 110. Para 151. The element of the fantastic came to life later that day, when at about 1200 hrs (13 Jan) 9 Cdn Inf Bde reported a peculiar craft moving upstream on the Waal River. It was clear that this was an under-water effort by the Germans to destroy the Nijmegen bridge. Our fire caused the first craft to beach, whereupon the crew emerged, only to be engaged by small arms fire. A few minutes later a second object blew up in the water. An hour later two more submarines were reported to be going downstream and two torpedo-like smaller craft were seen, one of which beached itself, while the other became entangled in the naval boom. The latter blew up and caused some damage. Several other explosions followed and eventually a gap was blown in the boom to a width of 150 feet. During the late afternoon, however, bomb disposal squads and Naval specialists repaired much of the damage to the boom. The bridge itself remained untouched.

Page 115. Para. 157 .................. There was another reason for playing for time. Time was necessary for the development of production in the dispersed industries remaining in operation, and in the underground factories which were being speedily constructed. New Weapons were on the way]http://www.forces.gc.ca/dhh/downloads/cmhq/cmhq173.pdf[/url]



INTERVIEWS OF BIBER CREWMEN DETAILING THE USE OF EXPLOSIVES AND THEIR ATTACKS.

A spectacular attempt was made in November 1944 to attack the road bridge at Nijmegen. Both the road and rail bridges at this important crossing of the Waal River had been captured intact by the American forces who were guarding them so well that the Luftwaffe were unable to demolish them. However, frogmen had succeeded in blowing up the rail-bridge but could not get to the road bridge. The only approach from German lines was from the up-stream side and here the Allies had doubled security and placed four sets of anti-submarine nets. The only feasible method of attack involved blowing up these nets first and to do this 240 aerial land-mines were converted so that they would just float in the river. These were lowered into the river in batches of sixty at half-hour intervals and allowed to float downstream. Time fuses had been set to allow a few minutes more than the calculated time to reach each set of nets and, in addition, a number of Bibers were employed to fire their torpedoes at the nets. Since the Americans guarding the bridges had orders to fire at anything in the river, the periscopes of the Bibers were disguised with grass and weeds to look like clumps of vegetation floating naturally down river. The attacks on the nets were partially successful and were followed by another task force of Bibers this time towing large tree trunks. Three ton explosive charges were slung under the tree trunks set to be detonated by photo-electric cells which would operate once the shadow of the bridge fell on them. The tree trunks were towed by the Bibers to within 1,000 metres of the bridge and then left to drift.

Waiting with bated breath, the German observers listened to the sounds of gunfire and explosions close to the bridge but nothing happened to bring it down into the river. Aerial photography next morning revealed that three of the four sets of nets had been breached but that the fourth had held and effectively contained all the mines and charges.

SOURCE DOCUMENT FOR IMMEDIATELY ABOVE INFORMATION AND ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

The South African Military History Society. Military History Journal – Vol. 8 No 2.

A History of the Use and Development of Midget Submarines and ‘Chariots’

By J.H.A. Speir

INTERNET URL]http://rapidttp.com/milhist/vol082js.html[/url]

Speir’s source for this very detailed Biber information was given as

C D Bekker, Swastika at Sea, (London, Wm. Kimber, 1953?) pp. 136-141.

[Incidentally, some of this information may also be in C.D.Bekker’s book K-Men.]