U-boat to resurface as attraction

The World War II German U-boat was formerly a star attraction at the Historic Warships Museum at Seacombe docks near Birkenhead.

Merseytravel, the local transport consortium, has bought the U-534 sub and it will sit at the Woodside Ferry Terminal as a tourist attraction.

The museum was closed down after nearby warehouses were redeveloped and the land was needed for parking space.

Plans submitted to Wirral Council include the provision of a visitor exhibition centre, which will include artefacts from the submarine along with its history.

Neil Scales, chief executive of Merseytravel, said: "We'll make a trip on the Mersey Ferries an even more memorable experience for the ever-increasing number of visitors to Merseyside.

"Our scheme will also complement the wider regeneration of the Woodside development."

Forty-nine survivors

The boat will be cut into three sections so a floating crane can take it to its new site across the water.

The submarine was sunk during the war when, on her way to Norway, she was attacked by an RAF Liberator aircraft in 1945.

The vessel took heavy damage and began to sink by the stern.

Forty-nine of the 52 crew members survived, including five who escaped via a torpedo hatch as the submarine lay on the sea bed.

At Woodside huge glass panels installed over the end of each section will allow visitors to see inside the submarine from specially-built viewing platforms.

It is thought work will start to move the vessel in September.

RELATED INTERNET LINKS
Historic Warships at Birkenhead
Merseytravel
Woodside Ferry
Wirral Metropolitan Borough Council
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