The base and harbour

Returning from a hard patrol the u-boater wants a drink at first of course, but after that, his thoughts are turning back to his ship. The bases are in reach
of the U-boat's dangeroust enemy: The british air-command.
Therefore preparations had to be done to secure the boats. By invading France all possible places for u-boat bases were non-militarical harbours and
protective measures had to be installed.
The first one was to concentrate heavy anti-aircraft units for defensive and to place fighter squadrons in the near of the harbours. But it came out very
fast, that this was not enough to protect the u-boats.
Therfore the building of the u-boat bunker in Brest began in January 1941 and the first u-boat could use the first ready pen in September 1941.


Te bunkers are built in day and night shifts.
Organisation Todt and reruted french workers are working with german precision and french
temperament together, to get the pens operational as soon as possible.




A snapshot from the top of the bunker down to the bassements for a further pen.            
The bunker should not only give protection for the boats. Also workshops, depots and
other supply facilities find here a shelter to continue work even under the hardest
bombardements.



The first pen is ready!
U-217 under the command of Kptnltn. Timmermann is docking
in.



Following the next pictures we see the several stations of an u-boat base in getting a damaged u-boat operational.






Uh, oh, this boat of the 9th. flotilla had an unfriendly encounter with a sinking merchant ship during
a periscope attack.
Only some centimeters more and that boat would stay submerged for ever somewhere out in the
the atlantic.
The damages of the outer hull and the tower luck very impressive, but the inner hull did not take
too much damage.






With only a few pens operational, the u-boat is taken in an open dry-dock to get the hull and the tower    
repaired.




   


Finally, a dry-dock in the bunker is free to get the the remaining problems fixed.                            



All repairs are finished and the boat is in a watered pen waiting for a new
patrol.
From the crew one third is on holiday in the fatherland.
The two others are changing with guard and service duties and pleasure time
in one of our U-Bootsweiden.

The commander received new patrol orders. The boat is taken  
outside to resupply with torpedos and all other needed stuff.

Normally these operations could also be performed in the
bunker, but still only some pens are operational and other
u-boats are waiting for docking in.




The U-boat is nearly ready for patrol. The last things to be cleared can
be done with the u-boat at the pier.
Hopefully this boat will have the same luck as on it's last patrol!

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