Flushing A U-Boat to the Seafloor
When German engineering attempted to solve the underwater toilet problem aboard its U-boat fleet.
Few things struck fear in sailors like a German U-boat. The naval pride of German engineers, there was a time these submarines ruled the Atlantic. They sunk over 14.1 million tons of gross registered tonnage in World War II.
Germany would build 1,162 U-boats in World War II. They could be found from the Gulf of Mexico to the North Sea. One U-boat patrolling the North Sea was U-1206.
Advancing U-boat Technology
U-1206 was one of Germany's advanced submarines. It boasted the latest and greatest submarine technology. In addition to technological superiority, U-1206 also offered its crew the finest in on-board living and conveniences. It would be the convenience of an onboard toilet that would be this deadly submarine’s demise.
Submarines often opted to store their sewage in on-board septic tanks. But septic tanks had drawbacks. They took up too much space and added very costly weight to the submarine.
For German engineers, the traditional on-board septic tank was no longer satisfactory. They began working on solutions to manage waste and free up space.
Before long, they had developed a system that achieved both. Once occupied space within the submarine was now available. And as for the submariner's waste - they could now flush it into the sea.
An Imperfect Solution
The luxurious accommodation was not without its quirks. For one, the system only worked when the sub was on or near the surface. For a submarine at war, this was less than ideal. When U-boats were on the hunt, it was common for them to be submerged for extended periods of time.
A second quirk was the toilet’s complexity. Relying on a series of chambers and a pressurized airlock to eject the waste - similar to how torpedoes launched - the toilet was not simple. It also lacked a convenient lever like our toilets of today.
The function may have been there, but the user experience was far from simple. To use the toilet required special training. One misstep in the process and the hull could be flooded.
U-1206’s Short Tour
Having completed its training in late March of 1945, U-1206 departed from Horton Naval Base to begin its first active patrol. Though World War II was drawing to an end, they hunted along the Aberdeenshire coast.
While on patrol, something went wrong with their new deep water toilet. A German submariner failed to correctly operate the flush mechanism. A flood of seawater and human waste began flooding the captian. Captain Karl-Adolf Schlitt ordered the sub to the surface.
It is believed the flooding water reached the sub’s battery compartment. This triggered a chemical reaction. Soon the cabin was full of chlorine gas. Desperate to shed weight, U-1206 began blowing her ballast tanks. As the crew fought to gain buoyancy, they even discarded all torpedoes on board.
A Sitting Duck
Their efforts were successful. U-1206 erupting through the ocean surface. As it did so, the German submarine lost its cover. Nearby planes in the Royal Air Force spotted U-1206 on the surface. Coming about, they opened fire on the vulnerable U-boat.
Caught between a rock and a hard place, Captain Schlitt issued his orders. The men scuttled the submarine and loaded into life rafts. In the process, four submariners would drown.
The remaining 36 became British prisoners of war. While in custody, Captain Schlitt would provide an interesting statement. In it he noted that noted U-1206 had an irreparable leak that caused the cabin to fill with chlorine gas.
Rediscovering Her Resting Place
Twelve miles off Cruden Bay, the sunken submarine was discovered by divers in 2012. U-1206 was in relatively good condition depsite its resting place of over sixty years on the seabed.
As for Captain Schlitt, he would survive the war. He would die in 2009, just three years before the divers would examine the wreck of U-1206.
History for the Hurried:
August 15, 1969: Woodstock began in a field near Yasgur's Farm at Bethel, New York.
August 17, 1943: During World War II, the Allies completed the conquest of the island of Sicily after just 38 days.
August 18, 1920: The 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution was ratified, granting women the right to vote.