[PSUBS-MAILIST] Finding WW1 Sub UC-18

[James Frankland via Personal_Submersibles]

Hi All

I've not mentioned this before as this has been top secret for various
reasons, but i can now disclose it

My brother has been part of a search crew here that have found one of the
last remaining (I believe) undiscovered WW1 German Submarines.

They have made it into a film which will show on BBC later this year.

Website for the trailer is   * www.TheHuntForTheGermanSubmarine.com
<http://www.TheHuntForTheGermanSubmarine.com>*

I'll paste the text that is in todays local paper as they have officially
released the information at last.

I didn't have anything to do with the diving expeditions but did make
various parts for the camera sleds and things, plus assisted in machining
the plaque they laid on the wreck.
Regards
James
[image: image.png]
(Press Release) Divers discover missing German U-boat

Divers from Guernsey in the Channel Islands have discovered a missing
German U-Boat at a depth of over 70 meters.

The missing U-boat ‘UC-18' was lost in February 1917 after a famous battle
with a secret Royal Navy ‘Q’ Ship which was also sunk in the altercation.
It is the only known battle where a navy ship and a submarine sank each
other.

Historians had contested the accuracy of the battle or even if the Royal
Navy ship ‘The Lady Olive’ had actually sunk ‘UC-18’. The team of technical
divers and underwater filmmaker Karl Taylor were able to prove the validity
of the Lady Olive’s claims by examining the damage to the U-boat and
locating what they also believe to be the Lady Olive.

It took the team 4 years, including extensive research to finally find the
resting place of the submarine along with its 28 lost crew and confirm it
as UC-18. The entire four years of the project has also been filmed as part
of an upcoming documentary which is set for broadcast on the BBC later this
year.

Following the discovery, the German War Graves Commission were very
appreciative to receive the information and finally be able to determine
the resting place of the 28 missing submariners.

Fortunately for the Lady Olive all of her crew survived the encounter and
were rescued from their lifeboats by a French destroyer some 36 hours
later. It was a vital clue from this rescue that helped Karl Taylor narrow
down a new search area for the U-boat.

Karl said the project had been very demanding with deep dives in very low
light, making filming even more challenging. During their search across
thousands of square kilometres of ocean, two other wrecks were also
discovered and identified but they were not what the team were looking for.

In the third year of search, following extensive research and with leads
from fisherman it eventually lead to discovering the location of the
U-Boat, along with what they believe to be the Lady Olive relatively nearby.

The team conducted several research dives on the U-boat and worked closely
with U-Boat expert and marine archeologist Tomas Termote to identify the
submarine as ‘UC-18’. Incredibly she was found approximately 40 miles west
of her supposed position and remains in amazing condition.

Tomas Termote and the dive team have passed all of their findings and
photographic evidence over to the French Maritime Authorities and the
German Navy and as it is designated a war grave the French authorities have
now closed the location to divers.

Karl Taylor said he was elated with the project and being able to document
it, ‘the circumstances of the sinking’s had been an enduring mystery
finally solved' and he hoped that the film would help people realise the
sacrifices that all sides made during a very turbulent period of European
history.

___________________________

The documentary film: ‘The Hunt for Lady Olive and the German Submarine’
will be aired on the BBC in June this year.

Full details of the film, the crew and the trailer can be found at:
www.TheHuntForTheGermanSubmarine.com

For further information about this project please contact Karl Taylor at
info at karltaylor.com
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