On 5 May 1945, shortly before Germany's capitulation, the lastsubmarine of the U-boat fleet sailed off northwards from the Copenhagen port. Several hours after departure, U-534 led by Kapitänleutnant (Captain Lieutenant) Herbert Nollau came across a British air patrol specialized in fighting submarines. After Germany's defeat many ships headed to Norway where, the British feared, the Germans would regroup and continue to fight. That is why in early May 1945 they began a large-scale campaign against submarines. This confirms why the crew did not want to give up. Captain Nollau refused to surrender and decided to defend the boat and its cargo.
The crew did not give up despite the calls. Liberators made three approaches. The first one was shot down by boat's anti-aircraft gun. Only the third approach of another plane from the squadron and depth bombs proved fatal for the ship. The U-boat began to sink but 47 of 51 crew members survived. Three sailors died in the water and the rest of the crew, along with the command, were interned.
U-534's history overgrew with legends over the years. There have been speculations concerning its cargo and mission. Much was said about the alleged stocks of gold on board. The ship had been considered lost until 1986, when it was found. Nine years later, in 1993 it was lifted to the surface. The wreck remained in surprisingly good condition. Contrary to expectations, apart from personal belongings of crew members, nearly one hundred bottles of wine and a box of condoms, no gold was found. But it turned out that the cargo hold contained something really interesting.
The reason for the fierce resistance proved to be another treasure of the Third Reich - a load of T11 experimental torpedoes; only 38 of these were ever produced. Their most important feature was insensitivity to Foxer acoustic decoys. They were devices towed behind Allied ships. Old type torpedoes would get a fix on the decoys instead of the ship, which would often save the U-boat's target.
Risking one's own life and the lives of the crew members, especially 5 May 1945, gives rise to two hypotheses. The first is the question whether Kapitänleutnant Herbert Nollau was so ardent a Nazi that he did not accept the possibility of surrender. Rather, it must be assumed that he was a reasonable man, after all, not everyone becomes a Captain of the Kriegsmarine. The load of T11 torpedoes and the desperate attempt to defend it do not characterize a man who knows he lost the war. They rather show that he was convinced that the end of the war had not yet come and the weapons he carried would still be needed.
The second hypothesis is the desire to sell the torpedoes and setting up in Argentina for the rest of his life. If so, however, would he risk the lives of the whole crew? There are many doubts as to what motivated the Captain to fight. Perhaps it was a sense of duty; he was given orders that had to be carried out although the war was lost. Perhaps, however, the destination was not Argentina, but a secret German base in Antarctica? The possibility of leading a life in the land of Shangri-la and the participation in developing the race of supermen was very tempting for ideological Nazis. For Captain Herbert Nollau the moment when his ship was destroyed was a huge failure that tormented him until his suicide in 1968. It is possible that throughout the whole period from the end of the war he was harassed with secret services wanting to discover the real aim of his expedition. Or maybe he knew that he had forever lost his place in the Great New World?
However, fate made history take a different course. Now, the restored U-543 can be seen in the Woodside Ferry Terminal in Birkenhead, near Liverpool, for 5 ₤ from Monday to Sunday.
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