Summary of Unterwegs im U-Boot: Auf Transitfahrt mit U 31 | die nordstory | NDR Doku

00:00:00 - 00:55:00

The video follows Captain Lars Gössing and his crew on a transit voyage from Eckernförde, Germany, to the English coast. The vessel is accompanied by a support vessel, Delta. The goal of the voyage is to participate in a marine exercise off Plymouth, but bad weather is expected in the near future. The crew is preparing for the voyage by practicing diving and flooding the deck.

• 00:00:00 The video follows Captain Lars Gössing and his crew on a transit voyage from Eckernförde, Germany, to the English coast. The vessel is accompanied by a support vessel, Delta. The goal of the voyage is to participate in a marine exercise off Plymouth, but bad weather is expected in the near future. The crew is preparing for the voyage by practicing diving and flooding the deck.
• 00:05:00 The video follows Kapitän Gössing on a short patrol in an U-boat. For this trip, Captain Gössing needs the approval of the Marine Command. * Eight meters. * Yes. * Twelve meters. * Yes. * Twenty meters down, in Eckernförder Bay, is the port town of Emden. * Below the hull, four meters to the bottom. * The boat is ready to surface. * Five millibars of pressure below the surface. * The pressure is balanced. * 13 meters ascent. * Yes. * The boat rises. * One, two, three, four the pumps are activated. 35 bars of pressure flow into the diving tanks, to raise the boat to the surface. * 1500 tons are lifted. * Second day at sea. * Early morning in Denmark. * Now the family contact is no longer possible. * No phone service, no Internet. * A U-boat can be controlled from two locations. * Below the bridge, or from outside the bridge, on the deck. * This is a good feeling, being at sea again, after being away for a while. * U-boat operation is not a one-man show. * It is done as a team
• 00:10:00 The video introduces the crew of U 31, which is currently on transit in the Kattegat waters between Denmark and Sweden. The video then focuses on the crew's training, which includes simulations of nerve-related emergencies. One such emergency is a simulated water-line breach, which results in the crew being divided into teams to try and fix the problem. One team member, Bleu, suffers a stress-related nerve-related emergency, and is sedated and then calmed.
• 00:15:00 The video follows a crew of sailors aboard a U-boat as they make their way through treacherous waters during a transit voyage. The crew is tasked with navigating the boat to its final destination in two minutes, but a sudden water surge renders the boat un-manageable and forces the crew to abandon ship in just moments. The journey is made even more challenging by the choppy seas. The sailors must constantly adapt to changing conditions in order to prevent overstaying their welcome. At the end of the day, the crew is content knowing they are able to do their job safely and efficiently under difficult conditions.
• 00:20:00 This video follows a journey by U 31, a German submarine, from Eckernförde, in the north of Germany, to Kristiansand, in the south, during the severe winter season. The most important task on board the submarine is the navigation, and the crew's training and preparations are essential for success. The submarine travels through the Danish islands, through the Norwegian fjords, past Kristiansand and on to Plymouth in England. The total distance traveled is 1,000 kilometers, and the journey will take around three hours. The boat experiences strong seas and winds, which can make it difficult for the crew to stay afloat. Despite the hardships, the crew enjoys the sport and relaxation opportunities that the submarine provides.
• 00:25:00 The video follows Motormaat Hansi Zörner as he takes his turn cleaning the "Bongo" (nautical slang for the toilet) on board U 31. The routine is repeated throughout the ship, with everyone taking their turn, and it is a daily occurrence that makes everyone feel at ease. Motormaat Finn Kollmann, one of the youngest members of the crew, shares that everyone does their part to keep the boat clean, and that it's also a lot of fun. When Hansi brings him new towels, Marco asks him about the weather outside. Hansi tells him that they're already seeing waves up to three and a half meters high, and that the wind is expected to pick up even more. The sixth day at sea, the captain decides that it's too dangerous for the crew on the bridge, and orders the Turmluk (tower) closed. As a result, the crew must take refuge below decks. Without the bridge to monitor them, the first watch officer, Christoph Ploß, takes over the watch on the Sehrohr (searoom telescope). The weather does not improve, and the captain decides to wake everyone up and go ashore for fresh air. As the youngest officer
• 00:30:00 The ship is passing through rough seas and has not had a watchman on duty for 24 hours. With the waves at five meters high, the crew can't sleep. Even if U 31 had permission to dive: at 50 meters depth she would need at least 500 meters of water, which is not available on the entire route. The entire trip from U 31 has the North Sea only having 40 meters of depth. The captain has received the latest weather report. In the area where a hurricane warning has been issued, they are currently in. The wind speeds are 120 km/h, which is expected. Or even higher. The bridge is cleared. Turmluk is reached. There is not much more they can do. At exactly the moment when the engine problems arise, the ship is hit by a storm. Steuermann Sebastian Junior has received the latest weather report. In the area where the hurricane warning has been issued, they are now entering. The wind speeds are 120 km/h, which is expected. Or even higher. The engine problems have necessitated a reduction in speed, so that they don't use too much fuel. The engine problem will be investigated. If the diesel engine fails, they have
• 00:35:00 The submarine U-Thirtyone is on transit, and its diesel engine is not functioning. The crew repairs the engine, and are content with the result. If they had had spare parts to fix the engine themselves, they would have had to go right past the engine. The filter was the only part of the submarine that needed to be fixed. The two-hour repair took time. The captain has a meeting with the Royal Navy scheduled for later that day and is worried about being late. The weather is worsening, and the captain warns the other submarines in the area to keep a distance. One of the other submarines (U-boat U-103) has a broken signal mast and is unable to dive. The U-103 crew is not afraid, and is confident that they will be able to fix the mast. The captain of U-Thirtyone has another concern: the submarine's Tiefkühllast has broken. This refrigeration unit stores food and is vital for keeping the food cold. Without it, the food will spoil. The crew is working to fix the Tiefkühllast, but it is taking longer than they expected. The captain decides that today is the day that the weather will get worse, so the crew will
• 00:40:00 In this video, the captain of a U-boat explains the challenges they are facing as they navigate through rough seas during a transit. The conditions are deteriorating rapidly, and the captain is careful to keep his crew safe. Despite the conditions, the crew is keeping spirits high and seems to be coping well.
• 00:45:00 The crew of a small boat are struggling to navigate through a powerful storm while carrying out training exercises. The storm has caused the boat to lose its mast, and the waves are crashing against it constantly. The boat's speed is being reduced due to the wind and waves, and the crew must make adjustments to stay safe.
• 00:50:00 The narrator is reporting on their voyage on the U-boat U 31, which was assigned to the English. The three days that were initially planned have been extended due to the bad weather. Captain Gössing is awake and feeling good, despite the weather conditions. They are proceeding with caution because the other German ships are taking the situation seriously. After four days at sea, they reach the English coast. There are still four wind speeds from the south and four meters of waves. The captain is optimistic that they will be able to dock again today. The weather has improved, and there is no longer a life-threatening situation. They will switch to surface mode today. However, the bridge has been damaged and needs to be fixed, so the crew will be on watch. The bridge watch reports that the tower has been damaged and they are not allowed to say how much damage it is. The secret of the damage is still a secret. The mast is made of metal and has been bent, but the damage is still a secret. The damage height is also a secret. The narrator suggests that they move the equipment to the aft deck, but the captain decides to leave it where it is. The equipment will be fixed. The narrator suggests that Lars go up to the
• 00:55:00 The crew of U 31 discusses the challenges of transit sailing and the relief of finally reaching their destination. They are excited to be back on solid ground and sleep in their own beds.