In Case You're Wondering About the Submarine at the Top of This Blog

From Wikipedia.

This is the German submarine SM U-118, one of 329 submarines Germany had during World War I.

It was commissioned in May 1918.  During the war, it sank two Allied ships.  With the surrender of the German Imperial Navy later that year, the SM U-118 was transferred to Fraallience and was to be broken up.  As it was being towed through the English Channel to Scapa Flow a storm was encountered and the towing hawser broke and the ship ran aground at Hastings in Sussex, England.

Attempts to get her off or destroy her failed.  The ship then became a popular tourist attraction.  definitely something you don't see that often on a beach.  Tours were made of the interior.

It was broken up between October and December 1919.  Part of the keel may still be buried in the beach.

Anyone Have a Shovel?  --Cooter

U.S. Battleship Division Nine in World War II

From Wikipedia.

This division consisted of four (later five) dreadnaught battleships from the U.S. Navy's Atlantic Fleet which were sent over to help the British Grand Fleet.

These ships arrived December 6, 1917, as mentioned in the World War Timeline on Monday.

The first four were the USS New York, Wyoming, Florida and Delaware.  All were capable of doing 21 knots and mounted ten to twelve 12-inch to 14-inch cannons in their main armament.  They were accompanied by the destroyer USS Manley on their way over.

While in Britain, the division was deployed mostly in convoy duty and maintained the blockade, keeping the German High Seas Fleet in port.

--Cooter