GB2RN

RNARS London (HMS "Belfast") Group
(Affiliated)

Port Birthday Hamburg 2007

Thursday 10^th till Wednesday, 16^th May 2007

The RNARS London HMS "Belfast" Group met in Hamburg for the world's biggest regular port festival, the 818^th Birthday of the Port of Hamburg.

5^th day: Monday 14 May 2007

Laboe Naval Memorial, DMB, U-Boat Memorial, "Strandhaus"

This Monday we started for a day’s trip to Laboe and Möltenort by our own cars.

The Naval Memorial

Visible from afar, the silhouette of this tower at 85 m height above the Baltic Sea level is a landmark of the Kiel Fjord. Its observation deck allows a breathtaking view over land and sea.
Originally dedicated to the memory of the seamen of the Imperial Navy who lost their lives in World War I, the monument was taken over by the Deutsche Marinebund (DMB) in 1954 and rededicated to commemorate the sailors of all nationalities who died at sea. Also it was made a memorial for peaceful sailing across free oceans.
Apart from the prominent tower, this monument consists of an underground Hall of Remem-brance, the museum hall with many ship models and other maritime and historical marine exhibits and a large open area, covering an area of eight football fields in total. The "U-995" is the world’s only remaining type VII C submarine, commissioned in 1943 by Blohm & Voss.

Laboe Naval Memorial and "U-995"

Group in front of "U-995"

Groups in front of the Naval Memorial

Inside the Naval Memorial

Group inside the Memorial

In the Hall of Remembrance

Laying a wreath in the Hall of Remembrance

View from the observation deck on top of the Naval Memorial

Inside the top of the Memorial

In the "DMB Scheerhaus"

Present for DMB vice president Peter Mattsson

DMB window in the "Scheerhaus"

Continuing our journey to the U-Boat Memorial at Möltenort.

U-Boat Memorial

The U-Boat Memorial is located at Heikendorf on the Möltenort shore of the Kiel Bay, dedicated to the memory of all U-boat men of German Navies who lost their lives at sea. More than 35,000 names of the fallen German U-boat men of both World Wars are scratched on bronze plates. This memorial also serves to commemorate those submariners who lost their lives in times of peace. Besides, it is a memorial for all victims of the U-boat war. The memorial is a place of silence, of remembrance and memory as well as a reminder about war and violence.