IMW 2011 in Laboe

This year's international museum ships weekend (IMW) stood under a special star. Our ship mate Bob N4XAT arrived from the USA expressly to take part in our meeting and for the opportunity to operate from the original radio room of the last remaining German VII C type submarine. Bob is a crew member of the American battleship USS "New Jersey" NB2JJ which organises the annual IME.

We became acquainted with each other on the English cruiser HMS "Belfast" GB2RN in London during her annual Easter activity weeks. Another reason for him to come here was a visit to friends/relatives in southern Germany and a visit to Bremerhaven if possible. Unexpec-tedly Bob arrived a week earlier but was lucky enough to obtain his room in the DMB-Scheer-haus yet before the IME.

We arranged to meet him on Saturday to explore some maritime places of interest on a sight-seeing tour.

Visit to the U-Boat memorial at Möltenort

Light ship "Lassoe Rende"
DFØLR and Dieter DL2LH with Bob N4XAT

Light ship "Lassoe Rende"
DFØLR mess

With next day’s trip to Bremerhaven in mind, Bob stayed overnight with Hans-Jürgen DK9OS in Oberndorf. By way of surprise we called upon Fred DL1NL, Chairman of the MF-Runde, who also lived there. Our "attack" was received well.

Visit to the Chairman of MF-Runde
Fred DL1NL, Bob N4XAT and Hans-Jürgen DK9OS

On Sunday, after the obligatory breakfast, we set out for Bremerhaven. First we visited the museum harbour near the German maritime museum (DSM).

Museum harbour
Tug boat MV "Seefalke" DKØSN in front of the DSM

We then went on to the "Marineschule", now called Naval Operation School (MOS). Bob had served there from 1955 till 1957 as a Naval soldier.

Naval Operation School (MOS)

After this excursion into Bob’s personal history, there was plenty of time for a further highlight. As I wanted to bring Bob back to Laboe, we drove via Hamburg for a short stay. We visited the port of Hamburg and, of course, the museum freighter MV "Cap San Diego" including her onboard club station DLØMFH. Bob got the chance to work on radio as well as to inspect the museum ship. Impressed and lucky we returned to Laboe.

Visiting Hamburg
MV "Cap San Diego" DLØMFH

Sunrise and U995

We already arrived for the event the forthcoming Wednesday. A visit to Kiel was on our program. We chosed the maritime way and took the ferry to cross the Kiel fjord for Kiel central station. After some kind of sightseeing we discovered a model building shop, where we bought models of the German battleship "Bismarck" and even the battleship USS "New Jersey". Assembling of the ship models should be done when time would be more quiet.

Impression of Kiel
Museum harbour + "Schwedenkai"

Impression of Kiel
Stena Line + 50 years Kiel-Oslo (Color Line)

Battleship "Bismarck" and USS "New Jersey" NJ2BB
Hans-Jürgen DK9OS and Bob N4XAT

A trip on the Kiel fjord

Inside the DMB-Scheerhaus
Nice meeting with our hosts

View from our room out to the Kiel fjord

Today, at Thursday, it was the arrival of our group. Harald DL5XI arrived in the morning. At noon we went to Kiel to pick up our English guests at the central station (Hbf).

Trip on the Kiel fjord
e.g. STS "Gorch Fock" at Tirpitz harbour

Picking up of our english guests at Kiel central station
Carol and Bill GØELZ just arrived

From Kiel to Laboe

A last view back

In the evening we could join our first beer and officially started this year's meeting in comfor-table atmosphere in the Scheerhaus.

Welcome to the DMB Scheerhaus

Surprizes in the evening

Today at Friday, it was the official set-up day.
In bright sunshine we all used to get more fun. Our first function test turned out successful and made us hope for fine contacts.

Bright shining as the sun: our construction team
Nice weather to see a new day

Construction of our antenna system
Safety first!

All finished now

Equipment to install inside

Flag parade and initial tests

U995 in red sunset
Nice weather for a new day.

Today, on Saturday, the first day of the IME, we started at 1000LT on the dot. Unfortunately our radio times were limited due to the opening hours of the museum from 1000 to 1800 LT.

Kiel fjord and the U995

Maritime picture

Around the U995

Numbers of visitors inside the U995

Stations in the U995

Evening atmosphere

Today, on Sunday, the second and last day of the activity, we were dressed in fine clothes ready for the official snapshots of the press. Today too, we should have many national and also international visitors here.

DLØDMB operators in front of U995
Hans-Jürgen DK9OS, Bill GØELZ, Bob N4XAT and Harald DL5XI

A short break
and back at work again.

Operators inside U995
Harald DL5XI and Hans-Jürgen DK9OS

Inside and in front of the radio room

Visitors
On the left: visitors from Sweden, participanting in the Nato exercises.