# The U-boat lost to a malfunctioning toilet



## parsifal (Aug 18, 2012)

14 Apr 1945. 

An embarrassing malfunction.......these things happen sometimes

Sunk by a toilet?

"In many sources it is stated that U-120 was "sunk by a toilet" (probably a very bad way to go! . However, the story should rightly be attributed to U-1206, one of the late model boats fitted with a new high-pressure toilet allowing the toilet to be used at greater depths than before (though in reality the culprit was not actually the toilet itself).

On 14 April 1945, the boat was quietly cruising at a depth of 200 feet only 8-10 miles off the British coast, when the commander, Kptlt. Schlitt, decided to use the toilet without consulting a rating trained in its operation (the procedure was complicated). Something went wrong, and when the specialist arrived he misunderstood the situation and opened the wrong valve, which resulted in large quantities of seawater entered the boat. The water reached the batteries directly under the toilet, causing the production of chlorine gas, and the boat was forced to surface immediately; unfortunately right underneath an enemy aircraft. The crew managed to blow clean air into the boat, but were at the same time bombed by the aircraft, causing extensive damage which left U-1206 unable to dive. Considering the hopeless situation, Schlitt had no choice but to destroy the secret material and order abandon ship to save his crew. (Brennecke, J. (2001)."


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## mikewint (Aug 18, 2012)

Never thought much about toilets on a sub. I just assumed they used holding tanks which were emptied on surfacing. Seems much easier and safer


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## DerAdlerIstGelandet (Aug 18, 2012)

Thats a "shitty" way to be sunk...


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## Capt. Vick (Aug 19, 2012)

HAHAHAHAHA


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## parsifal (Aug 19, 2012)

Ill bet the farm theres a procedures manual on this somewhere.....


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## Shortround6 (Aug 19, 2012)

There is a story about the medical officer on the Ironclad "Monitor" of the Civil war blowing himself off the toilet by operating the valves in the wrong order. Said toilet being well below the water line.


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## Njaco (Aug 19, 2012)

Its not only toilets that bring demise to weapons of war....

8 October 1940
"During this period of the battle, Luftwaffe fighter pilots were issued with a new type of dingy. The previous type, a two-man dingy, was found to be too bulky and altogether unsatisfactory, particularily for use in the already small cockpit of the Bf 109. The new dingy was more compact and was worn on the pilot's back over the inflatable life jacket. On 8 October Lt. Heinz Escherhaus of 1./JG 77, took off in his "Yellow 10" on a freie Jagd patrol and was flying at 25,000 feet when he was suddenly attacked in the rear by his own rubber dingy. Contrary to instructions, Lt. Escherhaus' batman had connected the gas flask to the dingy and it had accidently inflated. The pilot was pushed forward onto the control column and, in an effort to get things right within the rapidly diminishing confines of his cockpit, he lost control and went into a very steep spiral dive. Now, owing to his uncomfortable position, Escherhaus was unable to alter the propellor setting and the aircraft over-revved. The boost blow-out valve went off and then, when the pilot was eventually able to regain control, he found that the engine would not respond to the throttle. Finally on pulling out, the engine stalled and he had to make a forced landing, coming down at Eastry in Kent. RAF intelligence was greatly amused by Lt. Escherhaus' aerial combat with his dingy and his misfortune was recorded in three seperate interrogation reports."


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## fastmongrel (Aug 19, 2012)

In the Royal Navy it was known as "Getting your own back".


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## Gnomey (Aug 19, 2012)

Well that is one way to go...



Njaco said:


> Its not only toilets that bring demise to weapons of war....
> 
> 8 October 1940
> "During this period of the battle, Luftwaffe fighter pilots were issued with a new type of dingy. The previous type, a two-man dingy, was found to be too bulky and altogether unsatisfactory, particularily for use in the already small cockpit of the Bf 109. The new dingy was more compact and was worn on the pilot's back over the inflatable life jacket. On 8 October Lt. Heinz Escherhaus of 1./JG 77, took off in his "Yellow 10" on a freie Jagd patrol and was flying at 25,000 feet when he was suddenly attacked in the rear by his own rubber dingy. Contrary to instructions, Lt. Escherhaus' batman had connected the gas flask to the dingy and it had accidently inflated. The pilot was pushed forward onto the control column and, in an effort to get things right within the rapidly diminishing confines of his cockpit, he lost control and went into a very steep spiral dive. Now, owing to his uncomfortable position, Escherhaus was unable to alter the propellor setting and the aircraft over-revved. The boost blow-out valve went off and then, when the pilot was eventually able to regain control, he found that the engine would not respond to the throttle. Finally on pulling out, the engine stalled and he had to make a forced landing, coming down at Eastry in Kent. RAF intelligence was greatly amused by Lt. Escherhaus' aerial combat with his dingy and his misfortune was recorded in three seperate interrogation reports."



 That is pretty funny, certainly embarrassing, no wonder it got so much attention in the reports...



DerAdlerIstGelandet said:


> Thats a "shitty" way to be sunk...



Oh dear...


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## buffnut453 (Aug 19, 2012)

DerAdlerIstGelandet said:


> Thats a "shitty" way to be sunk...



Or should it be a Schlitty way to be sunk...sorry, couldn't resist!


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## parsifal (Aug 19, 2012)

Im trying to recall the details of a shipment of P-40s arriving in Australia early in the war, only to find that some crucial parts called solenoids had not been packed in the shipping crates carrying the a/c. I rememeber one official talking about the missing parts, and saying that they were some kind of "oids"....reminded him of "haemorhoids!!!" Maybe thats what the omission gave him.....


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## futuredogfight (Aug 20, 2012)

Read this on Cracked.com, it's haralrios!


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## parsifal (Aug 20, 2012)

Just noticed the CO that caused the disaster was called "Kptlt. Schlitt"....just one "l" away from his fate.....


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## mustafa931 (May 5, 2013)

baahahahahahahahhaha


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