Hole / destruction in U-Boot

[kfs]

Hello , i have some photos here where you can see an Hole in the Front of the U-boot
What could have caused this destruction
Thanks for your opinions

[DrMemory1701]

It does not look to be the result of a collision or a rapid implosion at critical depth. Looks like an explosion took out the steel plates on both sides.
Maybe a torpedo prematurely detonation partially out of a tube.

[Wilhelm]

From the shape of the hole I would think it was done with a torch. Some need to get in there? A torpedo would have taken the whole bow off.
Wilhelm

[byterock]

Not a 'U-Boat' for one thing. It is an Italian 'Cavallini' type perhaps??

Lost panel from a heavy sea state perhaps

[R MICHAEL]

Post war Preperations to scuttle?

Mike

[SheikAlStranghi]

Maybe it is a post-capitulation demilitarization of the U-boat to prevent submersion.

[byterock]

No that would not be it as the hole is not in the pressure hull.

Nothing really had to be done to the U-boat (or almost any other ship for that matter) to sink it.

All one has to do it open the seacocks and down she goes.

[michiel01]

to start with I'm not that technical when in concerns any boot or ship.

But when I look at the photo, it's clear to see a harbour, my opinion is;
a torch made the hole, during repairs. The U-boot is out off dock for a testrun. clearly it's not going to submurge looking at the crowd that's on deck, pictures taking from a vessel alongside the ship for safety (anti-air?).

[corporalSteiner]

i do not see a hole. or even half a hole. i see a white mark made on the image, possibly a war-time way of covering up an identification number/code, or something added to the photo itself afterwards...

[michiel01]

i do not see a hole. or even half a hole. i see a white mark made on the image, possibly a war-time way of covering up an identification number/code, or something added to the photo itself afterwards...

Well that could be very true indeed! I did some measuring and there is a size difference between the first and second photo.

The TS should be able to see this using a magnifying glass.

[hucks216]

i do not see a hole. or even half a hole. i see a white mark made on the image, possibly a war-time way of covering up an identification number/code, or something added to the photo itself afterwards...

It is definitely a hole - look at the reflection in the water. You can see the gap in that as well.

[byterock]

I was also thinking that is might be a 'edit' by a censor, 'Scrape the negative type',

However

1) It would be a very odd place to put ID numbers, Never seen a sub with them there usually on conning tower

2) the hole has the same sort of defect on the right side in both pics and is too consistent to be a neg scrape.

here is an example of a scrapped neg



from PA-128794


not the same as the pic above.