42 amazing images from a dive onto U89 by Dr Innes McCarthy the U Boat hunter

Amazing images from Dr Innes McCartney – the condition of this wreck is incredible.

U89 survived just over six months in service before it sunk by ramming off Malin Head. The large U-boats of the Kaiserliche Marine are fairly uncommon wrecks in coastal waters which made investigating this site a most interesting dive. The shot line has come down off the port side bows of the wreck (Innes McCartney)

The bows have rotted away leaving the hydroplane as the most forward part of the wreck 

Torpedo tubes come into view

Looking down the conning tower hatch, the shaft of the wide angle periscope can be seen as well as the open hatch leading to the control room 

The wide angle periscope in its housing, seen from above

The top of the attack periscope 

The damage which sunk U89 now becomes obvious – HMS Roxburgh clearly ran over the engine room, ripping the roof off 

RU ammunition locker 

Pointing my camera inside reveals a mass of debris and electrical cables. A hole which looks like the type caused by the slicing action of a propeller can be seen 

The breech block of the 105mm gun with diver behind

Diver by the forward torpedo hatch

The netting appears to have drifted into the wreck

U89 carried two guns. The large 105mm was on the foredeck 

The 88mm gun mounted aft 

Torpedoes in the aft torpedo room 

Torpedo tubes come into view 

Aft torpedo hatch

Inside are fins of a torpedo 

The double periscope housing on the conning tower with hatch behind

Aft of the 105mm, the conning tower comes into view 

Tampion in the muzzle of the 105mm keeps the water out 

Auxiliary steering position? in the aft torpedo room (U505 has this feature)

Stern torpedo tubes with post side hydroplane in foreground

Stern tubes with doors shut

The interior beckons..

The much corroded hydroplane appears to have been set to hard arise 

Turning aft the engines point astern, which is where I will explore next 

Turning and looking forward the open bulkhead hatch leading into the control room can be seen 

Aft of the conning tower two of the main tanks are still hanging on to the pressure hull

The forward radio mast survives even though most of the upper works have rotted away

Pressure-proof ready-use ammunition was stacked in lockers around the guns. They were soldered closed and could be popped open quickly for immediate firing when the U-boat surfaced 

A white circle of anemones shows where one tube has broken away from the hull

The diesel engines are now exposed

Port side prop shaft is bent and the “A” frame buckled

Diver by conning tower 

Above the torpedo tubes on the main deck the 105mm gun can be seen in the distance 

Starboard side prop partially buried

Damage in the port side hull probably caused in the collision 

The engines with the control room hatchway behind. Ballast tanks either side

Aft torpedo hatch 

Torpedoes lying on the deck, having fallen from their stowage rack 

U89 had four bow tubes, three of which are visible, inner doors shut