The story behind the wreck of a World War II German submarine lying just eight miles off the Ayrshire coast has been retold ahead of the 83rd anniversary of the fateful night she contributed to Britain winning the war.German submarine U-33 was detected by Royal Navy minesweeper HMS Gleaner (J83) while attempting to lay mines in the Firth of Clyde in February 1940.Attacked by depth charges from HMS Gleaner, the submarine was eventually scuttled in the waters eight miles west of Maidens harbour - but not before revealing some of Germany’s greatest secrets.On February 5, 1940, under the command of Kapitanleutnant Hans Von Dresky, U-33 left Wilhelmshaven, Germany, on her last voyage.Her crew of 42 had little idea of their fate and, acting under direct orders from Hitler, they were to lay mines in the Clyde.The Ayrshire Live app is available to download now.Get all the local news in your area – plus features, football news and the latest on the coronavirus crisis – at your fingertips 24/7.The free download features the latest breaking news and exclusive stories while you can customise your page with the sections that matter to you.The Ayrshire Live app is available to download now on iOS and Android.At this time, the codebreakers of Bletchley Park were tasked with listening in on German communications, which were found to be unbreakable and aptly named ‘Enigma’.On the night of February 12, U-33 was cruising slowly up the firth, on the surface.Patrolling that evening, Royal Navy minesweeper HMS Gleaner (J83), skippered by Lieutenant Commander Hugh Price, got her first hydrophone contact with U-33 at 2.50am.Immediately the Nazi U-boat commander ordered his crew to action stations and the hunter became the hunted.In a matter of
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