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I am reading an excellent book called Iron Coffins, by Commander Herbert A. Werner, who served on five German u-boats between 1941 and 1945.  Judging by this sailor’s uniform and the quality of the photo, I’d guess that this is WWI.  But I liked it anyway and thought I should include it.  In fact, there’s something “non-German” about the image that I cannot put my finger on, even though the site’s caption claims that it’s German.

What didn’t I know about u-boats?  Mostly everything.  For any reader with even a scant knowledge of boats and subs, none of this will be news–but it was news to me.  Here are some things I’ve picked up so far:

• By 1944-45, the u-boat losses skyrocketed.  I’m not quite sure I believe the chart in Iron Coffins, but here goes anyway:  600-700 boats lost during that period.  Can anyone verify?  That sounds huge.
• U-boats and subs in general do most of their operations top-side.  They only go under when they absolutely need to be hidden.
• Amount of diesel fuel was sufficient to take them far into the North Atlantic and return, though fuel stops did sometimes happen.
• The goal was to rack up tonnage, not number of ships sunk.  And certainly not number of men killed.  Death was not the primary goal.  In fact, they would usually send up an SOS call on an international frequency after they sunk a ship.
• Freighters were more valuable targets than military ships, though not always.
• They could dive within 45 seconds.
• Because of the angle of the dive, the stern would sometimes get hit by advancing enemy ships.

There’s a good overview in an October 5, 2006 New York Times article about ordinary homeowners who add secret rooms and hidden entrances to their homes.

Companies such as Niche Doors, the Hidden Door Company, Hide a Door, Secret Doorways and Decora Doors are all mentioned, with costs estimated at $800-$10,000 for hidden doors (not rooms).

One of the doors, a motorized bookcase, can be opened either by using a remote control or by knocking in a particular rhythm. “One time I accidentally left the remote on the other side of the door and forgot the knock code,” Mr. Sullivan said.

Turns out, Sullivan was about to get in by a “circuitious” route,  a mistake, he says, he won’t “make for a long time.”

90% of this video is worthless–mostly, a slightly pudgy guy looking around suspiciously, as if someone were following him.  There’s also the not-insignificant matter of the Indiana Jones soundtrack.

But at the :48 second mark you do get to see how the interior latch of a secret door works.  After the guy pulls the book back (why is it always a book?  I notice the Kipling book…that should be enough of a giveaway…how many people read Kipling anymore?  Obviously, it’s a 25 cent book he picked up at a used book store), it pulls a string.  Let him describe:

I attached a gate latch at the top back of the bookcase, latching into its counterpart inside the doorframe. I used a rubberband to make sure the latch stays down for when the door is closed. A system of two pulleys feeds a string from the latch down through a hole by the secret book.

Pripyat Ferris Wheel

Is there image more forlorn and ready-made for Hollywood than that of an abandoned ferris wheel in a nuclear-stricken city?

In September 2008, the U.S. Coast Guard seized a 59-foot submarine 370 miles SW of Guatemala.  The submarine contained four crew members and 237 (!) bales of cocaine.

An anomaly?  No, because less than a week alter, another 60 footer was seized.

Between the two submersibles about seven tons of coke worth nearly $200 million was seized.

These subs are built in the jungles of Guatemala and then trucked over to the coast.  The subs can range over 5,000 miles.