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The U-Boat War: The Real Das Boot
German U-Boats were active from the very beginning of the war but took on a vital role during the Battle of the Atlantic when fleets of them were used to try and destroy Allied shipping: their story has been retold in the classic war film Das Boot. The cost of war for both crews and boats was high, with more than 28,000 German submariners being killed. This tour looks at the original U-Boat bases around Bremen, and you even get to go inside two U-Boats!
Tour Includes
- 6 nights hotel with continental breakfast
- Specialist Battlefield Guide
- Convenient local joining points
7 days from £999pp
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Inbound Travel
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Itinerary
Please choose your preferred 7 day itinerary
Local departure by coach or Door-to-Door service, then to Belgium or Holland for an overnight stay.
We continue to Bremen for four nights. En route we stop at Deventer for lunch, and also to discuss the 1945 battles in the Netherlands, which involved ground troops from the German Kriegsmarine. We also see the road bridge here which was used as Arnhem Bridge in the film ‘A Bridge Too Far’.
Includes Breakfast
Key Visits
We start the tour in the Wilhelmshaven area and start at a huge air raid bunker on the site of one of the original U-Boat barracks, We then visit the German Naval Museum, which tells the story of the war at sea from bases here in two World Wars. We also look at the Allied bombing of the port, including the first RAF raid on Germany on 4th September 1939, seeing the fascinating Bunker Museum. Afterwards we visit the church in Wilhelmshaven which contains memorials to the U-Boat crews who died in the war. Later we see the Ehrenfriedhof, the military cemetery of Wilhelmshaven, that contains U-Boat memorials and also the crew of a U-Boat lost in 1940.
Includes Breakfast
Key Visits
Today we have an early start and travel to Kiel, from where the famous Kiel Canal was constructed before WW1 to take German shipping into the North Sea in the Naval Arms Race of that period. Here we see the massive Laboe Naval Memorial, the U-Boat Museum where you can go inside an original WW2 period U-Boat U-995 that has been brought onto dry land, getting an insight into how the crews lived. We then visit the U–Boat crew’s memorial which lists the name of every sailor who died at sea in a U-Boat and commemorates their 30,000 dead. We also look at the bombing here during WW2 and visit the British Bomber Command graves in Kiel War Cemetery.
Includes Breakfast
Key Visits
In Bremen we look at the U-Boat bases and a massive concrete bunker, which was built to act as a factory building German U-Boats. Allied bombing stopped this and now it is open as a visitors centre. Later we travel to Bremerhaven and see the Wilhelm Bauer U-Boat Museum. Here we see a salvaged 1944 U-Boat which was later restored for training purposes and serves as a superb example of what life in a WW2 U-Boat was like. We then visit Fort Kugelbake at Cuxhaven, which was part of the defences of this region and was used in WW2. Mines were a great part of the war at sea, and clearing them up after WW2 was a big problem. We end with a look at this story during our visit to Cuxhaven where we see the memorial to the deminers who cleared the seas and paid a high price.
Includes Breakfast
Key Visits
We return to Belgium for an overnight stay. En route we stop at Sage War Cemetery to visit the graves of RAF crew killed in the attack on Wilhelmshaven and then continue to Nijmegen for our lunchtime with an opportunity to see Nijmegen Bridge and the visitor’s centre: Kriegsmarine divers attacked the bridges here in 1944.
Includes Breakfast
Key Visits
Return home.
Includes Breakfast
Accommodation
You will stay for four nights at the 4-star standard Dorint City Hotel Bremen (formerly the Swissotel Bremen). Overnight stays in Belgium or Holland will be in city-style hotels.
Luxuria Coach
Stylish and modern, state-of-the-art Luxuria is the business class of coaches. Boasting comfort of the highest standard, sink into the deluxe armchair-style seats, stretch out with much more space around you, and enjoy a vast choice of entertainment on your personal touch-screen TV.
Luxuria Features
- Deluxe armchair-style seats with leather exterior, central arm rests* with cup holders, adjustable headrests and retractable calf rests on most seats to give you a more comfortable journey.
*Face to face seats are forward and rear facing with a table and will not have a calf rest. - Every seat has its own, fully interactive, touch-screen TV offering a wide choice of entertainment so you can control what you want to watch and when.
- There’s a selection of double and single seats, including six face-to-face seats with tables, and five single seats which are ideal for passengers travelling independently.
- Plug sockets and USB points at each seat mean you can keep your devices fully charged throughout your journey.
- Onboard toilet.
Silver Service Coach
More than simply your method of transport, Silver Service offers a coach with added comfort and facilities, such as deluxe reclining seats with leather headrests, an onboard entertainment system, and a spacious rear lounge so you can socialise with your fellow passengers.
Silver Service Features
- Specially designed reclining seats, with leather headrests, footrests and extra legroom.
- A spacious rear lounge where you can relax, socialise and get to know your fellow passengers.
- Our onboard entertainment and satellite navigation system makes your journey fly by.
- Free personal headphones mean you can tune into the music channel, listen to the radio or watch DVDs being played by your crew.
- Personal tables so you can enjoy your refreshments in comfort as you take in the passing scenery.
Reviews
4.8 Out of 5 ( 5 Reviews )
Reviews
Quality
5 / 5
Value for Money
4 / 5
Lathamjez, 1 year ago
This tour was very interesting and the guide Garry was very knowledgeable, the onboard crew can make or break a tour unfortunately while our driver was a very competent driver his people skills were sadly lacking, the co driver did his best to make everyone’s trip as pleasant as possible, I fully understand there is a time table to be kept to and everyone did, but I felt more like a commodity with a delivery deadline, this was not the usual service I have been used to on previous Leger tours, the crew can make or break a tour and this sadly did mar what was a great tour. I have rated the tour a 5 as the content and hotels deserve it hopefully if you do book this holiday you will be more fortunate with your onboard crew.
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Robert Butler, 1 year ago
Very enjoyable visit top class hotels extremely knowledgeable guide transfers and staff very efficient
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Mr Walter Herdman, 1 year ago
great experience
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Andrew, 1 year ago
Fantastic tour exploring the U-boat development and deployment during both wars. Tour guide Gary Ashley was a hive of knowledge and drivers Marc and Kev steered the ship and kept us watered very nicely. Hotel in Bremen was excellent and ideally located in the city centre with plenty of bars and restaurants within easy reach, although the hotel food was also very good. Highly recommend this tour.
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Margaret Alce, 1 year ago
Everything was very good but the information the guide gave was too much and too long. It would have been helpful to have something to break the info. The drivers were excellent and very helpful. The hotels were also good. We would give them 5 stars.
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Departure Dates
