One Inch from Oblivion: The Secret Afterlife of the U-Boats

One Inch from Oblivion — What really happened to Germany’s U-boats after WWII? From last-minute scuttling orders and mass surrenders to Operation Deadlight and the radical tech legacy of the Type XXI, this episode of One Inch of History follows the fleet’s afterlife: sunk, studied, recycled—and a few preserved as haunting museums.

We cut between cold Atlantic tow lines and warm engine rooms; between policy memos and the one-inch of steel that kept crews alive. Expect crisp storytelling, verified facts, and a clear look at how U-boat design shaped the early Cold War.

Chapters
00:00 Hook — The Atlantic’s hidden submarine cemetery
00:45 Surrender & Scuttling (Operation Regenbogen)
02:30 The Allied Sorting Hat (Tripartite Naval Commission)
04:00 Operation Deadlight: Sinking the Fleet
06:00 The Tech Legacy: Type XXI → GUPPY, “Whiskey,” more
08:00 Outliers: U-1105, U-530, U-977
09:30 The Survivors: U-505, U-995, U-2540, U-534
11:00 Why It Matters Now

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Disclaimer: This film addresses warfare and loss. We handle the subject with respect for all who served and those who never came home.

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