In Germany, drivers witnessed an unusual sight: a 350-ton submarine making its way along the roads.
This massive vessel, the U-17 of the 206 class, measures 48 meters in length, 9 meters in height, and 4.6 meters in width. The submarine, which first set sail in 1972, was decommissioned by the Bundesmarine at the end of 2010. Unlike its sister ships, which were either scrapped or sold to foreign countries (such as Colombia), the U-17 will remain in its homeland, taking an honored place in the Sinsheim Technical Museum.
The journey from a pontoon on the Rhine in Speyer took approximately a month. Transporting it directly via highway was impossible due to its enormous dimensions. Therefore, the submarine had to travel on secondary roads at a maximum speed of 10 kilometers per hour. It was transported by a Scheuerle InterCombi system with thirty axles and 240 wheels, pulled and pushed by two units with a combined power of 1000 kW.
Now, preparations are underway to display the U-17 alongside other incredible exhibits at the Sinsheim Technical Museum, which already features iconic aircraft such as the Concorde and the Tupolev Tu-144.
