The Submarine That Sank Because Someone Flushed The Toilet Wrong

It only managed one patrol before flushing away its potential

(By David W. Taylor Model Basin, U.S. Navy — This is a retouched picture, which means that it has been digitally altered from its original version. Modifications: white background. The original can be viewed here: Type VIIC U-boat schematic drawing.jpg: . Modifications made by TilmannR., Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=76292949)

The German submarine, U-boat U-1206, was launched on December 30th, 1943. It was a so-called late-war boat that was outfitted with the latest technology. One such technology was a specialized toilet system that allowed sailors to flush their waste directly out into the ocean rather than storing it in special chambers within the submarine itself. This new system was known as a deepwater high-pressure toilet, and it had a number of benefits over the old chamber system.

A toilet that could jettison waste directly into the ocean was much quieter than an onboard septic tank. Septic tanks added to the weight of the submarine and required frequent dumping. Blowing the contents of a shipboard waste tank was noisy, and it would immediately attract the attention of any nearby destroyers or submarines. The alternative was to return to port whenever the sub accrued enough poop, which could be disruptive to a long-term mission or task. By contrast, being able to shoot feces directly into the ocean with one flush would be quiet and would allow the submarine to remain submerged and at sea for far longer. These benefits seemed to outweigh the drawbacks as Germany began installing these new toilets on all of their new…