HMS Graph

HMS Graph lies half-submerged off the rocky shore of the Isle of Islay in Argyll and Bute. The wreck is what remains of U-570, a German Type VIIC submarine captured by the Royal Navy in August 1941. Built by Blohm & Voss in Hamburg, she was launched in March 1941 and commissioned into the Kriegsmarine two months later. Kapitänleutnant Hans-Joachim Rahmlow commanded the boat on her first patrol. The submarine measured 67 metres long and displaced 769 tonnes on the surface. The capture of U-570 provided valuable intelligence to the Allies about German submarine technology. A Lockheed Hudson bomber from 269 Squadron RAF attacked the boat on 27 August 1941, forcing it to surface after depth charges damaged its systems. The inexperienced crew panicked when they believed chlorine gas had filled the submarine. A Consolidated Catalina flying boat kept watch until the anti-submarine trawler HMT Northern Chief arrived to take the crew prisoner. Visitors to the site find scattered sections of the submarine’s hull and internal structures exposed at low tide. The wreckage lies close to the shore, making it accessible to those with care and local guidance. The surrounding waters are part of the Sound of Islay, known for strong tides and rugged coastlines. The remains serve as a quiet reminder of the submarine’s wartime service and its unusual fate. The site attracts those interested in maritime history and the stories of wartime capture.