[3] The U-boat had a total length of 87.58m (287ft 4in), a pressure hull length of 68.50m (224ft 9in), a beam of 7.50m (24ft 7in), a height of 10.20m (33ft 6in), and a draught of 5.35m (17ft 7in). Ropers crew manned their machine guns and 3-inch deck guns. At the beginning of May 1945, the Black Point departed Newport News, Virginia, for Weymouth, Massachusetts, with her cargo holds full of coal. The U-853, which had earlier in the war fought off an attack from two British Swordfish torpedo bombers and had recently sunk the American patrol craft the PE-56, was now lurking in Rhode Island Sound. Together, these vessels represent the long battle for naval supremacy during World War II and the attempts by the Allies and the Third Reich to protect and/or disrupt their enemys Atlantic commerce and supply lines. When they stopped the ship in order to launch the lifeboats, U-352 passed right by them without notice and somehow lost contact. The most evil women in history, Ilse Koch. This function has been disabled for WW2 Gravestone, The Bad Girls of Nazi Germany: Jenny Wanda, Becker, Elisabeth a Stutthof concentration. This year, Scuba Diver Life and NOAA are partnering to profile 12 different ships in the Graveyard of the Atlantic. U-85 had a displacement of 753 tonnes (741 long tons) when at the surface and 857 tonnes (843 long tons) while submerged. On 30 November 1945, Eck, Hoffmann and Weisspfennig were executed by naval firing squad.[6]. This commission helps us to maintain and improve the forum for the benefit of our users. [1], The submarine had a maximum surface speed of 17.9 knots (33.2km/h; 20.6mph) and a maximum submerged speed of 8 knots (15km/h; 9.2mph). Some of these tubes still have visible torpedoes inside. Either way, as the Black Point came into range off Point Judith, Rhode Island, at 5:40 pm on May 5, Frmsdorf fired a torpedo that upon impact blew away about 40 feet of the merchant ships stern. Video clip depicting the story of the battle between YP-389 and U-701. Her new owners renamed the ship the Black Point. His commander-in-training patrol was aboard the famous U-124, commanded by his classmate Johann Mohr, from 28 October 1942 to 21 February 1943. Divers approaching the U-352's conning tower. In January, U-352 transferred from Kiel to Bergen, and set out for its first patrol on January 20. Rod Mather, University of Rhode Island Applied History Lab. However, before reaching land the U-boat came under attack from six RAF bombers from 621 Squadron. This website makes use of cookies to ensure that the website works properly. The crew of the Roper observed the U-boat sinking at the stern and watched as the crew jumped into the water, begging for rescue. This time the U-852 left rather than attack the survivors. Significance: U-352 is significant to American military history, maritime history and historic archaeology as it was the first U-boat sunk by the United States Coast Guard off the American East Coast during World War II's Battle of the Atlantic. On May 5 (or possibly the early morning of May 6), all 55 submariners aboard U-853 were entombed in their . She sank the Thistleglen on 10 September northeast of Cape Farewell (Greenland). Rathke fired at Icarus, but the torpedo either malfunctioned or hit the sea bottom. Despite frequent disturbance as a popular dive site, the wreck retains archaeological integrity and to this day remains an important and poignant war grave. Some of these tubes still have visible torpedoes inside. (Photo: NOAA), A photomosaic, site plan and dive slate are a few of the products produced for U-85 by Monitor National Marine Sanctuary. National marine sanctuaries protect some of the most spectacular ocean and Great Lakes resources in the United States, including shipwrecks like the Dixie Arrow. [3] However more recent commentary surmised that Gustafson had not hit her, and her loss is currently unexplained. She had two shafts and two 1.85m (6ft) propellers. On April 10, while off the New Jersey coast, U-85 found its first target, Swedish freighter Christina Knudsen. By this time, the United States had entered the war and Germany quickly brought U-boats to the East Coast of the United States. Hutton. You are using an out of date browser. The story of the incident really began on a summer day of March 13, 1944. Group Schlei was to return to France and begin preparing for deployment to U.S. waters. On May 9, U-352 began the engagement that would end in its demise. The Peleus Affair. The survivors of U-352 were later interrogated and remained in various prisoner of war camps for the duration of the war, often intermingling with survivors from U-701. The remains of the World War II German submarine U-853 and the American merchant ship/collier, Black Point, lie in Rhode Island Sound, about 6.25 nautical miles apart. Hans Richard Lenz was released already after 8 months and Wolfgang Schwender condemned to 15 years was released after 6 years in prison. On June 15 Eck took command of the new Type IXD-852 and put the boat through months of training before leaving from Kiel for the Indian Ocean. Two other officers of U-852, the 2WO and the doctor were also indicted and shot. Two other officers of U-852, the 2WO and the doctor were also indicted and shot. Today, the U-352 is one of North Carolina's signature wreck sites. This is the place to discuss general issues related to the U-boat war or the war at sea in WWII. [6] U-85 lies in less than 100ft (30m) of water; the United States Navy briefly attempted to salvage her. While on it's first patrol, U-85 discovered the massive 65-ship convoy 42 (SC-42), but was only able to sink the British freighter Thistleglen. On April 13, 1942, U- 85 was sitting in shallow water off Bodie Island lighthouse waiting for targets. The wreck of U-852 on the beach of Somaliland HMS Fishguard Crew - Boarded and spent nearly a month salvaging equipment and torpedoes from U-852 after British aircraft fatally damaged her as she beached near Ras Mabber, Somaliland off the Somali coast on 3 May 1944,. The crew was captured and later tried for war crimes. Command of the U-85 was given to Oberleutnent zur See Eberhard Greger. Short video about the wreck of the German U-boat, U-85 sunk off North Carolina during World War Two. On this patrol, U-85 returned to American waters, specifically off the United States coast. [4] After being left unable to dive due to damage from aerial depth charges, she headed for the coast of Somalia. The crew of the U-85 claimed to have scored at least one hit, but the vessel evidently did not sink and there were no confirming allied records of the incident. They did this while the rest of the crew remained below decks. A well-aimed 3-inch shell breached the pressure hull just aft of U-85s conning tower. [3] When submerged, the boat could operate for 121 nautical miles (224km; 139mi) at 2 knots (3.7km/h; 2.3mph); when surfaced, she could travel 12,750 nautical miles (23,610km; 14,670mi) at 10 knots (19km/h; 12mph). A mysterious lost WWII submarine, German U-boat U-455 is discovered off the coast of Italy at 120 meters deep. Many thanks in advance and best regards. U-85 Type VIIB U-boat by NOAA's Monitor National Marine Sanctuary on Sketchfab. With all the survivors dead, the U-852 sailed away. The hearing was known as the Peleus Trial. Firing two torpedoes, U-85 sank the Swedish freighter Christina Knudsen, and then proceeded directly for Cape Hatteras, North Carolina. [13], Coordinates: .mw-parser-output .geo-default,.mw-parser-output .geo-dms,.mw-parser-output .geo-dec{display:inline}.mw-parser-output .geo-nondefault,.mw-parser-output .geo-multi-punct{display:none}.mw-parser-output .longitude,.mw-parser-output .latitude{white-space:nowrap}3555N 7513W / 35.917N 75.217W / 35.917; -75.217. U-85 was the first U-boat loss of "Operation Drumbeat" (Paukenschlag), the offensive off the eastern seaboard of the United States in 1942. This year, Scuba Diver Life and NOAA are partnering to profile 12 different ships in the Graveyard of the Atlantic. Throughout the entire Second World War, the Kriegsmarine had only one U-boat commander convicted of war crimes. Their suspicions were confirmed when the crew witnessed the track of a torpedo narrowly missing them. At some point, Greger must have made the decision to scuttle and abandon the U-85. Amid the sinking wreckage were the survivors jammed packed in lifeboats and rafts. class IX D 2 class submarine (ger. One survivor managed to escape and was eventually rescued by allied ships. Wolfgang Schwender, an enlisted engineer, who said he only shot at debris not survivors - until being replaced by the reluctant Lenz - received 15 years (but was paroled six years later, in 1951). The recent high-resolution mapping of the U-853 using Synthetic Aperture Sonar (SAS) on Kraken Robotics' KATFISH system confirms the submarine is largely intact and orientated in a northwest-southeast direction. A set of pages designed to provide a good overview on the monumental battle that took place on the high seas during World War One. Amid the sinking wreckage were the survivors jammed packed in lifeboats and rafts. Greger's attack resulted in a devastating counterattack as the Canadian escorts HMCS Skeena and HMCS Alberni delivered a very accurate depth charge assault that Greger narrowly escaped. The defense presented that the LI had objected to the actions of his CO and the seaman was simply following orders. As the crew of U-352 prepared to scuttle, several began emerging from the conning tower preparing to jump overboard. This year, Scuba Diver Life and NOAA are partnering to profile 12 different ships in the Graveyard of the Atlantic. Gross Tonnage: 753/857 tons (surfaced/submerged) Cargo: N/A, Built: 1939, Flender Werke AG, Lbeck, Schlewsig-Holstein, Germany, Hull Number: 281 Port of Registry: Germany, Sunk By: USS Roper Survivors: 0 of 46 (46 dead), Data Collected on Site: Still and video photography; photomosaics; site plan; high resolution multibeam; photogrammetric model; listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Jan. There are tidbits of useful info for us in locating the wreck, such as the sand, the ladder to climb the cliffs, the destruction of large bow and stern sections and the (hopefully exaggerated) 200m to the shore line (100m measured on google maps for . Rathke spotted Icarus, a 165-foot USCG Cutter, on antisubmarine patrol off Cape Lookout. After the war, she was returned to her original owner, only to be sold two years later to the Hawaiian Steamship Company of New York and renamed the Nebraskan. U-352 closed for an attack. There were only three survivors from the 35-man Peleus. Error loading comments 56,701 views 0 faves The site is heavily encrusted with coralline algae and supports an array of cnidarians, such as sea anemones and corals. To view other Outer Banks Maritime Heritage Trail videos, click here. [5] The bodies were fingerprinted, photographed and buried in a night-time military ceremony at the Hampton National Cemetery. Download image (jpg, 377 KB). You can clearly see the shell damage behind the conning tower caused by USSRopers 3-inch gun. This month well visit the Ashkhabad. By then, there were no survivors among the 29 bodies floating in life jackets. By May 5, 1945, Adolph Hitler had committed suicide in his bunker in Berlin and Grand Admiral Karl Donitz was helping negotiate the terms of the Nazi surrender. The story of the incident really began on a summer day of March 13, 1944. Click above to view a dive slate for U-352. Of the U-boats off North Carolina's coast, U-352 had the least eventful operational career. [10] The Labrador current influences the site and visibility can be low. Image courtesy of Kraken Robotics. In November 1945, Eck and the U-852's four junior officers were tried by the British at a special military tribunal in Hamburg for killing the crew from the Peleus. Heinz-Wilhelm Eck was born in Hamburg on March 27 1916, and was raised in Berlin. [4] More recent investigation by sport divers has raised questions about Navy reports on the wreck.[7]. To view additional dive slates click here. On May 9, 1942 it was sunk by the Coast Guard Cutter Icarus. For their actions in sinking U-85, Destroyer Division 54 commander, Commander Stanley C. Norton and the Roper's captain, Lieutenant commander Hamilton W. Howe, were each awarded the Navy Cross.[8][9]. To view additional site plans click here. In fact, he was still in Rhode Island Sound when the U.S. frigate Moberly (PF-63) and destroyer escorts Amick (DE168) and Atherton (DE-168) commenced the hunt for the submarine 90 minutes after the Black Point sank. Roper returned after daylight and recovered the bodies of 29 sailors. This site was discovered in 1974 by Olympus owner and Captain, George Purifoy, and several friends. KL Heinz Wilhelm Eck of U-852 was indicted and sentenced to death by firing squad at the Nuremberg Tribunal on November 30 1945. During the journey, Eck torpedoed and sank the Greek tramp steamer, SS Peleus. The dramatic end to U-852. The U-853 was a type IXC/40 German submarine launched on March 11, 1943, and commissioned June 25 that same year. The B-52 crashed upon takeoff after the aircraft's crew saw birds flying at roughly the same height as the airplane's wings, followed by the sensation of a series of "thuds" on the B-52's right side. Child soldier in the Soviet Union, 1944.. Read about one of the most interesting events of the U-boat of WWII when Heinz-Wilhelm Eck of U-852 ordered the wreck of the torpedoed merchant Peleus destroyed with machine-gun fire. Website Satisfaction Survey Roper raked U-85 with machine gun fire and scored a hit with a 3"/50 caliber gun. The hearing was known as the Peleus Trial. At first, Ropers crew didnt suspect much, but they dutifully pursued the contact. The Freden crew drifted in their lifeboats all night. Spot A Shark USA Photography Diver Course, Project AWARE Sand Tiger Shark Conservation, Copyright 2023 | Kptlt. The submarine was equipped with four torpedo tubes in the bow and two in the stern. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding. U-852 was enroute to the Indian Ocean to join the Monsoon wolfpack operating there. Sir Douglas Bader, the RAF fighter pilot without legs. With orders to patrol off the coast of the United States, the U-boat reached New Jersey and, on April 10, found its first target. Greger sunk the ship and then proceeded directly to Cape Hatteras, North Carolina. She was 55 feet in the beam and rated at 5,353 tons. Standing atop the bridge of the U-boat, the crew of the U-852 meticulously hunted and machine gunned the survivors. The U-853 was a type IXC/40 German submarine launched on March 11, 1943, and commissioned June 25 that same year. Launched on 10 April 1941, she was commissioned on 7 June and assigned to the 3rd U-boat Flotilla under the command of Oberleutnant zur See Eberhard Greger. comments sorted by Best Top New Controversial Q&A Add a Comment . At the end of February, the vessel retuned empty handed to St. Nazaire. [4] After being left unable to dive due to damage from aerial depth charges, she headed for the coast of Somalia. Image courtesy of Kraken Robotics. Shortly after midnight, Roper approached the area where U-85 sat and detected a weak radar contact. On 30 April 1944, U-852 was spotted in the Indian Ocean by a Vickers Wellington bomber flying from Aden. Sprague of Boston. Significance: U-85 is significant to American military history, maritime history and historic archaeology as it was the first German U-boat sunk by United States naval forces off the American East Coast during World War II's Battle of the Atlantic. 650 Castro Street SAS imagery of the Black Point showing that the hull, including the bow, of the ship is largely intact and rests upside down on the seafloor. Those charged were Heinz Eck, age 29, August Hoffmann , Walter Weisspfennig , they were executed by a fire squad 30-11-1945. Die Sprengung war jedoch nur zum Teil erfolgreich. The deck gun of U-85 silently points towards the surface as if waiting on a target. This was part of a NOVA/National Geographic documentary . The boat had a complement of fifty-five.[3]. Hand grenades were also hurled at the remaining lifeboats. Abrams, Preserving Americas Underwater Battlefield: U-352, Preserving Americas Underwater Battlefield: the Tamaulipas, Preserving Americas Underwater Battlefield: U-701, Preserving Americas Underwater Battlefield: W.E. May 2 1944, U-852 beached on Cape Gardefui after attack by RAF aircraft. Today, the submarine lies on the ocean floor almost within sight of the former Newport Torpedo Station which helped develop and test the underwater technology used to destroy it. The U-853 participated in three patrols during the war. Disclaimer U-852 was fitted with six 53.3cm (21in) torpedo tubes (four fitted at the bow and two at the stern), 24 torpedoes, one 10.5cm (4.13in) SK C/32 naval gun, 150 rounds, and a 3.7cm (1.5in) SK C/30 with 2575 rounds as well as two 2cm (0.79in) C/30 anti-aircraft guns with 8100 rounds. The U-852 was itself sunk on May 3 1944 by British aircraft off the coast of Somalia. U-654 was able to sink one vessel in this convoy, while Greger fired at least three torpedoes with no hits. Both of which were part of the 6th U-boat Flotilla.During her short time in the war, she sank no . The Black Point likewise serves as a war grave. An investigation into a Swedish-Estonian ferry that sank into the Baltic Sea 27 years ago turned up no new evidence that would contradict the official investigation report, the Associated Press. Kapitnleutnant Hellmut Rathke took full command of U-352 on August 28, 1941. During the journey, Eck torpedoed and sank the Greek tramp steamer, SS Peleus . After stalking her until nightfall, the steamer was sunk with two torpedoes. Download image (jpg, 270 KB). The wreck site of U-85 now rests in about 110 feet (34 m) of water 14 miles (23 km) east of Oregon Inlet along the Outer Banks. Eck and two of his crew were tried and executed after the . The U-boat Memorial at Mltenort. The U-852 was itself sunk on May 3 1944 by British aircraft off the coast of Somalia. The much smaller stern section lies approximately 1,800 feet further south. Known as Operation Paukenschlag (Drumbeat), the attacking force was comprised of five IX class, long-range U-boats. The boat attempted to run south on the surface and fired its stern torpedo at Roper when the range closed to 700 yards (640m). Those charged were Heinz Eck, August Hoffmann, Walter Weisspfennig, Hans Richard Lenz and Wolfgang Schwender. The crew was interned and sent to POW camps, after which they were charged when the war ended. Its a truly haunting image.. Two other officers of U-852, the 2WO and the doctor were also indicted and shot. The Enigma machine was recovered from the wreck by private divers (Jim Bunch, Roger & Rich Hunting)[12] and in 2003 the German government agreed to allow the machine to be displayed at the Graveyard of the Atlantic Museum, in Hatteras, North Carolina. On 13 March while crossing the latitude of Freetown in the Atlantic Ocean, the U-boat spotted the lone Greek steamer Peleus. Read about one of the most interesting events of the U-boat of WWII when Heinz-Wilhelm Eck of U-852 ordered the wreck of the torpedoed merchant Peleus destroyed with machine-gun fire. During this time, Roper believed it had another sonar contact, which was likely the U-85 as it sank. Additionally, the Leading Engineer and a seaman were complicated in the incident. The depth charges killed the entire U-85 crew. Fifty-eight were captured by the Somaliland Camel Corps and local militia. This was the birth of the U-boat as an offensive weapon. [1] She had a total length of 66.50m (218ft 2in), a pressure hull length of 48.80m (160ft 1in), a beam of 6.20m (20ft 4in), a height of 9.50m (31ft 2in), and a draught of 4.74m (15ft 7in). However, the sinking of the Peleus had created a large debris field containing survivors in rafts and clinging to wreckage. [5] The British also discovered the Fa 330 Bachstelze rotor kite, a towed one-man aerial observation platform.[1]. The awesome memorial is a must see if you are in the Kiel area (perhaps visiting the U-995). The wreck lies on its starboard side with approximately an 80 list. Roper then quickly left for fear of another boat in the area, but returned after daylight and recovered the bodies of 29 sailors. The U-853 was one of the last German U-boats sunk in the Battle of the Atlantic and the last to be destroyed on the East Coast of the United States. Shown here is the wreck of the Type IXD 2 submarine U-852 off the coast of British Somaliland (Somalia) in May 1944 after being scuttled by her skipper Kapitanleutnant Heinz Eck. Hand grenades were also hurled at the remaining lifeboats . Meanwhile, Freden was not sinking and Freden's captain ordered everyone back aboard to resume getting underway. Download image (jpg, 9.0 MB). However, once again, the crew on Freden panicked and took to the lifeboats. It was laid down in Bremen and completed in June 1943. The hatch of U-85 is on display in the Graveyard of the Atlantic Museum; the submarine herself still serves as an attraction for divers. Aft of the conning tower there is visible battle damage from Ropers 3-inch deck gun. After taking on fuel and fresh provisions, Greger was ready to take U-85 on a second war patrol, but this one too was a very frustrating and disappointing patrol. Believing that U-boats operated in packs, as they did in other regions, Roper did not want to take the chance of being sunk by an additional U-boat. On the morning of May 7, they happened to drift by the completely untouched Freden, reboarded and continued their journey. The visibility and water temperature vary widely depending on the dynamic, shifting currents. 2020 All Rights Reserved. Fearing that the survivors of his torpedo attack would be rescued and give away his presence, Eck ordered for all the survivors to be machine gunned. Rouse, Parke, Jr., "Under the Cloak of Night", U.S. National Register of Historic Places, "2008 Battle of the Atlantic Survey Methodology", "Home Found for "Enigmatic" WW II U-boat Relic", U-85 Memorial Page with Crew members' birth dates and places, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=German_submarine_U-85_(1941)&oldid=1119483562, World War II Shipwrecks along the East Coast and Gulf of Mexico MPS, 2,8003,200PS (2,1002,400kW; 2,8003,200bhp) (diesels), 90nmi (170km; 100mi) at 4 knots (7.4km/h; 4.6mph) submerged, Schlagetot (20 October 1 November 1941), This page was last edited on 1 November 2022, at 20:56. Weisspfennig, they happened to drift by the completely untouched Freden, reboarded and continued their journey the 6th Flotilla.During. Were confirmed when the war ended there were no survivors among the 29 bodies in... 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