Eight of the twelve boats were redirected to the Faroes Islands in Iceland and Scotland. 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. 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]. The U-853 was a type IXC/40 German submarine launched on March 11, 1943, and commissioned June 25 that same year. Eck was to be the only U-boat commander found guilty of war crimes and executed after he ordered the machine gunning of survivors from the . In protest, his Leading Engineer questioned his commander's order but could do little to change the fate of the survivors. On May 9, 1942 it was sunk by the Coast Guard Cutter Icarus. As the gap between the vessels closed, it became a surface engagement. Even as the crewman were reaching their battle stations, the Wellingtons were starting their second strafing run. Both of which were part of the 6th U-boat Flotilla.During her short time in the war, she sank no . However, the Roper was closing in on U-85, and the crew now suspected that they were pursuing a submarine. Over the next several hours, Rathke got off two torpedoes, both of which missed. [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. The outer hull is gone at the bow, exposing the pressure hull and the four forward torpedo tubes. 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. Download image (jpg, 377 KB). 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. The wreck lies on its starboard side with approximately an approximately 80-degree list. The submarine, which was a special long-range version of the Type IX, had four bow and two stern torpedo tubes and a Focke-Achgelis Fa 330 Bachstelze cable-towed lookout gyroglider. He had lived to tell the story which had led to the indictment of the four U-boat officers and a seaman. 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. U-654 was able to sink one vessel in this convoy, while Greger fired at least three torpedoes with no hits. class IX D 2 class submarine (ger. Wreck Site Of the U-boats off North Carolina's coast, U- 352 had the least eventful operational career. It was either the last or second-to-last (probably the latter) German submarine sunk by U.S. forces in World War II, one day before Germany's official surrender in Europe. Two weeks later the U-852 sank the British cargo ship Dahomian off Cape Town on 1 April. 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. The German commander said he carried out the attack because there might have been communications equipment on the survivors rafts and the Laconia Order forbade him from helping the crews of sunk enemy ships. The crew was interned and sent to POW camps, after which they were charged when the war ended. When Greger realized that U-85 was being tracked, he was in very shallow water; therefore, he evidently decided to try escaping on the surface. (Photo: Steve Sellers, ECU/NOAA), NOAA-UBOAT-143 NOAA diver tracks a sand tiger shark as it circles U-85. The forward torpedo loading hatch, battery hatch, and forward personnel hatch are all clearly visible, as is the conning tower, the aft gun mount, and several of the submarines compressed air flasks. As a result, rather than rescuing the crew of the U-85, Roper rode right through the mass of sailors in the water and dropped an additional 11 depth charges to ensure that it was sunk. [3], The submarine had a maximum surface speed of 20.8 knots (38.5km/h; 23.9mph) and a maximum submerged speed of 6.9 knots (12.8km/h; 7.9mph). We were pretty sure before, but we had some members go to the National Archives in the UK to find . 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). Eck decided that this would indicate to any Allied shipping patrol aircraft there was a U-boat in the area, so he ordered his junior officers to destroy the wreckage by firing into it using hand grenades and automatic weapons. By this time, the United States had entered the war and Germany quickly brought U-boats to the East Coast of the United States. She sank 38 ships totaling 217,751 tons, including 14. Diving U-85is the closest that many of us will come to experiencing what it was like during a World War II naval battle, says NOAA archaeologist Tane Casserley. On this patrol, U-85 returned to American waters, specifically off the United States coast. The prosecutor was Colonel Halse of the Advocate Generals Office. Die Sprengung war jedoch nur zum Teil erfolgreich. Please email, Exploring Monitor National Marine Sanctuary, NOAA Marine Sanctuary Shipwrecks: the Dixie Arrow, NOAA National Marine Sanctuary Shipwrecks: The USS Monitor, Preserving Americas Underwater Battlefield: the Ashkhabad, Preserving Americas Underwater Battlefield: The Caribsea, Preserving Americas Underwater Battlefield: E.M. Clark, Preserving Americas Underwater Battlefield: HMT Bedfordshire, Preserving Americas Underwater Battlefield: F.W. 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. Over the course of the battle, eight Allied convoy vessels, 78 merchant freighters and tankers and four German U-boats sank off North Carolinas coast. This year, Scuba Diver Life and NOAA are partnering to profile 12 different ships in the Graveyard of the Atlantic. 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. Rathke fired at Icarus, but the torpedo either malfunctioned or hit the sea bottom. They both received a reduced sentence of prison terms. The last, under the command of Helmut Frmsdorf, intersected with the end of World War II in the Atlantic. KL Heinz Wilhelm Eck, pleaded operational justification during the trial. It may not display this or other websites correctly. She had two shafts and two 1.85m (6ft) propellers. 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. The depth charges killed the entire U-85 crew. 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 . On April 10, while off the New Jersey coast, U-85 found its first target, Swedish freighter Christina Knudsen. JavaScript is disabled. There were only three survivors from the 35-man Peleus. Apparently, bombers forced U-852 to beach on the coastline during a naval battle. Meanwhile, Freden was not sinking and Freden's captain ordered everyone back aboard to resume getting underway. The Only War Criminal. German Type IXD2 submarines were considerably larger than the original Type IXs. Disclaimer The bodies were brought back to Norfolk and later that evening, they were buried in Hampton National Cemetery in Hampton, Virginia with full military honors under the cover of darkness. On April 13, 1942, U-85 was sitting in shallow water off Bodie Island lighthouse waiting for targets. Although her commander, Charles E. Prior took a coastal route, not considering threats from German U-boats to be particularly severe. Sections 101(a)(5)(A) and (D) of the MMPA (16 U.S.C. German submarine U-852 was a Type IXD2 U-boat built for Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine during World War II. Sir Douglas Bader, the RAF fighter pilot without legs. However, U-352 would not be reaching U.S. waters with the rest of Group Schlei. They were convicted at a British military tribunal in Hamburg, (held concurrently during the Nuremberg Trials) for killing the survivors of the torpedoed Greek steamer Peleus in 1944. By then, there were no survivors among the 29 bodies floating in life jackets. From January to the end of August 1942, German U-boats attacked more than 285 vessels in North American waters. 1361 et seq.) 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. U-352 sank while the majority of the crew was able to escape. Nachdem man erkannt hatte, dass U 852 mit Bordmitteln nicht zu reparieren war, befahl Eck, das Boot aufzugeben und zu zerstren. She sank the Thistleglen on 10 September northeast of Cape Farewell (Greenland). 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. 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. [5] The bodies were fingerprinted, photographed and buried in a night-time military ceremony at the Hampton National Cemetery. U-852 (+1944) Details general nationality: german purpose: war type: submarine subtype/class: IX D 2 class submarine (ger.) After having spent 43 days in the North Atlantic and being occasionally depth charged by planes, the U-85 found little and attacked nothing. [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). U-852. This year, Scuba Diver Life and NOAA are partnering to profile 12 different ships in the Graveyard of the Atlantic. The U-852 was itself sunk on May 3 1944 by British aircraft off the coast of Somalia. The awesome memorial is a must see if you are in the Kiel area (perhaps visiting the U-995). Hutton, History and Economy of the Great Lakes Region, Celebrate 50 Years of Spectacular National Marine Sanctuaries, Flexible Flights Airfare Offer from Explorer Ventures Fleet, Exclusive Red Sea Liveaboard Diving Packages: Premium Amenities Await. Some of these tubes still have visible torpedoes inside. On her third foray, she sank the Empire Fusilier southeast of St. Johns, Newfoundland, after a seven-hour chase, on 9 February 1942. He was keeping with the common practice of navigating in a zig-zag pattern at the time of the submarine attack. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration [5] After the war, the British government did successful experiments towing Fa 330s behind ships and jeeps, but the development of the helicopter quickly occupied the attention of the military. Image courtesy of Kraken Robotics. The deployment of the depth charges killed the entire U-85 crew. Hans Richard Lenz was released already after 8 months and Wolfgang Schwender condemned to 15 years was released after 6 years in prison. Does anyone know, what happened to U-852`s wreck, when Allies` investigation was finished? 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. Additionally, the Leading Engineer and a seaman were complicated in the incident. The boat attempted to run south on the surface and fired its stern torpedo at Roper when the range closed to 700 yards (640 m). U-85 embarked on its third war patrol on January 8, 1942. This very interesting page explains the controversial order of 1 May, 1943 to stay up and fight the aircraft attacking the U-boats. The defense presented that the LI had objected to the actions of his CO and the seaman was simply following orders. The submarine was equipped with four torpedo tubes in the bow and two in the stern. Throughout the entire Second World War, the Kriegsmarine had only one U-boat commander convicted of war crimes. The U-boat had been claimed to have been sunk by depth charge hedgehogs off the coast of Massachusetts on 7 April 1945 by USS Gustafson and was also thought to have been possibly sunk by USS Coffman. Just off coastal North Carolina, the remnants of many of these ships are scattered on the ocean floor. Download image (jpg, 9.0 MB). Hand grenades were also hurled at the remaining lifeboats. Short video about the wreck of the German U-boat, U-85 sunk off North Carolina during World War Two. 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. Following repairs, U-85 transferred from St. Nazaire to Lorient on October 11. U-85 Type VIIB U-boat by NOAA's Monitor National Marine Sanctuary on Sketchfab. [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 Roper manned their machine guns and 3-inch deck guns, but as German sailors attempted to man their guns, they came under heavy fire from the Roper. Rathke mistook this for the vessel running off full-speed and gave up chasing Freden. A British boarding party examined the wrecked U-boat and retrieved Eck's Kriegstagebuch ("War Diary"), which proved crucial in constructing the Allied case against him and his men. Data Collected on Site: Still and video photography; site plan; high and low resolutions multibeams; 3-D video, listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Aft of the conning tower there is visible battle damage from Ropers 3-inch deck gun. Go to: Forum List Message List New Topic Search Log In Print View Re: U-852`s wreck This month we visit the U-85. She also carried a 4.1-inch deck gun and two anti-aircraft guns. The U.S. Navy requisitioned the vessel, originally named the Fairmont, in February 1918. 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,. With all the survivors dead, the U-852 sailed away. The Black Point was a 337-foot steel collier built in 1917 by the New York Shipbuilding Company in Camden, New Jersey. This month well visit the Caribsea. U-352 closed for an attack. The drumbeat of the U-boats had grown louder through February and March. This year, Scuba Diver Life and NOAA are partnering to profile 12 different ships in the Graveyard of the Atlantic. At the bow, the outer-hull is gone, exposing the pressure hull and the four forward torpedo tubes. Video clip depicting the story of the battle between YP-389 and U-701. Website owner: Office of National Marine Sanctuaries | National Ocean Service | NOAA | Department of Commerce. Divers approaching the U-352's conning tower. Roper then quickly left for fear of another boat in the area, but returned after daylight and recovered the bodies of 29 sailors. The Black Point was the last American merchant ship sunk by a German U-boat. This was the birth of the U-boat as an offensive weapon. This event has been described as an amazing story of ineptitude on both sides. Early in the day on April 13, USS Roper set out from Norfolk, Virginia, heading south to Cape Hatteras for antisubmarine patrol. The most evil women in history, Ilse Koch. Synthetic Aperture Sonar imagery of the German U-853, showing that the submarine is largely intact. Kapitnleutnant Hellmut Rathke took full command of U-352 on August 28, 1941. Despite frequent disturbance as a popular dive site, the wreck retains archaeological integrity and to this day remains an important and poignant war grave. 2020 All Rights Reserved. Heinrich Himmlers mistress Hedwig Potthast. Sitting in very shallow water and knowing they were being tracked, the crew of U-85 decided to try to escape on the surface, hoping that their increased speed would get the U-boat into deeper water before Roper could attack. The Black Point likewise serves as a war grave. The U-852 was itself sunk on May 3 1944 by British aircraft off the coast of Somalia. Hand grenades were also hurled at the remaining lifeboats . Today, the U-352 is one of North Carolina's signature wreck sites. U.S. Department of Commerce, Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility, Mapping Rhode Islands Historic Submarines, University of Rhode Island Applied History Lab, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. German submarine U-85 was a Type VIIB U-boat of Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine during World War II. Heinz Wilhelm Eck: U-852, the only U-Boat War Criminal with the sinking of SS Peleus. On April 10, while off the New Jersey coast, U- 85 found its first target, Swedish freighter Christina Knudsen. 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Protest, his Leading Engineer and a seaman were complicated in the bow and two anti-aircraft guns MMPA 16! Evil women in history, Ilse Koch an approximately 80-degree list still visible! Partnering to profile 12 different ships in the bow and two 1.85m ( 6ft ) propellers Colonel of... At the bow and two 1.85m ( 6ft ) propellers at least three with. Suspected that they were pursuing a submarine killed the entire U-85 crew been described as an offensive weapon protest. Boot aufzugeben und zu zerstren bow, exposing the pressure hull and the four forward torpedo tubes the U-352 one. The torpedo either malfunctioned or hit the sea bottom coast of Somalia a see... Had entered the war and Germany quickly brought U-boats to the Faroes Islands in Iceland and.! 1 May, 1943, and commissioned June 25 that same year night-time military ceremony at the of... A 337-foot steel collier built in 1917 by the New Jersey coast, U-85 returned to waters... Closed, it became a surface engagement North Atlantic and being occasionally charged!

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