German submarine U-505 facts for kids
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U-505 shortly after being captured
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| History | |
|---|---|
 Germany |
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| Ordered | 25 September 1939 |
| Builder | Deutsche Werft AG, Hamburg-Finkenwerder |
| Yard number | 295 |
| Laid down | 12 June 1940 |
| Launched | 24 May 1941 |
| Commissioned | 26 August 1941 |
| Fate | Captured by US Navy, 4 June 1944 |
| Status | Preserved as a museum ship |
| General characteristics | |
| Type | Type IXC submarine |
| Displacement |
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| Length |
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| Beam |
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| Height | 9.60 m (31 ft 6 in) |
| Draught | 4.70 m (15 ft 5 in) |
| Installed power |
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| Propulsion |
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| Speed |
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| Range |
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| Test depth | 230 m (750 ft) |
| Complement | 48 to 56 |
| Armament |
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| Service record | |
| Part of: |
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| Identification codes: | M 46 074 |
| Commanders: |
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| Operations: | 12 patrols |
| Victories: | Eight ships sunk for a total of 44,962 GRT |
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U-505 (IXC U-boat)
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 Location in Chicago metropolitan area
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| Built | 1941 |
| Architect | Deutsche Werft AG, Hamburg, Germany |
| NRHP reference No. | 89001231 |
| Significant dates | |
| Added to NRHP | 1989 |
| Designated NHL | 1989 |
U-505 was a German Type IXC submarine built for Germany's navy, the Kriegsmarine, during World War II. The U.S. Navy captured her on 4 June 1944. This was a very rare event during the war.
U-505 had a challenging career. She was once the "most heavily damaged U-boat" to return to port. She was captured by a special U.S. Navy group called Task Group 22.3. Almost all of her crew were rescued. The submarine was secretly taken to Bermuda. Her capture was kept top secret so Germany wouldn't find out.
In 1954, U-505 was given to the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago, Illinois. Today, she is one of only four German World War II U-boats that are still around as museum ships. She is also one of only two Type IXC submarines left.
Contents
Submarine Design and Features
U-505 was a Type IXC submarine. These were a bit bigger than earlier models. When on the surface, U-505 weighed about 1,120 tons. When underwater, she weighed about 1,232 tons.
The submarine was about 76.76 meters (251 feet) long. Her main body, called the pressure hull, was 58.75 meters (192 feet) long. She was 6.76 meters (22 feet) wide and 9.60 meters (31 feet) tall. Her draft, or how deep she sat in the water, was 4.70 meters (15 feet).
Power and Speed
U-505 used two large diesel engines when on the surface. These engines produced a lot of power, about 4,400 horsepower. When underwater, she used two electric motors. These motors made about 1,000 horsepower.
The submarine had two propellers to move through the water. She could travel up to 18.3 knots (about 21 miles per hour) on the surface. Underwater, her top speed was 7.3 knots (about 8.4 miles per hour).
Range and Depth
When submerged, U-505 could travel about 63 nautical miles (72 miles) at 4 knots. On the surface, she could go much farther. She could travel 13,450 nautical miles (15,470 miles) at 10 knots. This means she could cross oceans! The submarine could dive to a depth of about 230 meters (750 feet).
Weapons and Crew
U-505 was armed with six torpedo tubes. Four were at the front (bow) and two were at the back (stern). She carried 22 torpedoes. She also had a large 10.5 cm (4.1 inch) naval gun on her deck. This gun had 180 rounds of ammunition. For defense against aircraft, she had a 3.7 cm (1.5 inch) anti-aircraft gun. She also had a twin 2 cm (0.79 inch) anti-aircraft gun. The submarine had a crew of about 48 to 56 sailors.
Service History of U-505
U-505 was built by Deutsche Werft in Hamburg, Germany. Her construction started on 12 June 1940. She was launched on 25 May 1941. The submarine officially joined the navy on 26 August 1941. Her first commander was Axel-Olaf Loewe. Later commanders included Peter Zschech and Harald Lange.
U-505 went on 12 patrols during the war. She sank eight ships in total. These ships added up to about 44,962 tons. The ships she sank were from America, Britain, Norway, the Netherlands, and Colombia.
First Patrol
After training, U-505 began her first real patrol on 19 January 1942. She sailed around the British Isles for 16 days. She then docked in Lorient, France. She did not find any enemy ships and was not attacked.
Second Patrol
On 11 February 1942, U-505 started her second patrol. This patrol lasted 86 days. She traveled to the west coast of Africa. There, she sank her first four ships. These included the British Benmohr and the American West Irmo. On 18 April, an Allied aircraft attacked U-505. The submarine received only minor damage.
Third Patrol
U-505 left Lorient for her third patrol on 7 June 1942. She sailed to the Caribbean Sea. She sank two American ships, Sea Thrush and Thomas McKean. She also sank the Colombian ship Urious. This sinking led Colombia to declare war on Germany. U-505 returned to Lorient on 25 August.
Fourth Patrol and Damage
U-505's fourth patrol took her to South America. She left Lorient on 4 October. On 7 November, she sank the British ship Ocean Justice near Venezuela.
On 10 November, near Trinidad, a Lockheed Hudson aircraft attacked U-505. The plane dropped a 250-pound bomb right onto the submarine's deck. The explosion killed one officer and badly damaged the submarine. The aircraft also crashed, killing its crew.
Water flooded the engine room of U-505. Her commander, Zschech, ordered the crew to leave the ship. But the technical crew worked hard to save her. They managed to fix the leaks after almost two weeks. U-505 then slowly returned to Lorient for repairs.
Difficult Patrols
After six months of repairs, U-505 started her fifth patrol on 1 July 1943. She had to return after only 13 days. Three British destroyers had chased her for over 30 hours.
Her next four patrols were also cut short. This was due to equipment problems and even sabotage. French workers, secretly helping the Resistance, damaged parts of the submarine. They drilled a hole in a fuel tank and made bad welds. U-505 became a joke at the base. A sign was even painted saying: "U-505's Hunting Ground."
Eleventh Patrol
Harald Lange became the new commander of U-505. Her eleventh patrol began on Christmas Day 1943. She returned early again, on 2 January 1944. This time, she rescued 33 sailors from a German torpedo boat that had been sunk.
Capture of U-505
The Allies knew German U-boats were operating near Cape Verde. This was thanks to secret German messages they had decoded. The U.S. Navy sent a special "Hunter-Killer" group to find them. This group was called Task Group 22.3 (TG 22.3). It included the aircraft carrier Guadalcanal and several destroyer escorts.
Finding the Submarine
On 4 June 1944, TG 22.3 found U-505. They used sonar, which sends sound waves to detect objects underwater. The submarine was about 150 nautical miles (172 miles) off the coast of Río de Oro. The ship Chatelain was very close to U-505.
Chatelain fired special mortars called Hedgehogs. Then, she dropped depth charges. An aircraft spotted U-505 and marked its position. A large oil slick appeared on the water. The pilot radioed, "Sub is surfacing!"
The Attack
Less than seven minutes after the attack began, the damaged U-505 surfaced. She was less than 600 meters (650 yards) away. Chatelain and other ships immediately opened fire. Two aircraft also joined the attack.
Commander Lange believed U-505 was too damaged. He ordered his crew to abandon ship. They left the submarine without sinking it. The submarine began to circle because its rudder was damaged. The commander of Chatelain thought U-505 was attacking. He fired a torpedo, but it missed.
Saving the Submarine
_lying_alongside_captured_U-505.jpg)
While some ships rescued the German crew, a team from the ship Pillsbury boarded U-505. They found one dead German sailor. The submarine was empty. The team quickly secured maps and codebooks. They closed valves that the Germans had opened to sink the ship. They also stopped the engines. The submarine stayed afloat, though it was low in the water.
The ship Pillsbury tried to tow U-505, but they kept bumping into each other. So, a team from the Guadalcanal took over. They connected a towline from the aircraft carrier to the U-boat. They also figured out how to use the submarine's propellers to charge its batteries. This allowed them to use the pumps to remove water. They also blew air into the ballast tanks to make the submarine float higher.
After three days of towing, U-505 was transferred to a tugboat. On 19 June, the submarine arrived in Bermuda. This was after being towed for 1,700 nautical miles (1,956 miles). The U.S. Navy took 58 German prisoners from U-505. They were sent to a prisoner of war camp in Louisiana.
Awards and Secrecy
The capture of U-505 was a huge secret. The U.S. Navy wanted to keep it hidden from Germany. The German crew were kept separate from other prisoners. The Red Cross was not allowed to visit them. The German navy eventually declared the crew dead. The crew were not returned home until 1947.
Many people received awards for this amazing capture. Lieutenant Albert David received the Medal of Honor. This is the highest military award in the U.S. Two other sailors, Arthur Knispel and Stanley Wdowiak, received the Navy Cross. Captain Daniel Gallery, who planned the operation, received the Navy Distinguished Service Medal. The entire Task Group was given the Presidential Unit Citation. This was for their "outstanding performance" and "unprecedented bravery."
U-505 After the War
The U.S. Navy studied U-505 in Bermuda. To keep the capture a secret, they painted her to look like a U.S. submarine. They even renamed her USS Nemo.
After the war ended in Europe, U-505 was used to help sell war bonds. People who bought a bond could also buy a ticket to go inside the submarine. In June 1945, she visited New York City, Philadelphia, and Baltimore.
The Navy didn't need U-505 anymore after the war. They planned to use her for target practice and sink her. But Rear Admiral Gallery, who captured her, didn't want this. He contacted the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago. The museum was interested in having a submarine.
In September 1954, the U.S. government gave the submarine to the museum. People in Chicago raised $250,000 to move and install her. Tugboats towed U-505 through the Great Lakes. She stopped in Detroit, Michigan in July 1954. The museum opened her as a permanent exhibit on 25 September 1954. She became a memorial to all sailors lost in the Battle of the Atlantic.
Museum Ship
When U-505 arrived at the museum, many parts were missing from her inside. The museum director asked the original German manufacturers for replacement parts. Admiral Gallery said that every company sent the parts for free. They wanted the submarine to show off German technology.
The Navy had taken the submarine's periscope for research. In 2003, they found it again and gave it to the museum. By 2004, the submarine's outside was damaged by weather. So, the museum moved her to a new indoor, climate-controlled spot in April 2004. They restored her and reopened her to the public on 5 June 2005.
In 2019, the Museum of Science and Industry updated the submarine again. They made her look even more like she did originally. They also opened a special exhibit with many items from the submarine.
Summary of Ships Sunk
| Date | Name of Ship | Country | Weight (GRT) | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 March 1942 | Benmohr |  United Kingdom |
5,920 | Sunk |
| 6 March 1942 | Sydhav |  Norway |
7,597 | Sunk |
| 3 April 1942 | West Irmo |  United States |
5,775 | Sunk |
| 4 April 1942 | Alphacca |  Netherlands |
7,191 | Sunk |
| 28 June 1942 | Sea Thrush | United States |
5,447 | Sunk |
| 29 June 1942 | Thomas McKean | United States |
7,191 | Sunk |
| 22 July 1942 | Urious |  Colombia |
153 | Sunk |
| 7 November 1942 | Ocean Justice | United Kingdom |
7,173 | Sunk |
Images for kids
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Underside of U-505
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Wide-angle shot of U-505
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Conning tower of U-505, showing the badge of the flotilla to which she belonged. Shell damage received during her capture is visible.
See also
In Spanish: U 505 (1941) para niños
