Another man, the sub's machinist mate, had his leg severed and died later that night aboard Icarus. This month, well visit Monitor National Marine Sanctuary. Mohr, age 26, was killed when U-124was sunk with all hands on 2 April 1943 west of Oporto, Portugal. Eck, despite his mission, decided to attack the ship. 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. 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]. Those charged were Heinz Eck, August Hoffmann, Walter Weisspfennig, Hans Richard Lenz and Wolfgang Schwender. [11] The wreck site was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2015. (Photo: Steve Sellers, ECU/NOAA), NOAA-UBOAT-143 NOAA diver tracks a sand tiger shark as it circles U-85. U-352 sank while the majority of the crew was able to escape. 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. [3] However more recent commentary surmised that Gustafson had not hit her, and her loss is currently unexplained. 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. She sank 38 ships totaling 217,751 tons, including 14. Icarus left the area for approximately an hour to await instructions on how to proceed. With all the survivors dead, the U-852 sailed away. Today, visitors to the cemetery can see the graves and read the names of the sailors that were recovered. As the gap between the vessels closed, it became a surface engagement. Saling ship Zawisza Czarny and its German WWII engine, The Norwegian Operation and the Torpedo Crisis. The boat had a complement of fifty-five.[3]. They confirmed the pressure hull had been breached and that the bodies of many of the 55 deceased German submariners were still on board the stricken vessel. The U-853 was a type IXC/40 German submarine launched on March 11, 1943, and commissioned June 25 that same year. A well-aimed 3-inch shell breached the pressure hull just aft of the conning tower. It is unclear whether the German U-boat commander received Donitzs order to cease attacks or whether he willfully ignored it. direct the Secretary of Commerce (as delegated to NMFS) to allow, upon request, the incidental, but not intentional, taking of small numbers of marine mammals by U.S. citizens who engage in a specified activity (other than commercial fishing) within a specified geographical . Following repairs, U-85 transferred from St. Nazaire to Lorient on October 11. Disclaimer Hutton. Both of which were part of the 6th U-boat Flotilla.During her short time in the war, she sank no . However, the British tribunal rejected his plea of operational necessity and sentenced him to death. 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. The submarine was equipped with four torpedo tubes in the bow and two in the stern. This year, Scuba Diver Life and NOAA are partnering to profile 12 different ships in the Graveyard of the Atlantic. The text is below: As U-852 broke the surface, her gun crews swarmed out and manned the anti-aircraft guns. With all the survivors dead, the U-852 sailed away. 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,. Just south of Nags Head, North Carolina, U-85 waited in shallow water near the Bodie Island Lighthouse, looking for potential targets. Go to: Forum List Message List New Topic Search Log In Print View Re: U-852`s wreck This forum contains affiliate links to products on Amazon and eBay. And with its 88-mm gun pointed toward the surface, U-85 looks like its still looking for Allied vessels to sink. Roper then quickly left for fear of another boat in the area, but returned after daylight and recovered the bodies of 29 sailors. The expansion would also establish the largest area designated as a World War II battlefield anywhere in the world. Privacy Policy In 1927, Hawaiian Steamship Company sold her again, this time to C.H. German Type IXD2 submarines were considerably larger than the original Type IXs. Today, the U-352 is one of North Carolina's signature wreck sites. The drumbeat of the U-boats had grown louder through February and March. The Only War Criminal. By using this website we assume that you agree with this. The U-852 was itself sunk on May 3 1944 by British aircraft off the coast of Somalia. Roper raked U-85 with machine gun fire and scored a hit with a 3"/50 caliber gun. 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. 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. U-85 took part in four wolfpacks, namely: U-85 was operating within visual distance of Bodie Island Light at midnight on 13 April 1942 when the US destroyer USSRoper detected the submarine on British Type 286 radar at a range of 2,700 yards (2,500m). KL Heinz Wilhelm Eck, pleaded operational justification during the trial. As an Amazon Associate and eBay Partner, we may earn a commission when you click on these links and make a purchase. The story of the incident really began on a summer day of March 13, 1944. Heinz Eck had survivors and wreckage from the Greek steamer Peleus machine-gunned with the intention of erasing all traces of the sinking. 1361 et seq.) U-85 had a displacement of 753 tonnes (741 long tons) when at the surface and 857 tonnes (843 long tons) while submerged. Fifty-eight were captured by the Somaliland Camel Corps and local militia. After stalking her until nightfall, the steamer was sunk with two torpedoes. As the U-boat began to sink at the stern, Ropers crew watched the German sailors jump into the water and beg to be rescued. We were pretty sure before, but we had some members go to the National Archives in the UK to find . On 30 April 1944, U-852 was spotted in the Indian Ocean by a Vickers Wellington bomber flying from Aden. The Allies came into possession of an Fa 330 in May 1944 when they captured the U-852 intact. [1] When submerged, the boat could operate for 90 nautical miles (170km; 100mi) at 4 knots (7.4km/h; 4.6mph); when surfaced, she could travel 8,700 nautical miles (16,100km; 10,000mi) at 10 knots (19km/h; 12mph). U-85 embarked on its third war patrol on January 8, 1942. 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. Many thanks in advance and best regards. Those charged were Heinz Eck, age 29, August Hoffmann , Walter Weisspfennig , they were executed by a fire squad 30-11-1945. During the journey, Eck torpedoed and sank the Greek tramp steamer, SS Peleus . JavaScript is disabled. KL Heinz Wilhelm Eck of U-852 was indicted and sentenced to death by firing squad at the Nuremberg Tribunal on November 30 1945. 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. U-85s captain must have decided to scuttle and abandon the ship. The first divers to visit the wreck were deployed from the USS Penguin (ASR-12) in the hours immediately after the submarine sank. The crew was interned and sent to POW camps, after which they were charged when the war ended. Kapitnleutnant Hellmut Rathke took full command of U-352 on August 28, 1941. 14 Mar 1944. Report an Error, Site Index The crew was interned and sent to POW camps, after which they were charged when the war ended. Meanwhile, Freden was not sinking and Freden's captain ordered everyone back aboard to resume getting underway. Image courtesy of Kraken Robotics. The Black Point was a 337-foot steel collier built in 1917 by the New York Shipbuilding Company in Camden, New Jersey. Eight of the twelve boats were redirected to the Faroes Islands in Iceland and Scotland. This page covers the events related to U-boats since 1945, including boats taken over by the allies after the war and their eventual fate. However, before reaching land the U-boat came under attack from six RAF bombers from 621 Squadron. If so, are there still some parts of U-852 near Somalias coast, that can be found? 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. The last, under the command of Helmut Frmsdorf, intersected with the end of World War II in the Atlantic. Their suspicions were confirmed when the crew witnessed the track of a torpedo narrowly missing them. You are using an out of date browser. The deployment of the depth charges killed the entire U-85 crew. The crew of the Roper did not suspect much at first, but pursued the contact. British forces captured her crew. U-852 was proceeding to the Indian Ocean to join the Monsun wolfpack when its commander committed an act that made it infamous. To view additional dive slates click here. U-85 left for its fourth and final patrol on March 21, 1942. This year, Scuba Diver Life and NOAA are partnering to profile 12 different ships in the Graveyard of the Atlantic. The depth charge damage was so great that he had no other alternative but to abort the mission and return to port in St. Nazaire, France. Even with the dive briefing fresh in your mind, seeing the U-352 materialize off the bottom, sitting with a 45-degree list to starboard, is an amazing sight. However, to do this successfully the submarine would have to maintain a high-level of secrecy throughout her journey from Europe. If you have any questions please contact us. The prosecutor was Colonel Halse of the Advocate General's Office.The presiding judge was Major A. Melford Stevenson. Greger sunk the ship and then proceeded directly to Cape Hatteras, North Carolina. Throughout the entire Second World War, the Kriegsmarine had only one U-boat commander convicted of war crimes. Amid the sinking wreckage were the survivors jammed packed in lifeboats and rafts. Lieutenant Commander Maurice Jester aboard Icarus reacted appropriately. National marine sanctuaries protect some of the most spectacular ocean and Great Lakes resources in the United States, including shipwrecks like the USS Monitor. At 1800 on March 21, 1942, with a brass band on the pier, with a blooded crew, a confident captain and a well-tried ship, U-85 set out once more for Amerika. The gap between the two vessels closed, and a surface engagement ensued. This year, Scuba Diver Life and NOAA are partnering to profile 12 different ships in the Graveyard of the Atlantic. The U.S. Navy requisitioned the vessel, originally named the Fairmont, in February 1918. The survivors were taken to Charleston, South Carolina, as prisoners of war. 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. The outer hull is gone at the bow, exposing the pressure hull and the four forward torpedo tubes. They dived the wreck to a depth of approximately 12,500 feet (3,800 m) in the MIR submersible from the Russian research ship Akademik Mstislav Keldysh. Greger's first war patrol as Captain began on August 28, 1941, and he was dispatched to patrol for convoys southwest of Iceland. The visibility and water temperature vary widely depending on the dynamic, shifting currents. Fatally wounded, the Black Point sank, killing 12 of the 46 men on board. In protest, his Leading Engineer questioned his commander's order but could do little to change the fate of the survivors. The report, provided by the Canadian War Museum, illustrates the boats career both in German service and its post-war service with the Royal Canadian Navy. This year, Scuba Diver Life and NOAA are partnering to profile 12 different ships in the Graveyard of the Atlantic. 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 information listed on this site is to be used as a reference and is only our opinion/suggestion. Many of the individual hull plates are visible in the imagery. Group Schlei was to return to France and begin preparing for deployment to U.S. waters. It was laid down in Bremen and completed in June 1943. [2], Having left St. Nazaire on 21 March 1942, U-85 sank the Norwegian freighter Christen Knudsen off the coast of New Jersey on 10 April.[3]. 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. 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 . Some of these tubes still have visible torpedoes inside. 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 . Just after midnight Roper was approaching the area of U-85 when they detected a weak radar contact. As the German sailors attempted to exit the conning tower to man their guns, they came under heavy fire from Ropers crew. [6] U-85 lies in less than 100ft (30m) of water; the United States Navy briefly attempted to salvage her. During this time, Roper believed it had another sonar contact and not wanting to take any chances of another possible U-boat, Roper rode right through the mass of sailors in the water and dropped an additional 11 depth charges. On her third foray, she sank the Empire Fusilier southeast of St. Johns, Newfoundland, after a seven-hour chase, on 9 February 1942. When they stopped the ship in order to launch the lifeboats, U-352 passed right by them without notice and somehow lost contact. Two weeks later the U-852 sank the British cargo ship Dahomian off Cape Town on 1 April. They then returned to the site and collected 33 survivors, one of which died aboard the Icarus shortly thereafter. 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. 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. This month we visit the U-85. Gross Tonnage: 761/865 tons (surfaced/submerged) Cargo: N/A, Built: 1940, Flensburger Schiffsbau-Ges, Flensburg, Schleswig-Holsein, Germany, Hull Number: 471 Port of Registry: Germany, Sunk By: USCGC Icarus Survivors: 33 of 48 survived (15 dead). According to the Navy report, 13 men died aboard the U-352. The wreck lies on its starboard side with approximately an approximately 80-degree list. The following day, Greger surfaced U-85 intending on conducting repairs and resuming his patrol. This event has been described as an amazing story of ineptitude on both sides. He had lived to tell the story which had led to the indictment of the four U-boat officers and a seaman. Does anyone know, what happened to U-852`s wreck, when Allies` investigation was finished? This month we visit the Tamaulipas. Abrams. This site was discovered in 1974 by Olympus owner and Captain, George Purifoy, and several friends. 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. This triggered a hunt for the U-boat, but in a surprising twist, Frmsdorf did not flee the scene. She was commanded by Kapitnleutnant Heinz-Wilhelm Eck, who led her through her sea trials and onto her first war patrol on 18January 1944. [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). (Photo: NOAA), This post is by a guest blogger. Download image (jpg, 9.0 MB). 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. This month well visit the Caribsea. He sent out five depth charges from the Y-gun, which damaged U-352 so badly they decided to play dead and lay still on the bottom, hoping to go unnoticed. It was the German U-boat sunk closest to the U.S. mainland. The U-boat Memorial at Mltenort. She sank the Thistleglen on 10 September northeast of Cape Farewell (Greenland). Amid the sinking wreckage were the survivors jammed packed in lifeboats and rafts. The Black Point likewise serves as a war grave. At the bow, the outer-hull is gone, exposing the pressure hull and the four forward torpedo tubes. 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. U-85 conducted four war patrols with the flotilla, and sank three ships, totalling 15,060gross register tons(GRT). Joined later by the destroyer Ericsson (DD440), the American task force detected, attacked, and destroyed the U-853. The U-85 is a very rare Type VIIB U-boat, one of only 24 built, and was the only Type VIIB U-boat lost off the U.S. East Coast during the war. Learn more about U-85 and other World War II shipwrecks off the North Carolina coast here. 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. [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). During this time, Roper believed it had another sonar contact, which was likely the U-85 as it sank. 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. 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. The visibility and water temperature vary greatly depending upon the dynamic, shifting currents. Download image (jpg, 377 KB). This year, Scuba Diver Life and NOAA are partnering to profile 12 different ships in the Graveyard of the Atlantic. Roper illuminated the U-boat with its searchlight and observed men on deck near the gun whose firing arc had just been cleared by the course change. High-resolution mapping of the site shows the vessel lying keel up on the ocean floor with the bow pointing to the northeast. She was launched in November 1938 and commissioned in February 1939.. U-40 conducted two war patrols during her career. The submarine was powered by two MAN M 6 V 40/46 four-stroke, six-cylinder supercharged diesel engines producing a total of 2,800 to 3,200 metric horsepower (2,060 to 2,350kW; 2,760 to 3,160shp) for use while surfaced, two BBC GG UB 720/8 double-acting electric motors producing a total of 750 metric horsepower (550kW; 740shp) for use while submerged. Hans Lenz, the engineering officer, who had opposed Eck's order but eventually carried it out was given a life sentence (but was released seven years later, in 1952). Rod Mather, University of Rhode Island Applied History Lab. Image courtesy of Kraken Robotics. CMS Version: 4.6.3. Early in the day on April 13, USS Roper set out from Norfolk, Virginia, heading south to Cape Hatteras for antisubmarine patrol. U-85 was the third Type VII-B built at Flender Werke in Lbeck and was attached to the Third Flotilla from June 1941 until the time of loss on April 14, 1942. She measured 251 feet, 10 inches in length; 22 feet, 6 inches in the beam; and drew 15 feet, 4 inches. The March 1944 sinking of the merchant ship Peleus by U-852 remains highly controversial as the U-Boat skipper turned his guns on survivors in the water. She had two shafts and two 1.23m (4ft) propellers. Beginning on May 5, far out to sea off Cape Hatteras, N.C., U-352 began a game of cat-and-mouse with the Swedish merchant vessel SS Freden. Posted by: dozmataz_buckshank Date: October 14, 2016 05:31PM. U-654 was able to sink one vessel in this convoy, while Greger fired at least three torpedoes with no hits. Rathke mistook this for the vessel running off full-speed and gave up chasing Freden. Hans Richard Lenz was released already after 8 months and Wolfgang Schwender condemned to 15 years was released after 6 years in prison. Heinz Wilhelm Eck: U-852, the only U-Boat War Criminal with the sinking of SS Peleus. One of the most successful Hunter-Killers of WWII. Download image (jpg, 270 KB). Image showing the location of the main wreckage of the Black Point relative to a smaller section of the ship's stern, approximately 1,800 feet south. As it turned out, not all the survivors were killed. Divers approaching the U-352's conning tower. This month well visit the HMT Bedfordshire. 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. 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. This year, Scuba Diver Life and NOAA are partnering to profile 12 different ships in the Graveyard of the Atlantic. Short video about the wreck of the German U-boat, U-85 sunk off North Carolina during World War Two. USS Fairmont, later renamed Black Point, in harbor on a winter day, circa 1918-1919. The vessels were joint players in one of the final acts of the Battle of the North Atlantic during World War II. On May 9, U-352 began the engagement that would end in its demise. 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. 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