On 30 November 1945, Eck, Hoffmann and Weisspfennig were executed by naval firing squad.[6]. 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. German Type VIIB submarines were preceded by the shorter Type VIIA submarines. [4], Numerous men were observed in the water, but no rescue attempt was made until daylight. Heinz-Wilhelm Eck was born in Hamburg on March 27 1916, and was raised in Berlin. U-852 was proceeding to the Indian Ocean to join the Monsun wolfpack when its commander committed an act that made it infamous. The site is heavily encrusted with coralline algae and supports an array of cnidarians, such as sea anemones and corals. 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. Kapitn Leutnant Heinz Wilhelm Eck of U-852 was indicted and sentenced to death by firing squad at the Nuremberg Tribunal on November 30 1945. This forum contains affiliate links to products on Amazon and eBay. 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. You can clearly see the shell damage behind the conning tower caused by USSRopers 3-inch gun. 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. Download image (jpg, 270 KB). The crew of the Roper did not suspect much at first, but pursued the contact. U-85s attempt to shake Roper failed. This year, Scuba Diver Life and NOAA are partnering to profile 12 different ships in the Graveyard of the Atlantic. She was 55 feet in the beam and rated at 5,353 tons. It was laid down in Bremen and completed in June 1943. The Black Point was a 337-foot steel collier built in 1917 by the New York Shipbuilding Company in Camden, New Jersey. This month we visit the Tamaulipas. 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. 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). 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 pressure hull is ruptured and accessible at multiple points. Joined later by the destroyer Ericsson (DD440), the American task force detected, attacked, and destroyed the U-853. This was part of a NOVA/National Geographic documentary . The visibility and water temperature vary widely depending on the dynamic, shifting currents. And with its 88-mm gun pointed toward the surface, U-85 looks like its still looking for Allied vessels to sink. Video clip depicting the story of the battle between YP-389 and U-701. Following repairs, U-85 transferred from St. Nazaire to Lorient on October 11. [4] More recent investigation by sport divers has raised questions about Navy reports on the wreck.[7]. Also, on the site, the density of red barbier baitfish and amberjack is such that it often hinders photographic documentation. During a test dive, however, he discovered that U-85 was not able to dive effectively. Shortly before Rathke fired his torpedoes, Icarus got a sonar contact. HMT Bedfordshire is one vessel included in the proposal. 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. We visit this site on average 2-3 times per week, so come check it out and become a part of history with us! [6] U-85 lies in less than 100ft (30m) of water; the United States Navy briefly attempted to salvage her. The Black Point was the last American merchant ship sunk by a German U-boat. This year, Scuba Diver Life and NOAA are partnering to profile 12 different ships in the Graveyard of the Atlantic. [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 May 5 (or possibly the early morning of May 6), all 55 submariners aboard U-853 were entombed in their . She had two shafts and two 1.85m (6ft) propellers. [3] However more recent commentary surmised that Gustafson had not hit her, and her loss is currently unexplained. Wreck Site Of the U-boats off North Carolina's coast, U- 352 had the least eventful operational career. The crew was interned and sent to POW camps, after which they were charged when the war ended. This month we visit the U-352. On 30 April 1944, U-852 was spotted in the Indian Ocean by a Vickers Wellington bomber flying from Aden. The survivors were taken to Charleston, South Carolina, as prisoners of war. 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. Roper raked U-85 with machine gun fire and scored a hit with a 3"/50 caliber gun. 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). 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. However, the British tribunal rejected his plea of operational necessity and sentenced him to death. The wreck lies on its starboard side with approximately an approximately 80-degree list. [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). This year, Scuba Diver Life and NOAA are partnering to profile 12 different ships in the Graveyard of the Atlantic. British forces captured her crew. He had lived to tell the story which had led to the indictment of the four U-boat officers and a seaman. 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. The first divers to visit the wreck were deployed from the USS Penguin (ASR-12) in the hours immediately after the submarine sank. 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. 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. This month, well visit Monitor National Marine Sanctuary. The U-852 was itself sunk on May 3 1944 by British aircraft off the coast of Somalia. Ropers crew manned their machine guns and 3-inch deck guns. Hans Richard Lenz was released already after 8 months and Wolfgang Schwender condemned to 15 years was released after 6 years in prison. The last, under the command of Helmut Frmsdorf, intersected with the end of World War II in the Atlantic. 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. 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 Only War Criminal. The vessels were joint players in one of the final acts of the Battle of the North Atlantic during World War II. The wreck is home to a variety of marine life, including invasive lionfish. 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. One survivor managed to escape and was eventually rescued by allied ships. 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). Despite frequent disturbance as a popular dive site, the wreck retains archaeological integrity and to this day remains an important and poignant war grave. 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. The Peleus Affair. This year, Scuba Diver Life and NOAA are partnering to profile 12 different ships in the Graveyard of the Atlantic. [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). The boat attempted to run south on the surface and fired its stern torpedo at Roper when the range closed to 700 yards (640m). Kptlt. On 30 April 1944, U-852 was spotted in the Indian Ocean by a Vickers Wellington bomber flying from Aden. This site is visited on a Full Day Dive Trip. Report an Error, Site Index Greger sunk the ship and then proceeded directly to Cape Hatteras, North Carolina. Rathke spotted Icarus, a 165-foot USCG Cutter, on antisubmarine patrol off Cape Lookout. National marine sanctuaries protect some of the most spectacular ocean and Great Lakes resources in the United States, including shipwrecks like the Dixie Arrow. Download image (jpg, 377 KB). Eck was forced to run aground on a coral reef (.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}932N 5059E / 9.533N 50.983E / 9.533; 50.983Coordinates: 932N 5059E / 9.533N 50.983E / 9.533; 50.983) about 20km (12mi) from shore. 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. Rathke moved into position twice, each time firing a torpedo from the bow, but each missed. A well-aimed 3-inch shell breached the pressure hull just aft of U-85s conning tower. The drumbeat of the U-boats had grown louder through February and March. 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. This month we visit the W.E. On May 9, 1942 it was sunk by the Coast Guard Cutter Icarus. Saling ship Zawisza Czarny and its German WWII engine, The Norwegian Operation and the Torpedo Crisis. Fifty-eight were captured by the Somaliland Camel Corps and local militia. The visibility and water temperature vary greatly depending upon the dynamic, shifting currents. Two other officers of U-852, the 2WO and the doctor were also indicted and shot. This website makes use of cookies to ensure that the website works properly. U-352 was part of Group Schlei and was ordered, along with twelve other U-boats, to converge on an area West of Rockall and to begin looking for convoys. High-resolution mapping of the site shows the vessel lying keel up on the ocean floor with the bow pointing to the northeast. The story of the incident really began on a summer day of March 13, 1944. She also carried a 4.1-inch deck gun and two anti-aircraft guns. This year, Scuba Diver Life and NOAA are partnering to profile 12 different ships in the Graveyard of the Atlantic. The German sailors were later interred in Hampton Roads, Virginia. They did this while the rest of the crew remained below decks. 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. 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. The depth charges killed the entire U-85 crew. Mountain View class IX D 2 class submarine (ger. KL Heinz Wilhelm Eck of U-852 was indicted and sentenced to death by firing squad at the Nuremberg Tribunal on November 30 1945. KL Heinz Wilhelm Eck, pleaded operational justification during the trial. 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 submarine was equipped with four torpedo tubes in the bow and two in the stern. Just off coastal North Carolina, the remnants of many of these ships are scattered on the ocean floor. Setting sail from St. Nazaire, France, on March 21, 1942, U-85 was making its third and final journey. However, before reaching land the U-boat came under attack from six RAF bombers from 621 Squadron. U-85 had a displacement of 753 tonnes (741 long tons) when at the surface and 857 tonnes (843 long tons) while submerged. Download image (jpg, 7.8 MB). The U-boat with the longest operational service in World War II, spending 750 days at sea during 13 patrols from January 1941 to August 1944. comments sorted by Best Top New Controversial Q&A Add a Comment . 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