Capturing The German Submarine U-505
On 4 June 1944, about 100 miles off the Cape Verde islands, sound contact was made on a U-boat trying to penetrate the destroyer screen for a shot at the Guadalcanal. Two pilots sighted the submarine running under the surface, and splashed the sea with gunfire to point out the contact to Pillsbury, USS Jenks (DE-665), and USS Chatelain (DE-149) rushing to the attack. Their depth charges blasted a hole in the outer hull of the submarine and her inexperienced captain, believing his boat was doomed, surfaced and ordered the crew to abandon ship, which they did while leaving her engines running. Pillsbury lowered a boarding party, led by Lt. Albert David. The party boarded the still-circling U–505, climbed its conning tower and stormed down the hatches, fully expecting to meet stiff resistance. Finding the boat deserted, the boarders set about collecting charts, code books, and papers, tearing out delayed-action demolition charges, closing valves, and plugging leaks. For this demonstration of conspicuous gallantry and achievement, Pillsbury was awarded the Presidential Unit Citation. Lt. David was awarded the Medal of Honor and two other members of the boarding party were awarded the Navy Cross. The U-boat's captain, five officers, and fifty-three of her crew were rescued, taken prisoner, then held incommunicado to keep the boat's capture secret. U-505 was towed 2,500 miles to Bermuda and revealed some of the German Navy’s most guarded secrets. The U-505 is now permanently displayed at the Chicago Museum of Science and Industry.
Read more about this topic: USS Pillsbury (DE-133)
Famous quotes containing the word german:
“I heard a Californian student in Heidelberg say, in one of his calmest moods, that he would rather decline two drinks than one German adjective.”
—Mark Twain [Samuel Langhorne Clemens] (1835–1910)