Technology and Operations
This forum is for discussing technological & operational matters pertaining to U-boats.
RE: U-Boat Propulsion
Posted by:
Don Baker
()
Date: July 27, 2000 01:00AM
Hello Rick
(1) Re U-505 pictures - When the first boarding party from USS Pillsbury arrived, U-505 was still underway on her electric motors with the rudder jammed hard over in a turn to the right. She was still taking on water and was almost at neutral bouyancy, sitting at about a 10 degree bow up attitude with the stern section submerged and only a portion of the deck forward of the tower still above water. These are the pictures you refer to. The first men to go down inside were Lt.(jg) Albert David, followed by Stanley Wdowiak RM 2/c, and Arthur Knispel TM 3/c. Once inside David called for more of the men on deck to come down. He also ordered the hatch closed because the sub was riding so low in the water waves were washing over the conning tower and water was spilling in.
Zenon Lukosius MoMM 1/c located the sea strainer which Hans Goebler had opened just before he went over the side. The cover plate was lying on the deck plates and Luke managed to get it back in place and dogged down slowing that leak. Interestingly enough, Lukosius and Goebler met years later at the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago where U-505 is on display.
From that point on the effort was concentrated on getting U-505 pumped out and trim re-established. She was right on the point of foundering and that was why she was towed in order to take advantage of the lift generated by the diving planes. I have some photographs taken after she was back at full surface trim but these pictures are not the ones usually seen. One photograph shows U-505's crew on the flight deck of Guadalcanal watching Abnaki with U-505 under tow about 1000 yds abeam. In this photograph U-505 is at full surface trim.
With best regards,
Don B
(1) Re U-505 pictures - When the first boarding party from USS Pillsbury arrived, U-505 was still underway on her electric motors with the rudder jammed hard over in a turn to the right. She was still taking on water and was almost at neutral bouyancy, sitting at about a 10 degree bow up attitude with the stern section submerged and only a portion of the deck forward of the tower still above water. These are the pictures you refer to. The first men to go down inside were Lt.(jg) Albert David, followed by Stanley Wdowiak RM 2/c, and Arthur Knispel TM 3/c. Once inside David called for more of the men on deck to come down. He also ordered the hatch closed because the sub was riding so low in the water waves were washing over the conning tower and water was spilling in.
Zenon Lukosius MoMM 1/c located the sea strainer which Hans Goebler had opened just before he went over the side. The cover plate was lying on the deck plates and Luke managed to get it back in place and dogged down slowing that leak. Interestingly enough, Lukosius and Goebler met years later at the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago where U-505 is on display.
From that point on the effort was concentrated on getting U-505 pumped out and trim re-established. She was right on the point of foundering and that was why she was towed in order to take advantage of the lift generated by the diving planes. I have some photographs taken after she was back at full surface trim but these pictures are not the ones usually seen. One photograph shows U-505's crew on the flight deck of Guadalcanal watching Abnaki with U-505 under tow about 1000 yds abeam. In this photograph U-505 is at full surface trim.
With best regards,
Don B
