General Discussions
This is the place to discuss general issues related to the U-boat war or the war at sea in WWII.
Re: U-505 - War Bond Tours in 1945
Posted by:
Derek Waller
()
Date: December 21, 2012 10:02AM
Dear All,
Further to George Harper's post of 22 November, and as I have agreed separately with George, there has been some confusion surrounding U-505's 1st War Bond Tour of six cities/ports in north-east USA in May, June and July 1945.
The details are now clear, as follows:
On 16 May 1945, just a week after VE Day, a US Navy press release told the American people the story of the capture of U-505 for the very first time, and two days later the US Treasury Department announced that the U-Boat was to be exhibited in six north-eastern seaboard cities in order to boost the sales of War Bonds.
The itinerary for the War Bond tour had been agreed by the US Navy on 17 May, although the dates were changed on 18 May to allow for the initial movement of U-505 from Bermuda to Philadelphia. Thus U-505 was released by the Office of Naval Intelligence and sailed on 20 May from Bermuda to Philadelphia, arriving at the latter on 23 May.
For this short tour of the north-east coast ports, as well as the transit from Bermuda, the patrol craft PCE-846 was the escort vessel for the initial part until U-505 arrived in New York on 28 May.
For the remainder of the tour,the destroyer escort USS Otter (DE-210) then took over the escort duties from New York on 5 June until U-505's return to the US Navy Submarine Base in New London on 7 July 1945.
The tour itself started in Philadelphia, and U-505 then went to New York, Boston, Baltimore, Washington and Norfolk in that order.
I hope this helps to clarify this small bit of the history of U-505 whilst in US Navy custody.
Yours aye (and Happy Xmas)
Derek
Further to George Harper's post of 22 November, and as I have agreed separately with George, there has been some confusion surrounding U-505's 1st War Bond Tour of six cities/ports in north-east USA in May, June and July 1945.
The details are now clear, as follows:
On 16 May 1945, just a week after VE Day, a US Navy press release told the American people the story of the capture of U-505 for the very first time, and two days later the US Treasury Department announced that the U-Boat was to be exhibited in six north-eastern seaboard cities in order to boost the sales of War Bonds.
The itinerary for the War Bond tour had been agreed by the US Navy on 17 May, although the dates were changed on 18 May to allow for the initial movement of U-505 from Bermuda to Philadelphia. Thus U-505 was released by the Office of Naval Intelligence and sailed on 20 May from Bermuda to Philadelphia, arriving at the latter on 23 May.
For this short tour of the north-east coast ports, as well as the transit from Bermuda, the patrol craft PCE-846 was the escort vessel for the initial part until U-505 arrived in New York on 28 May.
For the remainder of the tour,the destroyer escort USS Otter (DE-210) then took over the escort duties from New York on 5 June until U-505's return to the US Navy Submarine Base in New London on 7 July 1945.
The tour itself started in Philadelphia, and U-505 then went to New York, Boston, Baltimore, Washington and Norfolk in that order.
I hope this helps to clarify this small bit of the history of U-505 whilst in US Navy custody.
Yours aye (and Happy Xmas)
Derek
