It is my understanding that Type VIIC boats carried hand tools only, but that at least some larger boats carried some power tools, such as the lathe, drillpress, and electric welder carried on U-505.

I have in my shop a lathe visually identical with that on U-505. It is a short gap-bed machine with a heavy and complex six-speed spindle gearbox incorporating multi-plate clutches. It came to me from friends at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute, with this accompanying story. At the end of WW II four U-boats surrendered at Portsmouth, New Hampshire. Dr. Allyn Vine of Woods Hole, and an engineering crew, examined the submarines. During that time he or members of his crew removed the lathe and it was transported to Woods Hole, where it was found unserviceable by reason of tight spindle bearings. It went from person to person, ending up with me (it now works nicely). The late Dr. Vine retained some other items from that visit to Portsmouth, saying they had special interest because they 'glowed in the dark'. This, I now learn, was an oblique reference to part of the cargo carried by U-234. Dr. Vine was later involved in the design of the DSV "Alvin".

I would be very interested to know, if possible, from which of the four U-boats this lathe originated. Does anyone know more about the maintenance equipment carried aboard types IXD2 (U-873), IXC/40 (U-1228, U-805) and XB? On U-505 the lathe is secured to the starboard wall of the aft torpedo compartment. Although the lathe I have here bears many numbers, it has no maker's identification.

Incidentally, the reference that KL Steinhoff of U-873 was held at 'a street jail' in Boston, Massachusetts refers to the Charles Street Jail. It is sad to think of this young man's suicide there.

Kevin Cameron