Hi all,

Today is the 65th anniversary of the torpedoing and sinking of the U.S.Navy subchaser USS Eagle 56 (PE-56) at 8:14 AM on Monday 23 April 1945 approximately 9 miles Southeast of Cape Elizabeth, Portland, Maine U.S.A. by the Type IXC/40 U-853 (OLzS Helmut Froemsdorf). The PE-56 broke in half amidships and sank within 5 minutes with the loss of 49 Officers and crewmen, with 13 survivors rescued. The U-853 was attacked that morning by the destroyer USS Selfridge (DD-357) and hunted for the next two weeks until she was located after torpedoing and sinking the colier SS Black Point approximately 4 miles Southeast of Point Judith, Rhode Island with the loss or 11 crewmen and one U.s. Navy armed guard on May 5th. The U-853 came under attack by the USS Atherton, Amick and Moberly and underwent approximately twenty depth-charge and hedgehog attacks over the next sixteen sixteen hours, during which time more than 15 tons of ordnance were delivered on the cripled sub. She was declared "killed" the next morning, May 6th 1945 with all 56 Officers and crewmen lost. The U-853 was the last U-boat sunk by enemy action during the war. She lies in 130 feet of water approximatelt 6 miles East of Block Island, RI. The Last major chapter in the Battle of the Atantic. Please remember in our prayers all those brave young men, both American and German who lost their lives in this

Regards,

Paul