Akerberg,

Thank you. I saw this photo on the Bundesarchiv picture database.

They have 3 photos from April 1942, which would be right after they returned from their Florida patrol, and another 3 from August 19th as they were heading out on their 4th patrol, this time to South Africa.

Both sets show the wappen in your photo, which seems rather substantial compared to most. Either a wood carving or even metal casting perhaps.

I haven't seen any photos of U-504 before this, so I'm wondering if they used this wappen from the start, or perhaps adopted the Alligator after their Florida patrol, with the obvious connection between the two... (though no doubt they didn't make it quite as far as the Everglades;-)

Eric Stone
www.ssarkansan.com