Naval Warfare Movies

The Secret of the U-110


Producer: A&E Home Video

Language:
Sea Tales
Country: USA
Keywords: WWII, Documentary

This is the VHS release (see more).

Summary

This documentary details the fateful British capture of U-110 and its Enigma machine and codebooks. On May 9, 1941, the U-110 under the command of Kptlt. Fritz Julius Lemp was forced to the surface by depth charges after having sunk two vessels. Believing the boat was about to be rammed and sunk, Lemp ordered the crew to abandon without going through procedures to scuttle. Once in the water, Lemp, realizing the boat was neither rammed nor sinking, attempted to return and scuttle it, but never reached the U-110. British officers from the HMS Bulldog captured U-110's Enigma machine and codebooks, thereby giving the allies the key to decipher German radio transmissions for the rest of the war. This documentary describes the capture's vital role in turning the tide of the Battle of the Atlantic against the Germans.

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