U-505

Description

"On 4 June 1944 the German submarine U-505 became the first man-of-war since the War of 1812 to be captured by the U.S. Navy in battle on the high seas. Attached by the American hunter-killer force Task Group 22.3 off the coast of West Africa, the U-boat was forced to the surface after a fierce bombardment. Abandoned by the crew while partially afloat, she was boarded by American sailors and secretly towed to Bermuda. Renamed USS Nemo, the submarine made a war bond subscription tour of Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico ports before docking at Portsmouth, New Hampshire, to await scrapping in accordance with an Allied agreement regarding postwar retention of operational enemy U-boats. These events are described in the pages of this book along with the story of how the U-505 became a major attraction at the world-renowned Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago.". "Author Jim Wise tells how Admiral Dan Gallery, the commander of Task Group 22.3, saved the boat and became a major force in convincing the Navy Department not to scuttle the submarine but to transfer the U-505's ownership to the science museum, where she would be put on display to commemorate the thousands of Americans who had been lost at sea during World War II. Wise chronicles the boat's arduous journey down the St. Lawrence River and across four of the five Great Lakes to the shores of Lake Michigan for restoration. He then offers a memorable description of the staggering engineering feat that moved the sub overland to an outdoor exhibit area at the museum, where she was opened to the public in 1954. In 1989 the U-505 was designated a National Historic Landmark.". "By the turn of the 21st century, museum executives had determined that nearly fifty years of exposure to the elements and more than 24 million visitors had taken their toll. They raised millions of dollars to restore the U-boat and to build a temperature-controlled site four stories below ground. In addition to the fully restored German submarine, the exhibit area of "The New U-505 Experience" also includes artifacts and interactive stations to give visitors a taste of what it was like for the crewmen in battle. This book showcases some two hundred photographs, including some of the submarine's new home while under construction."--BOOK JACKET.

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