The bodies were brought back to Norfolk and later that evening, they were buried in Hampton National Cemetery in Hampton, Virginia with full military honors under the cover of darkness. He was keeping with the common practice of navigating in a zig-zag pattern at the time of the submarine attack. The history behind this site has been televised and featured on the History Channel and is one of North Carolina's best-known dive sites. A set of pages designed to provide a good overview on the monumental battle that took place on the high seas during World War One. She was laid down at the Flender Werke in Lbeck on 18 December 1939 as yard number 281. [1], The submarine had a maximum surface speed of 17.9 knots (33.2km/h; 20.6mph) and a maximum submerged speed of 8 knots (15km/h; 9.2mph). Click above to view a dive slate for U-352. Site Info, NOAA Ocean Exploration As a result, rather than rescuing the crew of the U-85, Roper rode right through the mass of sailors in the water and dropped an additional 11 depth charges to ensure that it was sunk. Scuba Diver Life The pressure hull is ruptured and accessible at multiple points. U-852 (wreck) 832 km; Military Base 1210 km; Camp Khanjar 1330 km; Military Drone Airbase 1688 km; Royal Air Force of Oman Base 1732 km; Al Sulayyil ballistic missile base 1785 km; Mandar al Dhibiyan 1962 km; Masirah Island 2295 km; Royal Air Force of Oman Base 2312 km; Indian Island 2320 km The gap between the two vessels closed, and a surface engagement ensued. The crew was interned and sent to POW camps, after which they were charged when the war ended. For divers making the journey to Morehead City, it stands near the top of the list. High-resolution mapping of the site shows the vessel lying keel up on the ocean floor with the bow pointing to the northeast. In early 1944, the Kriegsmarine dispatched U-852 on a top-secret mission to disrupt the Allies' Far East war effort by attacking sea lanes in the Indian Ocean. She measured 251 feet, 10 inches in length; 22 feet, 6 inches in the beam; and drew 15 feet, 4 inches. Fatally wounded, the Black Point sank, killing 12 of the 46 men on board. Their suspicions came true when the crew witnessed the track of a torpedo narrowly missing the Roper as it ran down the port side. Error loading comments 56,701 views 0 faves In 1942 he volunteered for the U-boat force and was accepted for training at Pillau on 8 June 1942. However, the British tribunal rejected his plea of operational necessity and sentenced him to death. U-654 was able to sink one vessel in this convoy, while Greger fired at least three torpedoes with no hits. The submarine was equipped with four torpedo tubes in the bow and two in the stern. We visit this site on average 2-3 times per week, so come check it out and become a part of history with us! The forward torpedo loading hatch, battery hatch, and forward personnel hatch are all clearly visible, as is the conning tower, the aft gun mount, and several of the submarines compressed air flasks. U-85 was fitted with five 53.3cm (21in) torpedo tubes (four fitted at the bow and one at the stern), fourteen torpedoes, one 8.8cm (3.46in) SK C/35 naval gun, 220 rounds, and one 2cm (0.79in) anti-aircraft gun The boat had a complement of between forty-four and sixty.[1]. Jester began dropping depth charges systematically and eventually forced Rathke to surface. This month we visit the U-352. Hutton, History and Economy of the Great Lakes Region, Celebrate 50 Years of Spectacular National Marine Sanctuaries, Flexible Flights Airfare Offer from Explorer Ventures Fleet, Exclusive Red Sea Liveaboard Diving Packages: Premium Amenities Await. U-85 took a patrol station between Newfoundland and Nova Scotia and had no luck until January 21 when Greger fired four torpedoes at what was judged to be a 10,000 ton steamer. Just south of Nags Head, North Carolina, U-85 waited in shallow water near the Bodie Island Lighthouse, looking for potential targets. 59 Besatzungsmitglieder, darunter der Kommandant, konnten sich an den Strand retten. This year, Scuba Diver Life and NOAA are partnering to profile 12 different ships in the Graveyard of the Atlantic. The boat attempted to run south on the surface and fired its stern torpedo at Roper when the range closed to 700 yards (640m). On May 9, U-352 began the engagement that would end in its demise. Eck and two of his crew were tried and executed after the . One survivor managed to escape and was eventually rescued by allied ships. [4] After being left unable to dive due to damage from aerial depth charges, she headed for the coast of Somalia. This month we visit the F.W. The Peleus Affair. [2], Having left St. Nazaire on 21 March 1942, U-85 sank the Norwegian freighter Christen Knudsen off the coast of New Jersey on 10 April.[3]. The information listed on this site is to be used as a reference and is only our opinion/suggestion. direct the Secretary of Commerce (as delegated to NMFS) to allow, upon request, the incidental, but not intentional, taking of small numbers of marine mammals by U.S. citizens who engage in a specified activity (other than commercial fishing) within a specified geographical . Greger sunk the ship and then proceeded directly to Cape Hatteras, North Carolina. The following day, Greger surfaced U-85 intending on conducting repairs and resuming his patrol. Jan. While on it's first patrol, U-85 discovered the massive 65-ship convoy 42 (SC-42), but was only able to sink the British freighter Thistleglen. The U-boat with the longest operational service in World War II, spending 750 days at sea during 13 patrols from January 1941 to August 1944. This month we visit U-701. Roper evaded the torpedo and U-85 turned sharply to starboard when the range closed to 300 yards (270m). comments sorted by Best Top New Controversial Q&A Add a Comment . Short video about the wreck of the German U-boat, U-85 sunk off North Carolina during World War Two. Fifty-eight were captured by the Somaliland Camel Corps and local militia. They dived the wreck to a depth of approximately 12,500 feet (3,800 m) in the MIR submersible from the Russian research ship Akademik Mstislav Keldysh. The defense presented that the LI had objected to the actions of his CO and the seaman was simply following orders. We cannot be held responsible for any errors on the site and for any actions you may take after viewing its content. Eck decided that this would indicate to any Allied shipping patrol aircraft there was a U-boat in the area, so he ordered his junior officers to destroy the wreckage by firing into it using hand grenades and automatic weapons. At some point, Greger must have made the decision to scuttle and abandon the U-85. A well-aimed 3-inch shell breached the pressure hull just aft of U-85s conning tower. One survivor managed to escape and was eventually rescued by allied ships. She was commanded by Kapitnleutnant Heinz-Wilhelm Eck, who led her through her sea trials and onto her first war patrol on 18January 1944. U-85 was the first U-boat loss of "Operation Drumbeat" (Paukenschlag), the offensive off the eastern seaboard of the United States in 1942. This year, Scuba Diver Life and NOAA are partnering to profile 12 different ships in the Graveyard of the Atlantic. Significance: U-85 is significant to American military history, maritime history and historic archaeology as it was the first German U-boat sunk by United States naval forces off the American East Coast during World War II's Battle of the Atlantic. Go to: Forum List Message List New Topic Search Log In Print View Re: U-852`s wreck Image courtesy of Kraken Robotics. By using this website we assume that you agree with this. Heinz Eck had survivors and wreckage from the Greek steamer Peleus machine-gunned with the intention of erasing all traces of the sinking. Video clip depicting the story of the battle between YP-389 and U-701. Amid the sinking wreckage were the survivors jammed packed in lifeboats and rafts. Each shipwreck tells a unique story; today we visit the U-85. KL Heinz Wilhelm Eck of U-852 was indicted and sentenced to death by firing squad at the Nuremberg Tribunal on November 30 1945. When Greger realized that U-85 was being tracked, he was in very shallow water; therefore, he evidently decided to try escaping on the surface. In an effort to honor the service and sacrifice of those lost during the Battle of the Atlantic, NOAA in 2019 will release a draft proposal to expand the boundaries of Monitor National Marine Sanctuary to include a nationally significant collection of shipwrecks that currently have little or no legal protection. If so, are there still some parts of U-852 near Somalias coast, that can be found? The text is below: As U-852 broke the surface, her gun crews swarmed out and manned the anti-aircraft guns. The vessels were joint players in one of the final acts of the Battle of the North Atlantic during World War II. (Photo: NOAA), This post is by a guest blogger. She was sunk in April 1942 by the US destroyer Roper. Bigbird; Jun 7, 2008; Shown here is the wreck of the Type IXD 2 submarine U-852 off the coast of British Somaliland (Somalia) in May 1944 after being scuttled by her skipper Kapitanleutnant Heinz Eck. Evidently during the process of launching boats, Freden turned the stern towards U-352 so as to present a smaller target. Rathke moved into position twice, each time firing a torpedo from the bow, but each missed. Its a truly haunting image.. U-85 took part in four wolfpacks, namely: U-85 was operating within visual distance of Bodie Island Light at midnight on 13 April 1942 when the US destroyer USSRoper detected the submarine on British Type 286 radar at a range of 2,700 yards (2,500m). Image courtesy of the U.S. History and Heritage Command. Website owner: Office of National Marine Sanctuaries | National Ocean Service | NOAA | Department of Commerce. A British boarding party examined the wrecked U-boat and retrieved Eck's Kriegstagebuch ("War Diary"), which proved crucial in constructing the Allied case against him and his men. To view additional dive slates click here. The much smaller stern section lies approximately 1,800 feet further south. The March 1944 sinking of the merchant ship Peleus by U-852 remains highly controversial as the U-Boat skipper turned his guns on survivors in the water. On May 9, 1942 it was sunk by the Coast Guard Cutter Icarus. Throughout the entire Second World War, the Kriegsmarine had only one U-boat commander convicted of war crimes. Privacy Policy A well-aimed 3-inch shell breached the pressure hull just aft of the conning tower. She sank 38 ships totaling 217,751 tons, including 14. Even as the crewman were reaching their battle stations, the Wellingtons were starting their second strafing run. Shortly after midnight, Roper approached the area where U-85 sat and detected a weak radar contact. This was the birth of the U-boat as an offensive weapon. May 2 1944, U-852 beached on Cape Gardefui after attack by RAF aircraft. Some of these tubes still have visible torpedoes inside. Launched on 10 April 1941, she was commissioned on 7 June and assigned to the 3rd U-boat Flotilla under the command of Oberleutnant zur See Eberhard Greger. Rod Mather, University of Rhode Island Applied History Lab. On May 5 (or possibly the early morning of May 6), all 55 submariners aboard U-853 were entombed in their . However, the wreck site is likely the U-boat most frequently dived by recreational divers. However, once again, the crew on Freden panicked and took to the lifeboats. Image showing the location of the main wreckage of the Black Point relative to a smaller section of the ship's stern, approximately 1,800 feet south. The boat attempted to run south on the surface and fired its stern torpedo at Roper when the range closed to 700 yards (640 m). 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