Statement of Commanding Officer of U-505
On June 4th about 1200 I was moving under water on my general course when noise bearings were reported. I tried to move to the surface to get a look with the periscope. The sea was slightly rough and the boat was hard to keep on periscope depth. I saw one destroyer through West, another through Southwest and a third at 160 degrees. In about 140 degrees I saw, far off, a mass that might belong to a carrier. Destroyer #1 (West) was nearest to me, at about 1/2 mile. Further off I saw an airplane, but I had no chance to look after this again because I did not want my periscope seen. I dove again and quickly, with noise, because I couldn't keep the boat on periscope depth safely. I suppose that I must have been seen by the airplane because if these heavy boats are rolling under the surface they make a large wake.
I had not reached the safety depth when I received two bombs at a distance and then close after them two heavy dashes, from depth charges perhaps. Water broke in; light and all electrical machinery went off and the rudders jammed. Not knowing exactly the whole damage or why they continued bombing me, I gave the order to bring the boat to the surface by pressed air.
When the boat surfaced , I was the first on the bridge and saw now four destroyers around me, shooting at my boat with caliber and anti-aircraft. The nearest one, in now through 110 degrees, was shooting with shrapnel into the conning tower. I got wounded by numerous shots and shrapnels in both knees and legs and fell down. At once I gave the order to leave the boat and to sink her. My chief officer, who came after me onto the bridge, lay on the starboard side with blood streaming over his face. Then I gave a course order to starboard in order to make the aft part of the conning tower fire lee at the destroyer to get my crew out of the boat safely. I lost consciousness for I don't know how long, but when I awoke again a lot of my men were on the deck and I made an effort to raise myself and haul myself aft. By the explosion of a shell I was blown from the first antiaircraft deck down onto the main deck; the explosion hit near the starboard machine gun.
I saw a lot of my men running on the main deck, getting pipe boats (individual life rafts) clear. In a conscious moment, I gave notice to the chief that I was still on the main deck. How I got over the side I don't know exactly, but I suppose by another explosion. Despite my injuries I somehow managed to keep afloat until two members of my group brought a pipe boat and hoisted me into it; my lifejacket had been punctured with shrapnel and was no good. During all this time I could not see much because in the first seconds of the fight I had been hit in the face and eye with splinters of wood blasted from the deck; my right eyelid was pierced with a splinter.
When I sat in the pipe boat I could see my boat for the last time. Some of my men were still aboard her, throwing more pipe boats into the water. I ordered the men around me to give three cheers for our sinking boat.
After this I was picked up by a destroyer where I received first aid treatment. Later, on this day, I was transferred to the carrier hospital and there I have been told by the Captain that they captured my boat and prevented it from sinking.
Harald Lange
Oberleutnant z. See d.Res.
Why was my comment about a book that mentioned this removed? Would be nice to at least be told what I did wrong!
Greg:
I know nothing about the removal of your U-505 book posting.
If the logic behind that removal involved discussion of codes and the Enigma machine recovered from the U-505, that information has been in the public domain for 40 or more years.
Wikipedia says:
"U-505 is a German Type IXC U-boat built for Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine during World War II. She was captured on 4 June 1944 by United States Navy Task Group 22.3 (TG 22.3). Her codebooks, Enigma machine, and other secret materials found on board helped the Allied code breakers."
Hey Gregg,
I have not removed anything from you recently. When was the post from?
I am the only one who can delete messages so if it got deleted, I did it. But as I said I do not have any record of removing it or any record of any requests to have it removed that I am aware of.
If you can tell me approximately when it was posted I can do a bit more research.
I have also sent you an email in case you do not see this.
Hope that helps
Russ