The Navy sank four subs and badly damaged one while losing a single ship.U-805 escaped only by heading north toward Canada instead of proceeding directly back to Germany. She was in mid-ocean when she received the surrender order.
U-805 in color as it surrenders off Portsmouth, NH
In one of the many ironies of the war discovered examining enemy records, the Navy Destroyer Escort Otter, which had intercepted U-805 off Cape Race, Newfoundland, and escorted her to the designated surrender point outside Casco Bay, Maine, had been in the periscope crosshairs of U-805 just two weeks previously. Otter then had been escorting a convoy which Gruppe Seewulf attacked. U-805 crash-dived to over 600 feet to escape intensive depth charge attacks by ships attached to Operation Teadrop
The CGC Argo Escorts the U-805 into Portsmouth.
After touring the East Coast in the fall of 1945 as part of the "Victory Visit" war bond drive, U-805 returned to the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard for further testing and experiments, then was sunk as a torpedo target in 1947. Her hulk lies in 500 feet of water, some 25 miles off the coast of New Hampshire
The U-805, first submarine to surrender, is escorted by ARGO at 12 knots for the last 50 miles to Portsmouth, N.H. Ten prisoners were stowed in the forward anchor chain locker, 230 aft over the screws, with 5 officers below decks, all under heavy guard. Modern conveniences at their disposal consisted solely of a 10 quart pail. Shower baths with smelling salts and sandwiches were omitted."
German Underzeeboot Officers under guard.
The title given to this picture by the original photographer was "Big Shots".
Although the most inflammatory quotes came from the hard-line Nazis of U-873, probably more significant was the whispered reaction of a member of the crew of U-805, which was overheard by a boarding crewman from the Otter. When an officer had asked about the flags that would fly from the bridge of U-805 while she was escorted into Portsmouth Harbor, and was told that the Nazi swatstika would not fly again, the crewman muttered, "Thank God."
Kapitan Herbster
Captain Herbster, U.S.N.: Captain Herbster, Senior Officer present representing the Admiral, is amazed by General Kessler's uncanny memory of World War I U.S. leaders, whom the General mentions by name and present rank."
Geerman crew kept underguard in "Death Alley".
From the collection of Argo's CO in 1945, LTJG Eliot Winslow. Photo was taken by LTJG Winslow and remained part of his personal collection. His caption read: "Death Alley: Three prisoners standing in 'death alley', between two rows of depth charges, get their first glimpse of America. The automatic shotgun in their stomachs did not add to the natural beauty of the surrounding landscape." Courtesy of the Winslow family.
Here is the u-805 crew during the Commissioning.
TBD
The U.S. navy takes over the U-805
The photo taken by Parnham that shows an American crew on the bridge of a sub that looks like it has been through a war is of U-805, the first sub to come in. Her crew was below when this shot was taken, confined to quarters. Her commander, Korvettekapitan Richard Bernardelli, is on the bridge, seated second from the front.