A[ September, 1992 Vol. 2, No. 9 The Forum for North Atlantic Diving $1.95 u - 123 U- 140 u - 853 u - Who Carbon Dioxide Jones Beach Jetty New Products Boat Schedules Letters Dive Mates SUB AQUA JOURNAL WECAN NEVER FORGET 750 West Broadway Long Beach, NY 11561 S16 / 889-1208 The fear of a nation, their desire lo win, their contempt for life; these are what PUBLISHER / EDITOR created the U-Boal. Unsuspecting ships traveling with goods and passengers along JOEL D. SILVERSTEIN the Atlantic coast suddenly exploded from torpedo attacks . Seaside towns finally ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER/ turned their lights off in the evening lo allow Allied ships lo sneak by the wolfpacks MANAGING EDITOR of Operation Drumbeat . JAMES F. CLEARY The Germans had been experimenting with Unterseeboots as far back as 1465 ASSOCIATE EDITOR but ii wasn't until l 906 that the German Navy officially had a submarine, the U-1. MELISSA A. ORENSTEIN Until World War I the U-boal hadn't flexed its strength and power. Seventy-eight CONTRIBUTING EDITORS years ago this month the U-21 sank the first warship with a torpedo . During WW TOM BAKER, DANIEL BERG, HANK GARVIN, KIRBY KURKOMELIS , I 390 U-boats were built, which ultimately sank 5,708 international ships totaling DARDARA LANDER, HILLARY VIDERS over 11 million Ions . After four years of terrorizing the world Germany fell and lost CONTRIBUTING the war . The end of the war for Germany also meant the surrender of her U-boats . WRITERS & PHOTOGRAPHERS On September l, 1939, Germany invaded Poland and World War II was EDWARD A. BETTS CAPT. STEVE DIELENDA launched . This lime Germany was incessant on winning the war . They lay waste lo GLENN BUTLER millions of people, obliterated races, tortured and experimented with humans - CATHIE CUSH BERNIE CHOWDHURY these atrocities were in the name of the Fuhrer. CAPT . DAN CROWELL Although Germany claimed lo be unprepared for WW II she had trained sailors ROD FARB BRET GILLIAM during peacetime in U-boat operations and began the war with only 57 U-boats . LES GLICK BRADLEY GOLDEN This wouldn't slop them . By the time the war ended Germany had built over l, l 00 PROF. HENRY KEATTS U-boals . These were responsible for sinking 148 Allied warships and 2,779 CAPT. HOWARD KLEIN RICHARD . KOHLER merchant ships a staggering total of over 14 million tons. JOZEF KOPPELMAN This issue of the Journal focuses on U-boals along the Eastern seaboard . CAPT . JOHN LACHENMEYER STEPHEN J. LOMBARDO, M.D. Unfortunately, noted author and historian Professor Honk Keatts' vacation caused WARREN MACKEY him lo be MIA from this issue. We do appreciate his and George Farr's work in PETE & JACKIE NAWROCKY JEFFREY RUDELL, MD Dive Into History : U-Boats, an invaluable reference in this issue and look forward BRADLEY SHEARD to future contributions . JEFFREY J. SILVERSTEIN BRIAN SKERRY Dan Berg writes about the most popular Northern sub, the U-853 . Resting in DARRYL STEINHAUSER 130 fsw off Block Island the 853 has been producing artifacts and bone-chilling Sub Aqua JoumaJ welcomea unsolicited materi­ dives for over 25 years . Captain Dan Crowell, the Seeker's third diving captain, als, bolb written and photographic Submiuion.a tells us about the Mystery U-Boat found just a year ago off the coast of New Jersey. and queriea abould be accompanied by a aclf­ addresscd envelope to insure lbeir return . All Ironically it wasn't even identified as a German U-boat when again it took a life . material published is subject lo editing . Repro­ Barbara Lander heads out with the Clayton-Gentile team and discovers a World duction wilbout permission of lbe publisher is prohibited . Mail all editorial correspoodence and War I U-boat, possibly the U-) 40. There will always be pioneers to set the course photographs lo lbe editor . of history, Clayton and Gentile do it again . Barbara also profiles the first diver on NOTICE: the Mystery U-boat, Captain John Chatterton. Warren Mackey is back with a review Diving is a potcnliallydangerouuctivity. Person.a of Operation Drumbeat, a book about the German war on American shipping by engaging in this activity should be certified by a reputable tnining agency. Once certified you Michael Gannon . should dive wilbin your lnining and penooaJ We also introduce Dr. Stephen Lombardo - avid wreck diver and instructor . limits. lo.formation published in the Sub Aqua JoumaJ is not a aubatitute for education or lnin­ Doc talks about carbon dioxide and the toxicity it can create . ing. Sub Aqua Jouma1 is not responsible or This issue also includes two important letters correcting us from the last issue, liable for lbe contents of any information or rec­ ommcodation.a published herein. a regulator review and a small tribute lo those unsung heroes, the dive mates . SUBSCRIPTION RATES : Single copy $1.95 . Kirby's back and no lobster is safe, almost . Annual subscription $21.95. Subacriptionouuide As divers, the U-boat has provided us with an underwater array of thousands of U.S. add $10.00 po~e. Paid onlen U.S. fuoda only. Seod rcqueau lo the circulation de­ of shipwrecks . Yet the lives that were lost, the families torn apart and the atrocities partment. Postage paid al Garden City, NY of war should never be forgotten . For some these cruelties will re7n in 1rminds (permit no. 149). forever . We mustn't forget the U-boats either . ~ Entire co,ntents Copyright O 1992 by: SAJ Publiabing Inc. All righu reacrved . D. SiNe'h.tein, Editor SUB AQUA JOURNAL• SEPTEMBER 1992 • 2 WRECK VALLEY U-853The Tightrope Walker by Daniel Berg The U-853, which had been nick­ named by her crew "Der Seiltaenger" (Tightrop e Walker), was a type IXC Ger­ man U-Boat. Commissioned on June 25, 1943, she was 251.9 feet long, 22. 5 feet wide and di placed 740 tons. On May 1, 1945, Hamburg radio an­ nounced that Adolf Hitl er was dead. Grand Admiral Karl D6nitz took over as Der Fuhrer and immediat ely began to arra nge a surr ender. On May 4, with World War II quickly comi ng to an end, Admiral D6nitz gave the follQ\lling order "All U-boats cease fire at once. Stop all hostile action agai11St allied shippin g. Donitz." We' re not sure if the U-853 received his transmission or simply refused to obey his orders. US Naval experts con­ sidered U-boat captai ns among the most fanatical members of the German military and predicted that some would continu e The gr im rema ins of wart ime captured by Brion Skerry . to fight despite D6nitz ' order. On May 5, the U-853, which had been prowling the waters northea st of Navy vessels headed for port with the years, none of which, to the best of Block Island, torpedoed and sank the brooms at masthead, the Navy 's symbol my knowledge, have been successful. coiler Black Point , killing twelve men. for a clean sweep . Today, the U-853 sits in 130 feet of Two minutes later, the SS Kamen , a On May 6, Navy divers from the water off Block Island . She is sitting Yugoslav freighter, radioed word of the vessel USS Penguin dove the 853 and upright and intact on a sand bottom . Her inking. Within an hour a US Navy Task attempted to penetrate the wreck to re­ hull still contains a variety of German ar­ Force, which was in the area , began cover records from the captain's safe. tifacts ranging from china, bottl es and huntin g the 853. These divers were using surface supplied gold rings to brass artifa cts. Penetration The USS Atherton found her within air and couldn't easily fit through the of the wreck is possible but should only three hours and the attack began. The tight hatches of the submarine . The next be attempted by experienced wreck di­ Navy used Hedg ehog s (rocket launched day, Ed Bockelman, the smallest diver on vers. projectil es), depth charg es, a total of the Penguin, volunteered himself for the Many divers choose to enter the three ships, and two blimps for the at­ task. He was accompanied by Command­ wreck thro ugh one of her deck hatches or tack. After an assault with depth charges, er George Albin . Bockelman was able to conning tower hatch. These circular various bits of debris floated to the sur­ squeere through the conning lower hatch, hatches are a little tight but it is possible face, including a pillQ\11, a life jacket and but the floating lifeless bodies of German for a diver to squeere through them. the U-boat captain' s hat. Thi s was only a crewmen blocked further penetration. Please remember that getting in is only trick. The Navy 's sonar then caught the For years after her sinking, rumors half the battle, the real trick is getting ub moving east. spread that the U-853 had a cargo of trea­ back out. The 853 also has a hole in her Again and again , in a cat and mouse sure on board . One story claimed that pressure hull both forward and aft of her game to the death, the Navy's sonar $500,000 in jewels and US currency were conning tower. would locate the U-boat and the attacks hidden in 88mm shell cases, sealed in Thro ugh these openings divers can would resume . The first attack had start­ wax . Another rumor was that $1,000,000 easi ly enter the wreck. As on mo t ed at 8:29 PM .