U-505

KaleunBier · 08-18-09, 09:50 PM

Hello All!
As I have been lurking and posting around the boards recently I thought I might share a little about myself and my recent adventure. I am a US Marine and my original home is located in Wisconsin and I have been in the Marines for a little over four years, when I was a very young child my grandmother took me to see U-505 when it was still outdoors and I still remember it to this day. Well I took some vacation recently and me and a close friend of mine took a trip to Chicago IL to once again visit U-505 in it's new indoor location. Well after about a two hour journey in a quite crappy '93 Honda Civic we found ourselves at the Museum of Science and Industry and discovered that on that day military members could view and tour U-505 for free. I was very excited as I entered the indoor resting place of U-505 and saw the gigantic boat with a renewed and adult appreciation. As my friend and I made our way past all of the submarine novelties to the boat itself my first goal was to touch the hull of the captured U-boat...and when I did...it was probably one of the best moments of my life! After spending my time with the outside of the ship I finally made my way inside, where a very knowledgeable tour guide introduced me to the innards of the boat including the EXACT SAME TORPEDO TUBES that fired numerous eels that sent allied tonnage to the bottom! I don't want to make this too long so I will cut it short and say that this trip, no mater the distance was well worht it!!! If anybody is interested I will post the picture of me and my friend in front of the awe-inspiring boat shortly, I didn't mean to bore anybody but I think that this is the best place to share my intriguing story!

Sledgehammer427 · 08-18-09, 10:17 PM

I live about three hours drive away from chicago, and I felt like the whole boat was a huge speakerbox, no doubt, i enjoyed it, but its all cut up.
I have a preference to be in the boat the way the crew was in the boat, walking in the bilges in the engine room with a huge speaker blasting engine noise is not a good time for me

btw, hooah! Semper Fi!

Jimbuna · 08-19-09, 09:23 AM

Never been fortunate enough to visit U-505 but always interested in seeing some pictures

Hanomag · 08-19-09, 10:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sledgehammer427

I live about three hours drive away from chicago, and I felt like the whole boat was a huge speakerbox, no doubt, i enjoyed it, but its all cut up.
I have a preference to be in the boat the way the crew was in the boat, walking in the bilges in the engine room with a huge speaker blasting engine noise is not a good time for me

btw, hooah! Semper Fi!

I agree whole heartedly.. but beggars cant be choosers...

U-505 is definitely on my list of places to visit.

Sailor Steve · 08-19-09, 12:10 PM

Saw it way back in 1962, when it was outside in the weather and you entered through a hole cut in the hull.

By all means, post your pictures. We can never get enough of those.

And WELCOME ABOARD!

94cruiser · 08-19-09, 10:34 PM

I have lived in Chicago since 92.
In grade school I saw the boat while it was outside and while at the time.
I did not have much interest at the time yet I appriciated the fact I saw what I saw. I remember two things:
1. very small sleaping quaaraters
2. tiny kitchen and the officers quarters

Now, I went in to the new exibit last year and since I've gotten older and more knowledgable about the subject I looked at things differently.

Yes, I wish the floor was not 'edited' to suit the tour, etc. and I wish there was an option to go for a seperate tour without the guide and all the sounds, etc.

I still very much digged it!
nice collection of memorabilia all around the sub.
too bad one could not walk up the conning tower to the outside.

they have lots of interactive modules around the sub but most of them were not working when I was there.

to sum it up I'm happy I went.

08-18-09, 09:50 PM	#1
KaleunBier Bosun Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Milwaukee, WI Posts: 63 Downloads: 72 Uploads: 0	U-505 Hello All! As I have been lurking and posting around the boards recently I thought I might share a little about myself and my recent adventure. I am a US Marine and my original home is located in Wisconsin and I have been in the Marines for a little over four years, when I was a very young child my grandmother took me to see U-505 when it was still outdoors and I still remember it to this day. Well I took some vacation recently and me and a close friend of mine took a trip to Chicago IL to once again visit U-505 in it's new indoor location. Well after about a two hour journey in a quite crappy '93 Honda Civic we found ourselves at the Museum of Science and Industry and discovered that on that day military members could view and tour U-505 for free. I was very excited as I entered the indoor resting place of U-505 and saw the gigantic boat with a renewed and adult appreciation. As my friend and I made our way past all of the submarine novelties to the boat itself my first goal was to touch the hull of the captured U-boat...and when I did...it was probably one of the best moments of my life! After spending my time with the outside of the ship I finally made my way inside, where a very knowledgeable tour guide introduced me to the innards of the boat including the EXACT SAME TORPEDO TUBES that fired numerous eels that sent allied tonnage to the bottom! I don't want to make this too long so I will cut it short and say that this trip, no mater the distance was well worht it!!! If anybody is interested I will post the picture of me and my friend in front of the awe-inspiring boat shortly, I didn't mean to bore anybody but I think that this is the best place to share my intriguing story!

08-18-09, 10:17 PM	#2
Sledgehammer427 PacWagon Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Drinking coffee and staring at trees in Massachusetts Posts: 2,908 Downloads: 287 Uploads: 0	I live about three hours drive away from chicago, and I felt like the whole boat was a huge speakerbox, no doubt, i enjoyed it, but its all cut up. I have a preference to be in the boat the way the crew was in the boat, walking in the bilges in the engine room with a huge speaker blasting engine noise is not a good time for me btw, hooah! Semper Fi! __________________ Cold Waters Voice Crew - Fire Control Officer Cmdr O. Myers - C/O USS Nautilus (SS-168) 114,000 tons sunk - 4 Spec Ops completed V-boat Nutcase - Need supplies? Japanese garrison on a small island in the way? Just give us a call! D4C!

08-19-09, 09:23 AM	#3
Jimbuna Chief of the Boat Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: 250 metres below the surface Posts: 190,500 Downloads: 63 Uploads: 13	Never been fortunate enough to visit U-505 but always interested in seeing some pictures __________________ Wise men speak because they have something to say; Fools because they have to say something. Oh my God, not again!!

08-19-09, 12:10 PM	#5
Sailor Steve Eternal Patrol Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: High in the mountains of Utah Posts: 50,369 Downloads: 745 Uploads: 249	Saw it way back in 1962, when it was outside in the weather and you entered through a hole cut in the hull. By all means, post your pictures. We can never get enough of those. And WELCOME ABOARD! __________________ “Never do anything you can't take back.” —Rocky Russo

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08-19-09, 10:34 PM	#6
94cruiser Mate Join Date: Apr 2007 Posts: 60 Downloads: 18 Uploads: 0	I have lived in Chicago since 92. In grade school I saw the boat while it was outside and while at the time. I did not have much interest at the time yet I appriciated the fact I saw what I saw. I remember two things: 1. very small sleaping quaaraters 2. tiny kitchen and the officers quarters Now, I went in to the new exibit last year and since I've gotten older and more knowledgable about the subject I looked at things differently. Yes, I wish the floor was not 'edited' to suit the tour, etc. and I wish there was an option to go for a seperate tour without the guide and all the sounds, etc. I still very much digged it! nice collection of memorabilia all around the sub. too bad one could not walk up the conning tower to the outside. they have lots of interactive modules around the sub but most of them were not working when I was there. to sum it up I'm happy I went.