I visited the U-505 today

[MonkeyHero]

I went with friends and family to visit the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago today. We went through the Body Worlds exhibit (very interesting), but the real reason I went was for the new U-505 exhibit. Previously they just had it sitting outside rusting, and you could look at it through tiny little windows, but couldn't really see it at all.

Now, though, they've brought it inside and fully restored it. When I first walked into the "dry dock" I was surprised by how big it really is. It's a type IXC, and just seeing pictures or the SH3 models really doesn't give you a good sense of what a beast she is.

We payed $5 and got to go inside on a guided tour. Unfortunately they don't give you too much time and the tour guide knew nothing besides the scripted lines she'd been given. When one of the other people in our group asked her what type of boat it was she answered, "This is a Type C One X submarine." I think I cried a little right there.

All in all it's really a fantastic exhibit. You can walk all around the sub, and there's walkways so you can see the top of the deck. Unfortunately nobody thought to bring a camera so I don't have any pictures to show. You can check this site out for a little bit of info. For those who don't know the U-505 was captured by a US Hunter-Killer task force in '44 I believe.