U-571

[ERPP8]

I love that movie!

[storm-petrel]

Originally Posted by jimbuna
...and the biggest anomaly of all.....it was the Brits who captured the first enigma machine off a U-boat

Hi all. I thought it was a British and Canadian destroyer that forced sub to surface.

Any one know any more?

[Jimbuna]

In reality, the submarine U-571 was never actually captured. The submarines U-559 and U-110 were the ones captured with the codebooks but by the British Navy in August 1941, four months before the United States entered the war. U-570 however was in fact a u-boat captured in late 1941 (by Britain) near Iceland, and subsequently deployed as HMS Graph until early 1944. Its appearance was used by the Royal Navy to fool German ships and submarines, and destroy them by surprise.

HMS Bulldog took the first enigma machine from a U-boat (U-110).

The British sailors climbed into the conning tower and began a search of the deserted submarine. The bookshelves still contained books of every description - navigation manuals, seamanship manuals, code books and signal books. The Bulldog's telegraphist pointed to an interesting piece of equipment that looked like a typewriter. This, along with all the books from the shelves, was transferred with utmost care to HMS Bulldog. It was important that everything was kept dry as the code books and signal books were printed in ink that disappeared if they were dropped in seawater.

http://www.iwm.org.uk/upload/package...a/enigma12.htm

[storm-petrel]

Originally Posted by jimbuna

In reality, the submarine U-571 was never actually captured. The submarines U-559 and U-110 were the ones captured with the codebooks but by the British Navy in August 1941, four months before the United States entered the war. U-570 however was in fact a u-boat captured in late 1941 (by Britain) near Iceland, and subsequently deployed as HMS Graph until early 1944. Its appearance was used by the Royal Navy to fool German ships and submarines, and destroy them by surprise.

HMS Bulldog took the first enigma machine from a U-boat (U-110).



http://www.iwm.org.uk/upload/package...a/enigma12.htm

Well thanks for that Jim . Many years ago a documentary was broadcast in UK about the capture of the Kriegsmarine enigma....I cannot remember the title of it, or even which channel it was shown on.

It is from this documentary that I thought the RCN had a hand in it, so my memory ( like this 'puter of mine ) needs an upgrade.

Pretty certain however that same programme told of how, before the U-boat was being boarded, the sailor/officer who was supposed to throw the vitally important codebook into the ocean, went and saved a pile of love-letters or poems he had composed about his sweetheart back in Deutschland.

Sweet.....but ultimately it changed the course of the war.

[Jimbuna]

Your welcome matey

[Redbear]

It's no Das Boot, that's for sure, but I do like one exchange early in the movie between the captain and the assault team leader. It goes something like this:

To the captain: 'How deep will she go?'

Captain: 'Oh, she'll go all the way to the bottom if we don't stop her."

Words to sail by!

[sergei]

Originally Posted by Redbear

To the captain: 'How deep will she go?'
Captain: 'Oh, she'll go all the way to the bottom if we don't stop her."

Top line

[Sgt_Raa]

Originally Posted by storm-petrel

Pretty certain however that same programme told of how, before the U-boat was being boarded, the sailor/officer who was supposed to throw the vitally important codebook into the ocean, went and saved a pile of love-letters or poems he had composed about his sweetheart back in Deutschland.

Sweet.....but ultimately it changed the course of the war.

kinda puts a human face on war!... im sure the Uboat crews didnt want to be there either

[storm-petrel]

Originally Posted by Sgt_Raa

kinda puts a human face on war!... im sure the Uboat crews didnt want to be there either

I know a submarine would be my last choice to serve in, not sure if they had any say in the matter though

[HW3]

The Ubootwaffe was an all volunteer force so, yes they had a say in it.