Visiting the U-505 submarine in Chicago
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- Опубліковано 15 гру 2018
- You can take a step back in time at the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago, and step onto a WWII submarine. Visiting the U-505 Nazi submarine, which the U.S. Navy captured in June 1944, is a moving experience, but it's not for the claustrophobic.
For more photos and extended audio descriptions of our visit to the U-505, visit our blog post at trekers.org/u505-chicago
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Photo credit: The picture of the U-505 being lowered into the museum is courtesy of www.wreckhunter.net.
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I was born and raised in Chicago. I watched the U505 being moved from Lake Michigan to the museum on rails. I was just a youngster then. I’m 73 now. I spent more time in that museum than I can remember.
That would have been really neat to be able to see that boat being moved like that. Thanks for watching and sharing that story with us! -Ari
@@Trekers When I was last there in the early '80s, general admission was free, with extra charges for the U-505, Space Shuttle, and coal mine.
If only they put as much funding into crime is they do for history.
Can you imagine that they designed and built this submarine without any computers, just paper drawing? this is mind blowing.
It often impresses me how much was done by hand before, in terms of math, design, construction, etc. and how well things worked. Thanks for watching and commenting! -Ari
Max - It is truly amazing what they could do before computers. The SR-71 was designed and built the same way. It's still the fastest plane ever made, and it was designed in the late 50s through early 60s and took flight in 1964. The Saturn V rocket that took us to the Moon can no longer be built because of the complexity of the specialized parts and craftsmanship to assemble the parts. And it was designed using slide rules and drafting boards.
Ha ha you must be young. Well bozo how do you think they designed Anything back in the day? Farted & had a brain storm? Lol. We used the greatest computer on the planet our brains. Ladies & gentlemen I now have proof that the internet, computers, cell phones & the like in technology is degressing us human beings. Making us stupid pardon my candor. Wow, I hope you were joking cuz if not I'm scared shitless. YOUR generation will be the leaders of our country & protector of our kid & old ppl like me? Oh boy.
@@nicholaslatsaras3631 you called me bozo? 😢
@@alexpalmer8846 The key word in what you say is "craftsmanship." I knew a lot of mechanics and engineers who got their training in WW2, when a tiny mistake meant death for them and many, many others, and you could trust them virtually never to make mistakes. There is NO one in the trades, tool-and-die, or other hands-on industries who can do anything any more. Only the old guys, and fewer of them every year. This country has screwed itself in so many ways since the Reagan era, but one of the biggest is getting rid of Shop classes and allowing machining and heavy industry to be outsourced.
I built destroyers for the US navy for over 36 years. I was fortunate enough to have toured a British diesel sub while they were on a port call here in Maine. They had just finished charging the batteries with the diesels, talk about hot! Way smaller than the surface ships we were building. Totally great crew. I find it hard to imagine how the U boat or any other sub crews in diesel subs withstood there tours of duty. My hats off to all those who served.
Spending just a short time inside one of these boats makes your head spin thinking about what they went through. Hats off, indeed. Thanks for watching and commenting! -Ari
My friend was in the U-boats from about 1934 till 1943 being brought up off the coast of Algiers. His longest patrol was 8 weeks.
Have you finished one yet.
Was a paycheck and u always ate but was your patriotic duty😊
I would love to compare the designs, layouts and cut away diagrams of the U-boats and allied subs.
If you are ever in Germany, I would recomend visiting the city Kiel where you can go onboard another intact U-boat, the U 955. It not only survived the war, but was in service in the Norwegian navy until the 1960's!
Thank you for the tip! That would be something cool to visit.
In Kiel it is U 995. A Type VII C / 41. If you think U 505 is small, visit U 995. THIS is small including the 50 men crew. U 505 is a Dancing Place, U 995 a cage.😂
iv been in that one and visited the memorial,,very sad
In Bremerhaven you can visit a Type XXI-Boat, the most advanced Sub of WW2.BTW: the british cracked Enigma long before.
@@A.B.225... man sollte das Boot noch voll mi Proviant und Ausrüstung ausrüsten dann wird es schon enger
I have gone specifically to see the U-505 for nearly fifty-years. It is awesome how they decided to save the sub from the ravages of the weather by putting it into a simulated sub pen. I made a statement to one of the staff how that should simulate reflections of the water onto the interior of the pen and was amazed, during my last visit, they had actually done this. A not t miss place.
That's so cool that they did that. Thanks for watching and for sharing that info!
I toured it as a kid in the early 70s, would love to see it again but I live far away.
Here are some more interesting facts about U-505:
1. On her fourth war patrol, U-505 was hit at almost point blank range by a 250 lb bomb dropped by a Lockheed Hudson. The explosion tore the 37mm off its mounting, ripped the pressure hull open, killed a watch officer and injured another, and caused major flooding. The plane itself was hit by fragments and crashed nearby, killing the whole crew. Kptlt. Zschech initially ordered the crew to abandon ship, but the engineers were able to control the flooding long enough for them to limp back to port. U-505 is the only U-boat to take such severe damage and return home
2. U-505 was prone to being sabotaged by French dockworkers in the French resistance, leading to 5 of her 12 patrols being cut short due to engine trouble (plus another for damage and the eleventh, when she returned early with survivors from the torpedo boat T-25). This caused the boat to become the butt of all jokes at Lorient. One time, the crew came back to port after a botched patrol to a painted sign that read “U-505s hunting grounds”. Another time, the captain overheard someone joke (regarding the many U-boats being sunk at this time) “There would always be one commander that comes back; Zschech.”
Oh the irony
3. On the boats tenth war patrol, Zschech shot himself in the control room during a depth charge attack infront of his whole crew. First watch officer Paul Mayer took command and brought the boat home. Zschench is the only U-boat crewman known to have committed suicide due to the stress of a depth charging.
4. U-505 was a long-range Type IXC boat. The most common U-boat of the war was the mid-range Type VIIC, which was much smaller and even more cramped
Those are really interesting facts! The only one we knew about was #3. We learned about the suicide of Commander Zschench when we visited the U-505 and got to hear some of its history from a curator. Thanks for sharing this information. -Ari
Thanks for the info! I knew this boat looked different than U96, was wondering what type of was. 😺
This video goes into more detail about the boat and its capture.
ua-cam.com/video/xw1wz1e5FBo/v-deo.html
Sir Boomsalot, thank you for this detailed information. I knew about some of the information you mentioned here but not all of it. Outstanding! Once again, thank you!
@@tylerfoss3346You know what’s funny? I just rediscovered this comment, read through it and the replies (without reading the username of the poster), and I had no idea that I wrote it until I saw your reply. Man the things you can forget in 4 years.
U-505 is a boat not a ship. One thing I learned while in the Navy is when you're tired enough you will be able to sleep regardless of any noise.
Enigma machines had been in Allied hands prior to the capture of U-505.
Learning how many code wheels were being used at that time (the amount changed during the war) and the code books with the wheel settings for each day was the true prize.
I have been to U-505 twice but it was still outside at that time. Thank you for the scenes of the move and what the indoor display area looks like. I will have to make another visit.
It is a very nice set-up inside now; you should make a return trip. Thanks for watching and commenting!
@@Trekers You're welcome.
The real prize was getting the new top secret acoustic torpedoes.
@@robtankbuster5215 It is nice to know the capabilities of a weapon as that helps develop potential counter-measures and tactics.
However, that is not as important as being able to read your enemy's status reports, deployment orders and other tactical & strategic planning messages.
I believe the U-Boat Enigma Machines had an extra rotor, making them exponentially more complex. US boats seem like cruise ships, compared to the zoo-like lack of crew comfort on the U-boats---That was even the case on the last model (Type XXI???).
It's not ignored by the 5 million people who live around the Chicago area. It's fantastic. The sub is inside the building. An amazing engineering feat.
Valid point -- I was speaking more as and out-of-towner. For whatever reason, we know folks who will hit Chicago and not make the trek to see this particular museum. We always encourage them to make sure they visit on their next trip. -Ari
I was on the U-505 in 1963 when it was still mounted outside the museum. I was eleven years old at the time. It kindled a lifelong fascination with submarines that I enjoy to this day.
It's cool how displays like this can inspire someone for their entire lives. Thanks for watching and commenting!
The Museum of Science & Industry is one of my most favorite places.
Vielen Dank, dass dieses Meisterstück deutscher Ingenieurs-Kunst, in diesem eindrucksvollen Museum für die Nachwelt konserviert wird!
It's an incredible display and something everyone should see to appreciate that era more. Thank you for watching and commenting!
The scary part: U-505 is a BIG German sub-the type IX.
The standard boat in the Battle of the Atlantic was the type VIIC.
Peter43John absolutely correct and the Type 7 was smaller......
Perfectly right. Type VII terrorized atlantic Océan... Type IX arrived too late (fortunatly!!!).
American subs were bigger and had better living conditions.
@@declissonolivier9376 you confuse that with the XXI class. The IX was just the long range sub which was available from 1939
@@gbbarn we arent talking about america though are we
Very interesting. I toured the U505 some 60 years ago on a high school field trip. That was when the submarine sat out on the top front to the museum and was visible from the street. At that time you couldn't tour the outside of it but there were guided tours through it. I think that field trip ignited a life long interest in submarines. Good video, brought back a lot of memories, thank you.
They've done such a nice job with the display and it's wonderful they were able to move the sub inside to preserve it even better. But I'm sure seeing that sub outside the museum was quite the sight. I'm glad you enjoyed our video and that it brought back some good memories. Thanks for watching and commenting! -Ari
I also have toured it when it was outside. I also have been in the "Silversides" when it was docked at Navy Pier before restoration. Specifically I was there with my Army reserve unit using out 5 ton wreckers crane to pull out the remaining torpedoes. Last saw the "Silversides" at it's permanent home in Muskegon Michigan after restoration.
Toured the Cobia in Manitowoc many years ago. They have a very interesting maritime museum there also. I worked on a power supply refit for the NR-1 deep diving nuclear powered submarine, also many years ago, which has since been scrapped. One thing I must say you cannot be claustrophobic and be a submariner.
I'm right there with you; one of my "liberties" from Great Lakes Naval Base was to Chicago to see the Museum of Science and Industry. It was 1972 so I don't remember too many specifics, but I do remember that I was impressed with the whole museum. I also had the privilege of touring the USS Clamagore in Mount Pleasant, SC which was also of a similar size of the U 505; tight quarters for U.S. sailors as well. Sadly, the Clamagore is scheduled for scuttling and used as an artificial reef. (the USS Clamagore was moored in Charleston Harbour and succumbed to the elements of the salt water.
I remember going there on a field trip back in grade school, late 60's maybe, and touring the sub!
I actually went there also on a field trip from grade school....i remember it well..it was then Outside in the water..Notttt inside.......amazing trip it was.
@@dannymccoy1783 Last time it was in the water was the day it pulled up and got taken across LSD in the 50's
When I was there in the 80's it was outside but not in the water.
As a Chicago native born mid 50s and confirmed submarine buff, I visited and enjoyed the U-505 many times as a kid. The boat was outdoors then and you couldn't really see it full size as you'd walk though an enclosed walkway from the interior of the museum and enter the motor room, just forward of the aft torpedo room.
My dad, a WWII Navy vet who used to head down the outer drive to get to work in the early 50s, told us about how for weeks the sub was on dry land east of the drive before being installed, and how strange it was to see a sub on dry land. So glad to see it's been moved indoors where it can be better preserved and viewed full size.
Last time we saw it was maybe 25 years ago when our sons were young. Maybe someday they'll take our grand kids to see it. It'd be four generations worth of appreciation. If your're ever in Chicago, this is something not to be missed. Do yourself a favor and check it out.
Thanks for watching and sharing your story. Interesting to hear about what it was like to visit when the boat was still outside.
I have always loved history . This is amazing . I have been on a British and Canadian sub but never a U Boat. Thanks for posting.
I toured the U-505 back in the late 60's and oh how do I remember the cramped space. It took very special people to be able to spend such long times in that. The U-505 was outside at that time. I would like to go back to Chicago now and see the improved museum :-)
They really have put together an impressive display there. Thanks for watching!
@JIMBO5444 JIMBO5444 Yeah, I can imagine the Skippers reaction ;-)
so hard to imagine 48 guys crammed into that. They must've been small skinny guys..how else would it have worked.
So much of living in a submarine is hard to imagine!
We visited the museum back in the late 60s while visiting “the folks” - contrary to instructions to not touch anything, my Dad just had to pull some lever- luckily we were in the back of the line, and the guide didn’t see. Also liked the coal mine - I wondered how long that display would last-with all that coal being mined every day.
I toured U505 last May.
Can’t imagine being in a crew back then.
I’m from RI and off our shore lying on the sea floor is U550 and U853.
One crew member from each are buried in a Newport cemetery.
A friend visits those graves regularly placing fresh flowers.
Live expectancy on U boat was 60 days.
Over 700 were sunk.
BTW. The museum was awesome.
It certainly was a dangerous assignment! We agree that it's hard to imagine serving on those U-boats. Thanks for watching and commenting.
I was lucky to visit the U-505 many times as a kid prior to the modernization that you see today. They did a beautiful job with all the details that is on display prior to entering the Submarine. Great Video!!
This was a very well, respectful review! Thank you !
I believe submarines are called "boats," not ships.
@ dakotabillyone
They are, but do you know why? And they ARE technically ships.
@@geoben1810 In the earliest days, some submarines were transported by cargo ship. Any craft that can be carried by a ship is considered a boat -- or at least, it Was. In any case, the term stuck.
A ship "Schiff" in german navy, means a vessel that got an first officer. A vessel without him is called a "Boot" boat.
@bademeister U-boats had a 1st, 2nd and 3rd Wachoffizier. They also had 3 watches. My friend an Obersteurmann, was also 3rd Wachoffizer.
Indeed and hot bunking has nothing to do with temps
I used to love this museum as a kid. Not sure if I will ever return to Chicago but I would definitely visit there again if I do.
Went on a school trip to visit this beauty when I was eleven years old. What a day!
I bet it was! We always hope the schools are continuing to take field trips to that museum. So much there for kids to learn about. Thanks for watching and commenting.
This is an extremely well-designed exhibit. The submarine is the star, of course, but the various presentations that surround it are informative and very well-executed. It is so much better than back in the past when the boat was kept outside. I'd encourage anyone who visits Chicago to make the effort to visit the Museum of Science and Industry - and allow yourself plenty of time to explore. There is a lot to experience.
We agree, there is so much more to the exhibit than just the submarine and it is a very good experience. Thanks for watching and commenting!
I visited that sub back about 55 years ago when it was still outside.. amazing to see folks still going through it.. I loved going to the museum it was so big.. you just could not see everything in one day.. and the McCormick place (before it burned down) that was one heck of a place to go too.. all kinds of shows and concerts.. well thanks for the reminisce .. carry on enjoy!
They charge now for people to view the exhibit.
@@truthillinois6397 Just saw this.. that is really to bad.. But if they need to make money.. How much do they charge now do you know?
I believe it's $26 for a museum ticket and then the U505 on-board tour is another $18. You can go and see the display as part of your museum ticket; you just have to pay extra if you want to go on board. -Ari
@@Trekers Whoa.. that is a lot of dinars.. Glad I got to see it all back when life was cheaper.. thanks brother..
@@truthillinois6397 ---They always charged extra for the sub & coal mine, but there always was free general admission to the museum itself. IDK when that changed.
I’ve been to the Museum of Science and Industry several times in the 1980’s when I was a kid. I remember buying a gray wax mold of the U-505 that was made by a machine right in front of you. Also, when I was there in the 80’s, the curator was able to start the U-505’s engines to let us hear the real sound of them.
I can’t believe they charge money to go to the museum as well as to go onboard the U-505.
Back in the day, there was NO charge for admission there or any other museums as well as the Chicago Zoo.
Damn, I miss the old Chicago from the 80’s.
I am so glad to see they moved the U505 indoors. The last time we were at the museum was in 1998. It was one of my favorite places to go while I worked in Chicago. Your video was very informative. The extra video at the end inspires me not to worry about making multip tries to get a segment the way I want it.
As we said in the video, MSI is a favorite place for both of us. And bloopers keep it real, you just have to learn to laugh at yourself and try again. 😄
You should have seen the USS Silversides when it was still docked in Chicago. The Silversides was contemporaneous with the U505 but it was twice the size of the U505 and, despite what you may have heard, was much more advanced than the German U-boat. The American fleet submarines of the US Navy where the Cadillacs of the submarine world in the Second World War.
@@miked1765 Indeed the US submarines were first class, unfortunately the torpedoes they were issued with were the Yugos of the submarine world and despite the UK offering the US the design for the Rolls Royce of torpedoes ( even used to sink the Belgrano in the Falklands conflict) the USN insisted on continued use of the rubbish torpedoes for years, rubbishing the complaints of the submarine officers and refusing to use the UK design.
@@andrewallen9993 Very true. The US torpedoes were built in the 30's, and in a stupid effort to save money they set aside only TWO torpedoes for testing! One worked and the other one to save money they did not fire. By a coin toss they got one that worked, apparently the Navy had no use for scientific testing and analysis. They also found during the war that one of it's problems was that they would circle back and sink you. The same problem occurred in the late 50's with the Air Force and missiles, this was one of the main reasons for the low kill ratio in Vietnam. It seems building a propulsion system is not that difficult, but building a accurate and reliable guidance system and detonator is where things get very tricky. The solution: lots of test firing, expensive yes, but you save a lot of lives later on.
My dad was a pilot on the carrier group that captured it. Hense him and I went to the opening of it. Steak dinner, private tour and it was completely open. Both torpedo rooms and the conning tower. Awesome trip
Men who served in these boats(including my dad) (US Navy) had nerves of steel!🤗
Now think of the german navy personal who lost 30.000 of 40.000 of theier mates an still set sail nowing theier small chance of survival.
I remember visiting the USS Cavalla in Galveston and how there was barely enough room inside that boat to change your mind. My uncle volunteered for the Submarine Service in World War II but was rejected for being too tall. To say those boats are cramped inside is an understatement. You really can only get a sense of it by actually going down into one.
Agreed -- just getting into one for short visit makes you start to wonder how they did it for long stretches. Thanks for watching and commenting! -Ari
@@Trekers Wife and I visited the U-505 when I was stationed at the Great Lakes Naval Training Center in the early 1980's. I had also toured the USS Torsk in Baltimore MD. Comparing the two I would say the 505 boat was more cramped than the US boat. Both were absolutely fascinating. I was a destroyer guy, was never even TEMPTED to go to sea in a submarine even though modern subs are larger and more comfortable (relatively speaking.)
I take my battered dixiecup hat off to the guys on both sides who went to sea in submarines. A lot of them are 'still out on patrol.'
@@robertf3479 It takes a special breed to serve in a submarine, that's for sure. Thank you for your service -- and thanks for watching and commenting! -Ari
@@Trekers I was honored to be able to serve. CTA1(SW), USN Retired.
@@robertf3479 Thanks for serving! BTW What does (SW) mean? Should it be SS or SV?
I was told by my dad that my Uncle Pat was a Navy Seal, involved in the capture of U-505...he later served as one of the board members of Consumer Reports until he passed
Wow! Thanks for sharing your story. What a neat piece of family history.
I am from Boston, my son lives near Chicago and have been to that exhibit twice and took my grandson both times
It's a great museum for kids and adults...and adults who still have some kid in them. 😊 Thanks for watching!
When I visited the U505 it was sitting outside the Museum. Passing through I felt like I was entering a work of art, handmade beautiful and story like wonderful. That was roughly 60 years ago. Thanks for the details .
It is awe-inspiring in so many ways. Thanks for watching and commenting!
It’s June 2020. Came up on my recommendations. Glad I took the time to watch. Nice video!
same here David have you also seen many WW2 documentory's? It was also on Dark Doc's a few days ago.
Awesome! Thank you!
@@Trekers great content by the way thank you.
You lost me when you started talking about U-505 and Enigma machines. The Enigma code was broken after the first Enigma machine was captured in 1941. U-505 wasn't captured until 1944.
But only a few intact Enigma machine's had been captured during the way. Also they did update them. I just seen a short clip on the U-505 on 'Dark Docs' it also mentioned the machine being complete and how important it was.
Actually, the British codebreaking organisation at Bletchley Park was intermittently breaking the Enigma code (especially the Luftwaffe variant) from very early in the war, based on information about Enigma and how to crack it supplied by the Poles. The codebreaking operation developed throughout the war, and was working on an industrial scale by the time of D-Day.
The first naval Enigma machine captured was by HMS Bulldog in May 1941. Officers from that ship recovered an Enigma machine and codebooks from the damaged U110, before scuttling it so the Germans wouldn't know that the codebooks had been captured.
More codebooks and machines were captured from German weather and supply ships that were captured for that specific purpose by the Royal Navy. The codebooks were actually more useful than the machines, because the Enigma settings changed every day.
Bletchley Park is well worth a visit if you're in the area (between London and Birmingham in England). Allow plenty of time, it's quite a large site.
@jerry2357 - I have read about Bletchley Park and have it on my list of places I'd like to visit if I get to the UK. Thanks for sharing the code-breaking information, and for watching our video! -Ari
@kysmitty - I think it was the fact that everything was intact that made it so important, at least from what I remember from the presentation. -Ari
Yeah, but they couldn't let the Germans KNOW that they had it. Even in 1944. I think that was what they meant.
I've been in this! High School field trip, 1975. Been to all the Chicago Museums. Science & Industry was my favorite.
That's one of our favorite museums, too. So much to see and do there. Thanks for watching and commenting!
The crew of the U 505 were very lucky, the UBoat force lost almost 80% of the men that went to sea during WWII
Yes, despite becoming prisoners of war. The guides at the museum said the men probably ended up surviving the war because of that event. The high percentage of loss of submariners is startling. Thanks for watching and commenting!
I saw a different video on the U-505 yesterday. Actually, the 505 was such a cursed boat that one harbor actually posted a sign:"U-505 hunting ground" because the boat was constantly being repaired. As a matter of fact, the second skipper of the 505 committed suicide on the boat because of being an abject failure.
@@The_Dudester The book "Steel Boat, Iron Hearts" was written by Hans Goebler, one of the crew of U505. It appears that much of their "bad luck" in getting back to sea after the overhaul was as a result of sabotage. Maybe hiring French workers to repair damaged German u-boats wasn't a very good idea after all. As to lucky vs. unlucky, 8 out of 10 of their fellow u-boat sailors died at sea, I think they were lucky
This is relevant actually that when it comes to nautical history the US clearly beats out other nations. Museum ships include battleships from the Spanish/American War (USS Olympia), World War One (USS Texas) and World War two (6 of those). Aircraft Carriers (several), destroyers and destroyer escorts as well as subs and PT boats and one Liberty ship. The collection includes a German U boat, Japanese mini sub and a British Ocean Liner (Queen Mary). Now, if we could find 100 million we could restore the SS United States to complete the collection.
This was one of my favorite exhibits at the museum when I was growing up in Chicago in the early 1960s, back when it was out of doors. I took my son to see the new indoor exhibit after it opened-very impressive!
Yes, they did a really nice job with that exhibit. Thanks for watching and commenting!
There was an old German sub veteran, Hans Goebeler, who used to have a table or 2 at the local guns shows here in Central Florida many years ago. He sold WW II associated items, mostly marked coffee mugs and t shirts, and I'd stop and talk with him and maybe buy something as he didn't make many sales. He was about 5' 2" and I found out he was a crewman on the U 505 when it was captured and I remarked that, having been born and raised in Chicago, I'd been on the U 505 many times and that it was cramped inside and that most of the crew must have been smaller of stature as he was. He then told me that the Captain was very tall, maybe 6'4" and that size was not a limiting factor to being on German subs. He wrote a book about his experiences and I wish I had bought one back then as he's passed away and the local gun shows are poorer without the colorful characters such as Mr. Goebeler now, may almighty God rest his soul.
What a cool story. And what a treat to have been able to meet a crew member. Thanks for watching and for sharing your tale!
Enthusiasts are a joy, they keep our things with us that are too often scrapped. "Retired to be admired" is a happy policy to maintain heritage and enthusiasm ❤️🏆🥇
Yes, it is sad when we see historical things left abandoned. That's why we love going to and supporting museums that are trying to continue bringing history to life for people. Thanks for watching!
Thanks for sharing' that is a awesome exhibit love to go see that..im sure some of you have seen the move of this sub to the museum' that was a big alot of planning and money👍
Yes, they have a video loop that runs in the exhibit that explains how they did the move. That was very interesting in its own way. Thanks for watching and commenting!
A Navy Master Chief I had the honor of knowing in Jacksonville, Fl. was with the crew who brought U-505 to Chicago. I went through it 50 years ago. I always remember how small the galley is. There wasn't room enough in front of the oven door to open the door unless you stood to the side.
It's crazy how tight those quarters are, and under stressful conditions, too! Thanks for watching and commenting.
Went there in 6th grade , 1978 . I really enjoyed the museum of science and industry the most . I would love to go again. Seems like it was outside then , however we did get to go through it.
if you haven't been since they moved the sub inside, it is worth the visit. They did a really nice job with the new exhibit, Not to mention all the other cool new things at the museum. Thanks for watching and commenting!
Yes , I would love to go again . Probably would hit the museum of natural history as well .
I visited the USS Bowfin SS-287 out at Pearl Harbor back in 2002. those things are tiny.
Thank you. Very interesting, and sobering too. My father spent the last year or so of WW2 in a submarine with the Royal Navy. Having spent the first part of his service on a 1919 built 'Town Class' destroyer. (Originally commissioned the 'Swasey', then when leased to Great Britain it was refitted, and recommisioned as the HMS Rockingham.)
During the Atlantic convoys, the Rockingham would have been targeted by U-Boats such as the vessel in this video.
If I ever make it to the US, I will have to put your museum on my intinerary.
Hello Kevin!
You should also visit the Nautilus in Connecticut. It was our first nuclear sub. There's a battleship, sub, and PT boat not far away from that in Massachusetts. I hope you enjoy your visit. Just don't listen to or read the news media here.
I think many coastal states here have museums with ships if interested.
Interesting and sobering. That's a great way to sum up a visit like this. Thanks for watching and commenting!
Another sub worth seeing is the USS Blueback (SS-581), it's docked at the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry in Portland Oregon. It's newer than U505, launched in 1959, and interesting in itself as it was the last conventionally powered combat capable submarine in the US inventory (careful word choice as there is at least one diesel powered research sub still operating).
When I was there (late 1980s) the curator said it could be operational a week after the Navy asked for it back... it was tied up to OMSI's dock, and there were current Navy personnel involved in the maintenance.
So glad I found this. Enjoyed it very much. Doubtful if I will ever get to go see this and you did such a good job of presenting it. Thank you so much
Glad you enjoyed it. Thank you for watching and commenting!
Thanks for showing this! I got to go there when I was pretty little, back in the 60's. Go to go on board and of the few things I remember is seeing the massive batteries through the grated floor. I also remember the guide saying, "Don't touch anything because some of the stuff still worked"! They didn't have a big exhibit then, just a movie we got to see prior to going on board.
Really want to see what life was like on a WWII U-boat? Watch 'Das Boot"
And "hot bunking " refers to the fact that one sailor would get out of the bunk to go on duty and immediately another sailor would take his place.
"Das Boot" is one of the best WW2 films ever made. Longish but truly exceptional.
american submarines works the same way...
...to this day the 'Gold-Standard' of submarine-movies...!
Dave M great movie👍
Great tour of the u-505 - thanks!
You're welcome, thanks for watching!
Absolute fantastic video tour, thank you!
Glad you enjoyed it!
Thanks for sharing the U-505, had visited in the early 80's and was great to see this again.
Love to see the U505 as i have spent many years working on UK submarines, and they are cramped even now haha
have you seen the movie das boot if not try to watch the long version
@uncletigger I have no idea what WW2 got like, but the aft end (engine room) reaches 140 C during trials, so i assume its not much better when at sea. Think forward is a bit cooler though
@uncletigger might do lol
But its soul sapping heat, and i couldn't imagine doing it every day for months at a time, a normal day with breaks for us civilians is awful
Well done, thank you!
Despite all the glaring ignorant errors ?
U boat captain guide ? … I travelled across the US as a UK student in 1984. The U boat and the Illinois mine shaft were 2 mind blowing exhibits in this amazing museum… I’m sure a former miner was on hand as a guide. But I’m also sure I recall the personal tour given through the U boat interior on the day was by a senior guy - a Kriegs marine serving officer from wartime U boats (possibly a captain). Would love to hear of others who had this experience.
Btw - That same couple of days visiting, I went to Wrigley Field for the first match there for the cubs after they secured their division title for the first time in about 40 years. They lost 1-0 but nobody seemed to care that day ! Quite a visit to Chicago for me that I’ll never forget.
That does sound like quite a trip! Thanks for watching and commenting.
I have traveled from Texas twice in my life just to see the U-505. Once as a child who enjoyed building model submarines, and later in my mid teens. I am in my late 50's now and would like to visit one last time.
The whole museum has a lot of things to offer, but I believe the U-505 exhibit is one of its best. Thanks for watching! -Ari
I visited it back in the 70's a very cool thing.
Great vídeo !! 👍👍
I grew up in Hyde Park and on rainy days I would walk to the Museum. A classmate in 2nd grade, her father was a member of the crew of U505, he worked at the Museum on lend authenticity to the exhibit
Wow, that's incredible, thanks for watching and for sharing your personal story!
As a kid in the '60's I built the Revell model of the U-505. When visiting my sister in Chicago I went to the Museum of Science and Industry with my teenage daughter.. What a thrill to actually see the U-Boot and tour inside.
So great to hear that you got to actually visit the model you built all those years earlier! Thanks for watching and sharing your story.
I walked through this sub in the '90's. there was a line of people shuffling through and the air was thick from everyone breathing. I didn't really appreciate the experience being in such a rush to get some fresh air!
I toured the U505 a few years ago and have been reading ADM Daniel Gallery's books for years. Note that he not only authored an autobiographical book on the U505 capture, but also wrote several comical novels based on a set of recurring characters including a beer swilling CPO nicknamed Fatso. If you haven't seen Das Boot, the action-suspense film based on life aboard a German Sub you should. The original German language version is the best, its true to life, incredibly suspenseful and very realistic.FYI in SF several years ago I had the chance to tour an American Sub from WW2. It is on permanent display in the SF harbor. The American boat is much more people friendly than the U Boat. Its worth seeing both for history buffs.
Das Boot is an excellent film...
I have seen das Boot -- and it was the subtitled German version. I agree it's a great movie. We have a WWII submarine in Michigan, as well. It is the USS Silversides and is on display in Muskegon. We also have an LST on display in Muskegon. Here's the video I shot when I visited LST393, if you're interested: ua-cam.com/video/7j71Vl2fiA8/v-deo.html. Thanks for watching and commenting! -Ari
@@Trekers An LST! Wow, I had heard that there was one on display in the southern US but I had no idea there was one close by in Michigan, I'm in ONT. I'd love to see that. My Dad was in the RCN in WW2 and was on LST's the entire time. He was involved in landings in N Africa, Sicily, and made 16 runs ferrying British troops to Gold Beach on DDay. Thanks Ari!
@@peterjeffery8495 You're welcome! They've been working to restore it for years and have done some nice work. They have a great local group that takes care of the LST. After the pandemic calms down, I'm hoping they bring back the movie nights -- that's where they invite people on board to watch movies on a giant screen on deck. It's a great way to draw people in and maybe get them to learn some history without realizing it. LOL -Ari
Great job, Trekers! Thank you!
Glad you enjoyed it. Thanks for watching and commenting!
When I was a teenager back in the early eighties, my buddy and I would park near the museum at night when it was closed. We would hop the fence surrounding the U -505, climb on top of the enclosed entrance from the building to the sub, and walk onto the deck and then the conning tower. Because this part of the sub was inaccessible for museum guests, it felt quite thrilling. This was around the time when the movie Das Boot came out. Fun memories!
Ya crazy kids! 😄
I toured the 505 as a teen in the 70s and later served on desel and nuclear submarines during the cold war in both the Atlantic and Pacific. I feel fortunate to have been given a chance to serve on them.
@David JonesYES IC2SS
@David Jones thanks David, good fortune to you as well sir.
And
Stay out of Davy Jones locker
@KwiChangCane -- Thank you for service!
much of 505 is was redone n the 50's. most of it's original guts were ripped out after capture for analysis during the war. Great video thank you ofr uplaoding! I toured th 505 when I was a kid in the 70's -
The interior was also flooded, as the crew tried to scuttle the sub, to prevent its capture. One imagines there would have been a lot of damage from prolonged exposure to salt water. They must have worked long and hard to restore it.
Wow excellent video!! Much more spacious inside than I imagined. Looked like an amazing exhibit. Thnx for sharing
Thanks for watching!
Thank you so much for the tour of the U-505 submarine. During the 1970s I served aboard a newly commissioned nuclear powered attack submarine of the U.S. Navy. Despite my experience, I had never toured a diesel powered submarine and greatly appreciate your video. The advent of nuclear power affords vast improvements over the diesel submarines crewed by the Ally & Axis powers. The modern nuclear powered submarine is very comfortable for the crew and is air conditioned...primarily for the large quantity of electronic equipment. It's nuclear propulsion system is incredibly quiet and produces an abundance of power which not only propels the submarine but makes large scale desalination of seawater into drinking water possible. There are multiple lavatories onboard that have plenty of water for showering. The galley has all of the modern conveniences...ovens, stovetops, both a large freezer & a large chill box, dishwasher, ice cream & soda machines. The cooks on a nuclear submarine are very-well trained which is extremely important for the morale of the crew. Each meal is well planned, prepared, and presented. I remember asking one cook who was nearing the end of his sea duty what he planned to do? He responded that he had requested orders to the White House. As I was also nearing the end of my sea duty I never did find out if he was ever cut those orders but I knew he would do well wherever he landed. Perhaps someday, you could tour a nuclear submarine at one of the naval bases and do a video on contrast the two tours. God Bless.
Thanks for watching and sharing your story -- and an even bigger thank you for your service!
Been on this exhibit many times when I was younger in the 80's. No way in hell I would venture to Chicago these days. Much safer for families back then.
incredibly small you can't imagine how small that was
And this was one of the bigger ones...
@@mut311 OOMMGG
Imagine a large part of it was a dedicated safe space for the members of the crew who were triggered whenever their comrades didn't use their preferred pronouns.
A total madhouse man
I heard about the U-505 many years ago, but I had never seen inside the sub until now, and had not heard some of the information you shared. Thank you so much for this fantastic video.
Thank you for watching and commenting!
I toured the museum in 1976 . Went on the U - 505 while it was outside . Fantastic museum I would go again if I find myself in Chicago in the future . I don't remember any admission charge at that time . Good video, thanks for the nostalgia.
They have put together a really nice exhibit around the U-505. Thanks for watching and commenting!
Yes, amazingly, the Museum of Science and Industry used to be free. They started charging admission in the 1990's. As I write this in 2023, it costs $25.95 for adults and $14.95 for children, which includes entrance to the U-505 exhibit - but the on-board tour of the submarine is an extra $18.00 for adults and $14.00 for children.
I am also a historian who travels around in a motorhome!
So many opportunities to learn that way. Safe travels!
Correction
Both UK and USA had enigma machine by that time. Actually enigma machine was nothing special at all. This was in serial production before war and anybody could buy those.
Germany have modified this machine slightly.
Then navy had special hardened version (with more wheels). Submarine navy had even more enhanced version.
Navy code was being cracked by Colossus with help of computer at Bletchley Park.
Submarine code was impossible to crack without knowledge of exact inside working of machine itself. I am not sure, if this was ever cracked on daily basis, as standard enigma was.
Everybody seems to leave out the Poles. Polish mathematicians were absolutely vital to cracking the enigma code.
We mustn't forget the Poles
[... Around December 1932, Marian Rejewski, a Polish mathematician and cryptanalyst, while working at the Polish Cipher Bureau, used the theory of permutations and flaws in the German military message encipherment procedures to break the message keys of the plugboard Enigma machine.
Rejewski achieved this result without knowledge of the wiring of the machine, so the result did not allow the Poles to decrypt actual messages.
The French spy Hans-Thilo Schmidt obtained access to German cipher materials that included the daily keys used in September and October 1932. Those keys included the plugboard settings. The French passed the material to the Poles, and Rejewski used some of that material and the message traffic in September and October to solve for the unknown rotor wiring. Consequently, the Polish mathematicians were able to build their own Enigma machines, which were called Enigma doubles.
Rejewski was aided by cryptanalysts Jerzy Różycki and Henryk Zygalski, both of whom had been recruited with Rejewski from Poznań University. The Polish Cipher Bureau developed techniques to defeat the plugboard and find all components of the daily key, which enabled the Cipher Bureau to read the German Enigma messages starting from January 1933.
Over time, the German cryptographic procedures improved, and the Cipher Bureau developed techniques and designed mechanical devices to continue reading the Enigma traffic.
As part of that effort, the Poles exploited quirks of the rotors, compiled catalogues, built a cyclometer to help make a catalogue with 100,000 entries, made Zygalski sheets and built the electro-mechanical cryptologic bomb to search for rotor settings.
In 1938, the Germans added complexity to the Enigma machines that finally became too expensive for the Poles to counter. The Poles had six bomby, but when the Germans added two more rotors, ten times as many bomby were needed, and the Poles did not have the resources.
On 26 and 27 July 1939, in Pyry near Warsaw, the Poles initiated French and British military intelligence representatives into their Enigma-decryption techniques and equipment, including Zygalski sheets and the cryptologic bomb, and promised each delegation a Polish-reconstructed Enigma. The demonstration represented a vital basis for the later British continuation and effort.
In September 1939, British Military Mission 4, which included Colin Gubbins and Vera Atkins, went to Poland to evacuate code-breakers Gwido Langer, Marian Rejewski, Jerzy Różycki and Henryk Zygalski out of the country with their replica Enigma machines.
The Poles were taken across the border into Atkins' native Romania, at the time a neutral country where some of them were interned. Atkins arranged for their release and onward travel to Western Europe to advise the French and British, who at the time were still unable to decrypt German messages. ...]
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Enigma_machine
Enigma (naval code) decoding was helped by electromechanical device (designed by poles I believe) called the Bombe under Turing's team.
Colossus was designed and built by Tommy Flowers which was used to speed up cracking of Lorenz teleprinter cipher (military / Hitler's cipher).
The first capture of a naval Enigma machine with its cipher keys from a U-boat was made on 9 May 1941 by HMS Bulldog of Britain's Royal Navy, commanded by Captain Joe Baker-Cresswell. The U-boat was U-110. In 1942, the British seized U-559, capturing additional Enigma codebooks.
@@stumac869 you have picture wrong way around.
Yes, Poles have cracked cipher.
This cipher was box standard enigma used by land or air forces.
Land and Air enigma traffic was deciphered in Bletchley Park.
Colossus was used mostly for naval enigma.
Submarine had improved naval enigma
The Poles were instrumental in creating proto bombe machines. This work was expanded enormously by the genius of people like Alan Turing, Max Newman, Dilly Knox, Josh Cooper, and many others. The revised and more efficient bombes led to the development of the Heath Robinson Machine and finally, with the brilliance of Tommy Flowers, the world's first digital computer, Colossus at Bletchley Park. So let's not forget the Brits. According to Eisenhower, Bletchley reduced the length of the war by 2 years.
This was a very cool review. Thank you for preparing and posting the video.
Thank you, and thanks for watching!
Excellent content, thanks for posting!!
Glad you enjoyed it, thanks for watching and commenting!
great video but....The true importance of U-505's capture was not the enigma machines, there were many in allied hands with the Poles initially breaking the codes. the treasure was the code books, encryption tables and, manuals that went with the machine
Good insight, thanks for sharing!
Capturing the Enigma machine and code books, though still useful, wasn't as significant an achievement in 1944 as it had been in the early years of the war. By 1944, the Allies were regularly decoding the Kriegsmarine's messages almost as quickly as the Germans themselves thanks to Alan Turing's invention of the "Bombe" mechanical decrypting computer.
Last I heard, they never broke the Shark code. The allies did use High powered radio receivers to triangulate locations, of U-Boats, thru radio signals, Why silent Otto didn't send signals and received dressing downs by the Grand Admiral.
@@charleswendt953 Yes they did as a result of the capture of code materials from U-559 by crew of HMS Petard on October 30, 1942.
My favorite exhibit of any museum. I been on the U-505 when it was outside. The Ham Radio club I belong to was invited by the curator then to operate from the submarine during the SOTA (Submarines On The AIr) special event where submarines and other museum ships have ham radio operators operate from them during the event (usually the weekend). So my dad and I operated from the actual radio room (normally closed off by the public by a protective door) of the U-505. It was an honor to operate from that ship in that room. That was before it was put in the enclosure.
The other thing to remember, as you walk through the submarine, the doorways of the "hallway" you are walking through were not like that, but actual portals that can be sealed off from the rest of the sub.
That sounds like a super interesting experience. Thanks for watching and for sharing your story with everyone!
Thanks. Very nice video. I haven't been to that museum in decades, but I remember it well, including a tour of the sub (it was outdoors), which was fantastic. I'm using sub interiors as reference for a space ship set we're building for a small film project/going for that same cramped, detail-jammed feel, as if you were in a cave of steel, or living inside a giant diesel engine. This video sure revealed that kind of overwhelming clutter of intertwined pipes, cables, valves and gauges, the suffocating quality of life inside a raw, torturous "machine" like this sub. Hard to imagine people were actually able to endure being locked inside this thing for months, while, at the same time, in constant danger fighting a war (well, they started it, so maybe that was their living punishment.) Now I'm motivated to visit that museum again en route to Michigan later this year! Cool!
Glad you liked it. Thanks for watching and commenting. And good luck with your project!
Check out the USS ALBACORE AGSS-569.....She's available to tour at Albacore Park, Portsmouth, NH.....She was built in 1953 as an experimental boat....I served aboard her Aug. '67--May '68......(Prior to my time aboard the Albacore, I served aboard the USS DACE SSN-569 for 14 months~~mentioned in "Blind Man's Bluff".....She was a nuke and bigger....lol)
Thank you for your excellent video. I saw the U-505 back in the mid-1960’s when it was outside.
Very interesting to see it again in your video!
Thanks so much for watching and commenting!
Thank you for sharing this! I found out about the U505 -after- my last trip to Chicago, which bummed me out. I've always loved submarines and it would have been amazing to tour it.
We're glad you found our video and got a chance to at least see it virtually. If you ever get back to Chicago, it's definitely worth a stop in to that museum to see the 505 in person.
I went to the science and industry museum yesterday, and the sub was closed but we still saw inside, and it was amazing! I highly recommend it
Thanks for watching and commenting! That's interesting about the sub -- are they not letting people into it because of COVID-19? I wondered what the restrictions might be right now. -Ari
I live in Chicago, and have seen that submarine many times!! It’s awesome!!
One of the best things to see in Chicago. We really like that whole museum!
When I was there in 1975 on an elementary school field trip, the guide on the sub was a German man who was captured with the sub and he had a hole in his ear where he said he’d been shot during the war. He actually held his ear out so we could see the hole! Nice man.
That would be quite the tour guide! Thanks for watching.
@@Trekers yep, the Sub tour (looked tiny on the inside even to a 9yr old!) and one of the Apollo landing craft was all I remembered about the trip to that awesome museum!
Visited the museum in 1990 including the U-505 and will make a point of doing so whenever back again. Was my favorite part of the trip!
It's an incredible display. Thanks for watching and commenting!
One of the Germans who actually served on this U-boat would sometimes show up just for grins and show the tourists around. Really had some tales to tell about the war.
Wow, now, THAT would be an interesting day at the museum. Thanks for watching and commenting!
I love that museum and have toured the 505. Great video!
It is a great museum and exhibit. Thanks for watching and commenting!
Totally interesting thanks!
I went to Chicago with Dad and we went to the Museum back in 77, I remember how small it was inside that sub and to imagine being out in the Atlantic in that thing was scary, I remember what the tour guide said the sub crews had to deal with and they always knew they were closer to the bottom of the Atlantic than they were from their home port.
Interesting perspective to think about. Thanks for watching and commenting!
Awesome... thank you for this.
Glad you liked it. Thanks for watching and commenting!
Very interesting, thank you for posting this video
Glad you enjoyed it!
I knew one of the crew of the 505, a man small of stature, looked a little like Colonel Sanders, but the love he had for "his" boat was one of the reasons it still exists today.
Thanks for watching and for sharing your story!
I went and saw it last year..August of 2021...it was really awesome but because of Covid you couldn't go inside the sub...they let you peer inside a little area but that was it...it was still awesome and worth the trip...thanks for this video...and yes it's an incredible museum...the airplane displays are fantastic
That museum has always been one of our favorites. It's a bummer about the COVID closure. We hope our video helped give you an idea of the cramped quarters inside the sub. Thanks for watching and commenting!
That's an awesome looking exhibit. Would love the chance to go there someday.
I was there in 1995, at that time it was still outside. Was a great tour at that time. The way it has been treated now is very fitting.
At that time one of the engines would still run. A group of mechanics engineers and former crew members in Chicago area got one running.
That's really interesting that they were able to get the engine running. It would be neat to see, hear, and, I"m sure, feel that. Thanks for watching and commenting! -Ari
A great great exhibit to visit for sure !
Good day to you folks. I know this video with four years old for me. But a few years back we went to Chicago and I did go on the tour of the submarine. I thought it was an awesome thing to do. I would recommend it to anyone who goes to the museum to actually go on the submarine tour itself. They even asked if we had any questions about any submarines during World War II. I of course jumped at the chance and asked about the Japanese submarines with aeroplanes onboard. Everyone laughed but the Museum tour guide understood what I meant. And yes the Japanese did have planes on submarines. Cool fact. Thank you for sharing
We agree, the tour of the sub is a good part of the exhibit and should be done. Thanks for watching!
Saw the u-boat but not the interior. The inside tour was not open that day but it was a fascinating exhibit nonetheless.
it was closed for a while due to vandalism and theft
Cool video. My grandfather served on the USS Pope DE -134. part of the task force that captured the sub. He used to tell me stories about the day of the capture. I got to visit the 505 about 10 years ago.
What an amazing thing to be able to hear the stories your grandfather had to tell. Thanks for watching and commenting!