Skip to main content
Naval History and Heritage Command

Naval History and Heritage Command

Related Content
Topic
  • Boats-Ships--U-Boat
  • Operations
  • Awards and Medals
  • Intelligence
  • People-Places-Things--German
  • Medal of Honor
  • Theater of Operations--Atlantic
Document Type
  • Photograph
Wars & Conflicts
  • World War II 1939-1945
File Formats
  • Image (gif, jpg, tiff)
Location of Archival Materials
  • NHHC

Imagery of U-505's Capture and Salvage 

4 June 1944 


Photo #: 80-G-49177 Captain Daniel V. Gallery, Jr., USN and Lieutenant Junior Grade Albert L. David, USN
Captain Daniel V. Gallery, Jr., USN and Lieutenant Junior Grade Albert L. David, USN. Photographed on board USS Guadalcanal (CVE-60) in June 1944. On 4 June, Lieutenant Junior Grade David led the boarding party that took control of German submarine U-505 after it was forced to surface by Guadalcanal's task group. He was awarded the Medal of Honor for his leadership and bravery during this action (80-G-49177).

Photo #: 80-G-49166 Capture of German Submarine U-505
The first boat from USS Pillsbury (DE-133) approaches U-505, which is still underway, though abandoned by her crew (80-G-49166).

Photo #: 80-G-49167 Capture of German Submarine U-505
Members of the salvage party use a small handy-billy pump to de-water the partially scuttled U-505 (80-G-49167).

Photo #: 80-G-324313 Capture of German Submarine U-505
U.S. Navy salvage crew work to save U-505. Photographed from USS Guadalcanal (CVE-60) (80-G-324313).

Photo #: 80-G-49172 Capture of German Submarine U-505
Boarding party from USS Pillsbury (DE-133) working to secure a towline to U-505's bow. Note American flag now affixed to the submarine's periscope (80-G-49172).

Photo #: 80-G-324310 Capture of German Submarine U-505
USS Pillsbury (DE-133) tied up to U-505 after a boarding party from the ship had captured the enemy submarine. Note the heavily loaded whaleboat in the foreground (80-G-324310).

Photo #: 80-G-49173 Capture of German Submarine U-505
U-505 crewmen climb a jacob's ladder to come aboard USS Guadalcanal (CVE-60), after their rescue from the Atlantic (80-G-49173).

Photo #: 80-G-49171 Capture of German Submarine U-505
U.S. flag flies over U-505 before she was taken under tow by USS Guadalcanal (CVE-60), from which this photograph was taken (80-G-49171).

Photo #: 80-G-49178 Capture of German Submarine U-505
Rescued U-505 crewmen watch from the bow of USS Chatelain (DE-149) as USS Guadalcanal (CVE-60) prepares to take their former boat in tow (80-G-49178).

Photo #: 80-G-324345 Capture of German Submarine U-505
Spectators in a USS Guadalcanal (CVE-60) 20-mm gun tub watch as their ship takes U-505 in tow. Men on the submarine's bow are members of a U.S. Navy salvage party (80-G-324345).

Photo #: 80-G-324360 Capture of German Submarine U-505
Damaged torpedo in a deck stowage position on U-505. Photographed by a USS Guadalcanal (CVE-60) photographer on 9 June 1944, as the torpedo was being removed for disposal (80-G-324360).

Photo #: 80-G-324373 U-505
The submarine's forward 53.3-cm (21-inch) torpedo tubes, taken by a USS Guadalcanal (CVE-60) photographer on 14 June 1944 (80-G-324373).

Photo #: 80-G-324372 U-505
Petty officers' berthing on the submarine, taken by a USS Guadalcanal (CVE-60) photographer on 14 June 1944 (80-G-324372).

Photo #: 80-G-324336 U-505
Detection and radio equipment on U-505 (80-G-324336).

Photo #: 80-G-49175 U-505
View into U-505’s aft torpedo room. The initial U.S. Navy boarding party found the watertight door to this compartment closed (80-G-49175).

Photo #: 80-G-49179 Capture of German Submarine U-505
Crew members of USS Pillsbury (DE-133), who made up the first party to board U-505 after she had been abandoned by her German crew. They are (from left to right): GM1/c Chester Mocarski; EM2/c William Riendeau; CMM George Jacobson; MOMM1/c Zenon Lukosivs; SM2/c Gordon Hohne; BM2/c Wayne Pickles, Jr.; RM2/c Stanley E. Wdowiak; and TM2/c Arthur W. Knispel (80-G-49179).

Photo #: 80-G-49168 Capture of German Submarine U-505
Salvage parties at work on U-505, as one of USS Guadalcanal's TBM Avengers circles overhead (80-G-49168).

Photo #: 80-G-324800 Capture of German Submarine U-505
The U.S. flag flies over the German naval ensign, with U-505's periscope serving as the flagstaff. USS Guadalcanal (CVE-60) is in background (80-G-324800).

Photo #: 80-G-324344 USS Chatelain
USS Chatelain (DE-149) with survivors of U-505 on her forecastle, 4 June 1944. Photographed from USS Guadalcanal (CVE-60) (80-G-324344).

Photo #: 80-G-324341 Capture of German Submarine U-505
U-505's wounded commanding officer, Oberleutnant zur See Harald Lange, is brought aboard USS Guadalcanal (CVE-60) (80-G-324341).

Photo #: 80-G-49170 Capture of German Submarine U-505
U-505 lies near USS Guadalcanal (CVE-60) after U.S. Navy salvage parties rigged a tow line (80-G-49170).

Photo #: 80-G-49169 Capture of German Submarine U-505
Salvage parties at work on U-505's bow and fairwater, as USS Guadalcanal (CVE-60) approaches to take the submarine in tow (80-G-49169).

Photo #: 80-G-49174 Capture of German Submarine U-505
TBM Avenger landing on USS Guadalcanal (CVE-60), while she was towing U-505 on 4 June 1944. The escort carrier kept up flight operations for days while the captured submarine was being towed toward Bermuda (80-G-49174).

Photo #: 80-G-324362 Capture of German Submarine U-505
U.S. Navy salvage team removes the damaged torpedo from its stowage position on U-505's deck, 9 June 1944 (80-G-324362).

Photo #: 80-G-324334 U-505
View into the captain's cabin on U-505 1944 (80-G-324334).

Photo #: 80-G-324371 U-505
The submarine's medical compartment, taken by a USS Guadalcanal (CVE-60) photographer on 14 June 1944 (80-G-324371).

Photo #: 80-G-324374 U-505
Control panel for the U-505's electric motors (80-G-324374).

Photo #: 80-G-324368 U-505
M.A.N.-built diesel engines in U-505's engine room (80-G-324368).

U-505 (German submarine) and USS T-35 (DD-935, ex-German T-35) on display
U-505 at the U.S. Naval Academy, Annapolis, Maryland, in October 1945, during the academy's centennial exhibition. The repainted submarine was on display with the captured German torpedo boat T-35 (80-G-701320).
Published: Thu Apr 04 09:56:20 EDT 2019