An unknown object was detected by Roper just after midnight on 14 April. The destroyer's officers decided to chase the object despite not knowing what it was. A torpedo missed the destroyer revealed it to be a U-boat; Roper engaged U-85 in a chase. A searchlight revealed it to be U-85, and the guns of the destroyer subsequently killed the U-boat's gun crew and heavily damaged it. Evidence suggests the U-boat was scuttled by her own crew. 29 bodies of the 46 men aboard U-85 were recovered by Roper; they were subsequently buried in Hampton, Virginia. The action marked the first time that a U-boat was sunk in American waters.
Background
Crewmen aboard U-85; this photograph was found on one of the bodies recovered by Roper after the U-boat sank.
On 28 January 1942, the U-boat was operating in the waters between Newfoundland and Nova Scotia. An aircraft belonging to the US Navy was conducting anti-submarine operations off Newfoundland.[6]:27 After spotting the U-boat, several depth charges were launched by the plane which subsequently observed an extensive oil slick and bubbling oil.[7] Despite this, the U-boat was not seriously damaged. The plane's crew believed that the attack on U-85 had been successful and subsequently radioed "Sighted sub, sank same."[6]:27 The U-boat rose an hour and a half later and returned to St. Nazaire, France on 23 February.[8]:185
U-85 left St. Nazaire[6]:28 for its fourth patrol on 21 March 1942; it was its first patrol to loiter off the East Coast of the United States. It carried a complement of 46.[1] The U-boat arrived in American waters on 7 April[3]:60 and patrolled off New England between 8 and 10 April.[9] On 10 April, it sunk the Swedish freighter Christina Knudsen with two torpedoes[6]:28 just 50 miles (80km) off of Cape May,[3]:60New Jersey.[9]U-85 then proceeded to its assigned station off Cape Hatteras, which is part of the Outer Banks.[6]:28 It positioned itself in the shallow waters off Bodie Island, which sat just north of Cape Hatteras, on 13 April. Its hull was awash and only its conning tower was visible above the surface of the water, making it nearly invisible to visual observers.[3]:60
Cape Hatteras sat in the infamous region nicknamed Torpedo Alley, where U-boats almost freely sank Allied merchant ships during the Second Happy Time. U-boats hunted there as it was a common shipping lane, vessels often passed through not following a zig-zagging pattern—which would make it harder for U-boats to hit them—and with their lights on. While there were naval patrol vessels in the region, they were few in number and slow, unseaworthy, or inappropriate for anti-submarine efforts.[5] The Fifth Naval District, a US Navy patrol region encompassing the Virginian and North Carolinian coasts, "was the best organized and trained antisubmarine warfare force" on the East Coast. On 1 April, it announced a new "hunter-killer" doctrine to track and kill U-boats;[10]:380 part of this included equipping warships with new radar systems.[11]USS Roper was Wickes-class destroyer that operated out of Norfolk, Virginia. She was assigned to patrol and escort duty in the waters of the Fifth Naval District.[12] She was one of seven ships equipped with the new radar.[11]
Action
USS Roper underway in 1942
Roper left Norfolk in the evening of on 13 April.[8]:189 Her commanding officer was Lieutenant CommanderHamilton W. Howe. Also aboard was CommanderStanley C. Norton, the commander of Destroyer Division 54 which Roper was the flagship of.[13]:138 It took two and a half hours for the destroyer to pass False Cape and enter the Graveyard of the Atlantic,[8]:189 finally passing False Cape Buoy by 2110,[14]:154 but she subsequently arrived at her assigned patrol box.[3]:60 The patrol box the destroyer was directed to was based on intellegence recieved by the Fifth Naval District.[10]:381
The first watch manned their guns, closed bulkhead doors, and positioned lookouts to scan the horizon.[8]:189 There was a contact at 2238, and Howe veered Roper off course but did not order general quarters. One depth charge was dropped and the destroyer resumed her course.[14]:154 Around 2300, both Howe and Norton[15] turned in for the night and gave command to the officer of the deck,[13]:138Ensign[15] Kenneth Tebo.[13]:138
At midnight on 14 April, a crew change occurred on the destroyer. The sky was clear and starlit and the sea was calm;[16] wind was blowing from the southeast with a force of one. Off the destroyer's starboard side was the Bodie Island Lighthouse and Bodie Island Bell Buoy No. 8.[15][17] At 0006 hours, while making 18 knots (21mph; 33km/h) and with a heading of 182° true, her crew made a radar contact.[17] The object was bearing 190° true at a distance of 2,700 yards (2,500m).[16] Howe was awoken and advised of the situation; he decided to let Tebo pursue the object, believing it not to be anything more than a fishing boat or Coast Guard vessel.[13]:139 The destroyer's speed was increased to 20 knots (23mph; 37km/h) after propeller sounds were detected by her underwater detectors,[13]:139[16] and she was brought to 195° true.[17] Realizing his U-boat was being tracked, Greger decided to try and escape on the surface[1] as water in this region was only about 100 feet (30m) deep.[13]:140 The U-boat only had a speed of 17 knots (20mph; 31km/h) while traveling on the surface, meaning it would be unable to outrun the destroyer.[11]Roper's new radar system gave her an additional advantage over U-85.[10]:380
A diagram of the battle. The top half shows the maneuvers of both vessels, and the bottom half shows when the torpedo nearly hit Roper during the chase.
At about 2,100 yards (1,900m), the wake of a small vessel running away at a high speed was observed[17] by lookouts on the bow. Howe gave the order to man battle stations and prepare to open fire. As the destroyer gained on the unknown vessel, it began to turn[16] to port. Roper remained in the object's starboard quarter to avoid being struck by possible torpedoes,[17] as U-boats had torpedo tubes located in their sterns.[13]:139 Tebo was convinced this was a U-boat.[13]:139 The vessel's wake revealed its wide arc to the left, heading towards deeper water; its behavior was consistent with that of enemy submarines.[8]:190 When the Roper was about 700 yards (640m) astern of the vessel[17] at 0034,[8]:190 a torpedo passed down the destroyer's port side[17] and nearly hit her[1][16]—it missed by some 50 yards (46m).[8]:190 The torpedo had been fired from U-85's stern tube to try to shake the destroyer.[1]:28 The suspicion that Roper had been chasing a U-boat were now confirmed.[1][6]:28
The U-boat turned sharply to starboard when Roper was 300 yards (270m) away,[13]:139 likely trying to align its bow to launch another torpedo.[8]:190 The destroyer's 24in (61cm)searchlight was soon directed on the vessel at 0045 by Lieutenant Williams Vanous,[15] revealing it to be a submarine.[16][17]Roper's crew could see German sailors rushing from the conning tower towards the deck gun, which was an 8.8 cm SK C/35 naval gun. The last stern torpedo was fired at the destroyer, which missed.[8]: 190 –191 The U-boat continued turning to starboard inside the turning radius of the destroyer. The searchlight was held on U-85,[17] and Howe ordered his crew to open fire.[8]:192
A 3" gun being fired aboard USS Pivot. Roper was equipped with several of these; while two misfired, gun No. 5 scored a hit on U-85
The No. 3 3"/.50 gun atop Roper's deckhousemisfired thrice;[13]:193 it was followed by misfires of gun of the same caliber on the starboard side and the .50 caliber machine gun atop the deckhouse, the latter of which misfired a total of five times.[8]:192–193 Both of the 3" cases were thrown overboard to have the guns ready for further action. In one instance, the case pulled away from the projectile and the latter had to be removed separately. The same thing occurred when trying to unload another gun that was unable to bear during the action. Inspections of the cartridges revealed indentations in their primers, which may have been a result of weathering.[17] Their crews also may have pulled the triggers before loading the shells.[14]:158
The crew of U-85 turned the deck gun to aim at the destroyer—it would only take a single shot to sink Roper.[8]:193Chief Boatswain's Mate Jack Wright,[15] who was at the No. 1[2] .50 caliber machine gun that sat beside the No. 3 3" gun,[13]:145 pushed its gunner aside and unjammed it.[14]:158 He then opened fire on the U-boat's deck gun. Some of the gun's crew were hit while others scrambled behind the gun for cover.[8]:194 Several others also jumped into the water or were pinned behind the conning tower.[13]:140 Howe wrote in his report that Wright "opened fire so promptly and effectively that he was a major factor in bringing about the destruction of the submarine."[15] The U-boat had its port side facing Roper, slowing and then stopping in place.[14]:158 A shot came from the No. 5 3" gun[8]:194—its gun crew lead by Coxwain Harry Heyman[15]—and landed a direct hit on the conning tower near the waterline.[17] The shot breached the U-boat's pressure hull,[1] and an orange flash was seen by Roper's crew where the shell hit.[13]:140[14]:159
U-85 came to a stop in the water and began to appear to submerge.[8]:195 Its crew subsequently scrambled out and leapt into the water, some donning life jackets.[16] Howe ordered a torpedo fired to finish off U-85, but it had disappeared beneath the water before a torpedo could be fired.[16][17] In his report, Howe speculated that it was scuttled due to the fact that the hit from the No. 5 gun would not have been enough to immediately sink the U-boat,[6]:29 and due to the fact that it settled slowly and by the stern;[1] the stern torpedo doors may have been opened to allow water to enter the U-boat.[13]:140U-85's crew was subsequently spotted in the water; they began crying out for help,[1] waving at the men aboard Roper,[14]:160 and shouting "comrade".[9] The exact number is unknown—Vanous wrote that he thought he saw thirty-five men, while Howe saw "about forty."[13]:140 The sonar operator reported "an excellent sound contact"[15] just as Roper's crew began preparing to drop a life raft[6]:29 that had become fouled in rigging.[13]:140
Roper dropped a barrage of 11 depth charges, set to explode at 50 feet (15m), from her racks and her Y and K guns[13]:141[17] while at a course heading of 105° true. The bearing varied little and the U-boat's speed was negligible.[2] This was done to ensure that U-85 was sunk and streamed through its crew in the water.[1] The depth charges killed those that had not drowned.[16]Roper was secured from general quarters at 0100, and the destroyer's officers and gun crews began to investigate why the guns had malfunctioned. At 0130, Roper messaged the Fifth Naval District communications office with the news.[8]:195 The sinking of U-85 marked the first time that American naval forces had sunk a U-boat off the East Coast during the Battle of the Atlantic.[1][8]:195
Search operations
It was considered too dangerous to conduct any rescue operations before daybreak,[2] so Roper remained in the general area of U-85's sinking until then,[17] all the while zig-zagging and sending out sonar pings. The U-boat's wreckage could not be detected due to the darkness. On two occasions Roper passed survivors floating in the water, but no rescues were attempted due to the concern of other U-boats in the area;[8]:196 Howe did not want to risk his destroyer being sunk by a second U-boat.[16] Howe returned to his cabin and wrote a report on the action.[13]:141
Crewmen aboard Roper pull the body of a U-85 crewman by its arms, taking it onto the destroyer
Search operations resumed just after 0700.[17] Having arrived at 0607,[14]:162 a PBY plane cooperated in an intensive sight search, investigating oil slicks and bits of debris. The plane dropped one depth charge and the destroyer dropped two. At 0706, smoke floats were dropped from two planes to direct attention to the presence of bodies in the water that were kept afloat by lifejackets.[16][17] Two lifeboats were placed in the water at 0717, which commenced the recovery of bodies and their articles. An airship was observed approaching at 0727, and was asked to circle the destroyer as her crew searched for bodies to protect it from U-boats.[17] Seven planes appeared on the scene at once, and a British trawler[16] stood over near the end of the recovery operation and was asked to watch for submarines.[17]
At 0850, the sonar operator detected a sharp echo at 2,700 yards (2,500m); four depth charges were dropped at 0857. One large and one small air bubble appeared along with fresh oil. The airship and a plane dropped flares on the location as the airship's crew reported the appearance of the bubbles.[17] A total of 29 bodies were recovered by the crew of Roper,[1] all stacked on the deck amidships. A canvas was placed over the bodies and a crewman posted to stand guard.[14]:163 Two additional bodies had been found,[1] but they had been allowed to sink after they had been searched for articles to be used by naval intelligence;[1] they were too mangled.[9] At 0957, two more depth charges were dropped over the largest bubble. Both bubbles continued after the depth charging, and air was still seen rising as the destroyer left the scene. An orange buoy was put in 14 fathoms of water roughly 250 yards (230m) away and bearing 270° true from the largest bubble; it was believed this was the location of the submarine.[1]
Burial
Roper anchored in Lynnhaven Roads in the afternoon of 14 April. She was met by the Navy tugboat USS Sciota, which then took on the bodies carried by Roper.[8]:200 An officer watch was placed aboard the tug to avoid pilferage[18] as the bodies were ferried to Naval Operating Base Norfolk; they arrived at 1835.[a] The bodies were loaded onto stretchers and taken to a hangar. Photographs were taken of each body, showing their clothing and lifesaving apparatuses. An individual report was then made for each body,[18] their names were noted,[2] and their belongings were placed into envelopes.[18] Six of them recovered had escape lungs, and two had tubing in their mouths.[6]:29 The only officer among the men was the chief engineer, who was an oberleutenant zur see.[8]:201 Some of the Germans were wearing civilian clothes and had wallets with American currency and identification cards; they had been preparing to row ashore in a rubber raft when Roper discovered the submarine. It was suspected that they had been spies attempting to land on American shores.[16] Two of the bodies had diaries, which were forbidden to have aboard U-boats. They belonged to a crewman of unknown rank and the senior engineman. The content of the two diaries that were read by Naval Intelligence officers revealed U-85 to be the same U-boat that had been depth charged on 28 January and had subsequently believed to have been sunk.[2][8]:201–202
The crew of U-85 being buried in Hampton National Cemetery on 15 April.
The bodies were removed from Naval Operating Base Norfolk, placed in individual caskets, and sealed in shipping boxes. They were loaded into trucks and taken to Hampton, Virginia. The bodies were then buried at Hampton National Cemetery. Fifty-two prisoners from Fort Monroe dug the graves, and the caskets were then individually lowered into them. US Army soldiers served as pallbearers. A Catholic and then Protestantchaplain read the burial service at 2000 on 15 April. A firing party fired three volleys over the graves, and "Taps" was played. The prisoners then filled in the graves.[8]:203[18] A large crowd of spectators had gathered on the other side of the cemetery's perimeter wall despite no public statement having been made regarding the sinking of U-85 and the recovery of the bodies.[8]:203 The 29 crewmembers of U-85 are buried in plots 687 through 715.[2]
Aftermath
The sinking of U-85 would not be formally reported to the public until three weeks after the sinking, when a story with inaccurate accounts was released. It said that Roper's crew "went to the rails to help lift the surviving members of the submarine crew out of the water". On 23 July, the Navy announced the burial of U-85's crew with no details of which U-boat it was or the names of the deceased.[6]:29
Both Howe and Norton were subsequently awarded the Navy Cross for destroying U-85 without damaging the destroyer or having any personnel injured or killed.[13]:138 Heyman, Tebo, Vanous, and Wright were all awarded Silver Stars for their actions; the rest of the gun crew of the No. 5 gun was also commended.[15]
Dives to the wreck
Within 24 hours of U-85's sinking, a Navy Experimental Diving Unit arrived to conduct an initial survey and see if it was possible to refloat the U-boat. They were transported by HMT Bedfordshire, a British trawler; they stopped at the orange buoy left by Roper. The first diver went down on 16 April, and sixth diver found the wreck the next day.[13]:146–147 Poor visibility and impending bad weather prevented divers from reaching the wreck for the next five days.[15]
Bedfordshire left for convoy escort duty on 20 April,[13]:147 and the fleet tug USS Kewaydin arrived to replace her on 22 April. The second diver to go to the wreck discovered an unexploded MK IV[13]:147 depth charge along its starboard side; all further dive expeditions were halted until the mine was exploded by the Navy Mine Disposal Unit[15] four days later.[13]:147 On 26 April, USCGC Cuyahoga arrived to guard Kewaydin. The first diver to descend to U-85 placed a descending line on the port side, just forward of the deck gun; the fleet tug was now tied to the U-boat's wreck. Six dives were conducted, and the report afterwards noted that the wreck was surprisingly intact. Multiple hatches were open, but the propellers and diving planes were undamaged.[15]
USS Falcon, a diving and salvage ship, arrived at the wreck on 29 April.[13]:147 Just a week after the sinking of U-85, the Navy planned to raise the U-boat.[15] The first diver descended the 100 feet (30m) of water in just two minutes while in a deep sea rig.[13]:148 Over the course of 78 dives, its 20mm anti-aircraft gun, the gun sights for the 88mm deck gun, elements from its gyroscope, and other instruments from the bridge. Diving operations ended on 4 May, with the commanding officer of Falcon concluding that U-85 "was thoroughly and efficiently scuttled by her crew, and that successful salvage can be accomplished only by extensive pontooning operations." The Navy did not return to the wreck.[15]
Notes
↑Prior to the guard being posted, crewmen aboard Roper watched some the tugboat's crew riddle through corpses' pockets. The officers in charge of the investigation noted that many articles had likely been taken.[14]:163
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