Synthetic Aperture Sonar imagery of U-853, showing that the submarine is largely intact. Image courtesy of Kraken Robotics. history).9 SAS provides sufficient detail to confirm that the U-boat is largely intact, despite its pressure hull having been ruptured in multiple locations. Additionally, “[t]he forward torpedo loading hatch, battery hatch, and forward personnel hatch are all clearly visible, as is the conning tower, aft gun mount, and several of the submarine’s compressed air flasks.”10 This incredible technology allows us to peer at a nearly forgotten relic of history. Despite this intact physical resource, the final hours of the Battle of the Atlantic left many questions unanswered. Did Frömsdorf ignore Dönitz’s cease-fire or was the message never received? Recent analysis by Aaron S. Hamilton asserts that
Frömsdorf’s training would have had him take the submarine to the bottom and wait it out, hidden in the contours of the seafloor. With the use of the snorkel, U-boats submerged and did not surface for days— sometimes weeks—at a time. During U-853’s second patrol, it had stayed underwater without resurfacing for a full eighteen days.11 Still, Frömsdorf’s decision to stay in the area after the attack on SS Black Point, when he could have made an escape to deeper waters, has long been criticized. Questions remain as well regarding American tactics. Why did the US Navy continue to drop ordnance on the U-boat despite evidence that it was clearly no longer a threat? New imaging technologies
and the re-examination of the Battle of Point Judith may lead us to the next chapter of this extraordinary tale. U-853 remains a war grave and serves as a reminder as to how close the war came to American shores.
primarily used in WWII. Convoy escort warships were most often equipped with Hedgehogs. Each launcher had the capacity to fire 24 mortars. Combined with depth charges, these systems made submarine hunting an easy job. 5 Some, albeit very limited, sources say that USS Amick was relieved from the hunter-killer group early in the morning of May 6th to make a previously arranged rendezvous. Regardless of where she ended up ultimately, neither the Moberly nor Atherton logbook discuss the Amick past May 5th. 6 The Atherton logbook reports three US Navy blimps, but numerous other sources report two. USS Moberly did not mention blimp assistance. Robert M. Downie, Block Island—The Sea (Block Island, RI: Book Nook Press, 1998), 197–198; Ralph DiCaprio,
“The Battle of Point Judith,” Destroyer Escort Sailors Assoc., accessed 20 July 2018, http://www.desausa. org/de_photo_library/battle_of_point_judith.htm. 7 The other being the sinking of U-881 by USS Farquhar at 6:16 am on 6 May, 300 miles off the coast of Cape Race, Newfoundland, Canada. 8 https://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2013/11/04/ boat-wreck-off-coast-dark-reminder-wwii/OLUV9 YOFdMDjfeu5VFIGHJ/story.html 9 https://krakenrobotics.com/products/katfish/ 10 https://oceanexplorer.noaa.gov/technology/development-partnerships/18kraken/u853-blackpoint/ u853-blackpoint.html 11 Hamilton, “A Re-evaluation of U-853’s Final War Patrol within the Evolving U-Boat Operations and Tactics of ‘Total Undersea War’.”
Jessica Rozek is a research historian with CALIBRE Systems, in Alexandria, Virginia, researching WWI and WWII munitions and is working on a master’s degree in museum studies from Harvard University. She is a former educator aboard USS Torsk, part of the fleet of historic vessels in Baltimore. To view more images of the U-853 and SS Black Point wrecks sites, go to https://oceanexplorer. noaa.gov/ and search for “U-853.”
NOTES Aaron S. Hamilton, “A Re-evaluation of U-853’s Final War Patrol within the Evolving U-Boat Operations and Tactics of ‘Total Undersea War’,” Pen and Sword Blog, 4 May 2020, https://www.pen-andsword.co.uk/blog/author-guest-post-aaron-stephenhamilton. 2 Karl Dönitz became the President of Nazi Germany (Reichspräsident) following the suicide of Adolf Hitler on 30 April 1945. 3 Jonathan E. Klein, “At Zero Hour: The Government of Karl Dönitz, with Reflections as Seen in German Literature,” M.A. thesis, May 2006, 50. Also, Clay Blair, “Hitler’s U-Boat War: The Hunted, 1942– 1945,” Random House, 1998, 699–700. 4 Hedgehogs were forward throwing anti-submarine mortars that were developed by the Royal Navy and 1
SEA HISTORY 175, SUMMER 2021 35