The Capture of U-505

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U-505 was the first enemy warship captured at sea by the US Navy since 1812. This account details how Captain Gallery devised and executed a daring raid on his own initiative, a success that nearly jeopardized the war against U-boats. On June 4, 1944, a US Navy antisubmarine task group captured an enemy U-boat in the Atlantic. Unlike previous captures, the operation involved a risky strategy to seize scuttled U-boats. The book analyzes Gallery's bold approach, using contemporary sources to explain his belief that the potential rewards outweighed the risks. Instead of sinking the next surfaced U-boat, a destroyer escort would deploy its whaleboat while others provided suppressive fire to encourage the crew to abandon ship. Unbeknownst to Gallery, the Allies had already broken German codes, and capturing a U-boat could compromise this intelligence. His goal was to secure the vessel's codes and equipment to intercept U-boat communications. The operation culminated in the capture of U-505, which nearly exposed the Bletchley Park codebreaking efforts. Featuring contemporary photographs, commissioned artwork, and 3D maps, this narrative explores a controversial raid that could have altered the course of World War II.