Figure 1.--. |
|
The U-977 was a World War II German Type VIIC U-boat launched (1943). Oberleutnant Heinz
After arriving at Mar del Plata on 17 August 1945, U-977 was surrendered to the Argentine Navy. She was later towed to Boston and given to the U.S. Navy on 13 November 1945. On 13 November 1946, she was sunk off Cape Cod by USS Atule during torpedo trials. The crew was transferred into U.S. jurisdiction by presidential decree on 22 August 1945 and flown out for interrogation in the United States.
Schäffer later wrote a book: U-977 – 66 Tage unter Wasser ("U-977 – 66 Days Under Water"), the first postwar memoir by a former U-boat officer. It was published in 1952, and was translated into English under the title U-boat 977. (1921-1979) commanded her first war patrol (May 2). The U-977 sailed from Kristiansand, Norway. His orders were to enter the British port of Southampton and sink Allied shipping. At the time given Allied anti-submarine warfare (ASW) capabilities, this was a virtual death sentence. This orders were for a war patrol, they had nothing to do with assisting NAZI war criminals escape the Allied vice. While the U-boats had been largely defeated and withdrawn from the Atlantic (1943), Admiral Dönitz still dispatched some boats to force the Allies to continie commitung resources to the ASW effort. Admiral Dönitz ordered a cease fire in preparation for the coming surrender (May 5, 1945). OKM ordered U-boats to stand down. The U-977 was headed for Southhampton and located north of Scotland. Rather than return to Germany as ordered, Oberleutnant Schäffer decided on his own to sail to Argentina. This was dangerous decesion because the Allies were increasungly able to find and track u-boats. Married men with families were allowed to disembark. The ensuing 66-day voyage is a matter of some controversy. The Americans who wre tracking the boat and Oberleutnant Schäffer provide varying accounts. One subject at issue is to what extent Schäffer remained submerged. The voyage is often cited by authors writing about escaping war criminals and NAZI gold. There is eve a claim of a secret voyage to Antartica. U-977 arrived at Mar del Plata (August 17, 1945). Schäffer surrender his boat to the Argentine Navy. The Argentines towed her to Boston and turned the bot over go the U.S. Navy (November 13). The crew was also transferred into U.S. jurisdiction by presidential decree (August 22, 1945). They were flown to the United states where they were interogated. It is not entirely clear why he made this decsion. When the Americans finally were able to interogate him, he said that he was influenced by reports broadcast by Propaganda Minister Goebbels who charged as part of the American Morgenthau Plan, Germany would be turned into into a "goat pasture” and that German men were to be "enslaved and sterilized". There is no way to tell if he was being honest, but it seems likely. We do not know how much he knew about NAZI war crimes. He was, however, a very young man (about 24 years old) and may well have belieced NAZI claims. He may also have been aware of delays in being repatriated German POWs after World War I. He was probably aware of conditions in Germany after World war I and well as current conditions at the end of the War. And prospects in Argentina with its substabtial German community probably did seem more attractive than a defeated and occupied Germany.
Schäffer, Heinz. U-977 – 66 Tage unter Wasser (1952). This was the first postwar memoir by a former U-boat officer. It was translated into English under the title U-boat 977.
Navigate the Boys' Historical Clothing Web Site:
[Return to Main World War II Atlantic ships page]
[Return to Main Argentine World War II page]
[Return to Main World War II Atlantic naval campaign page]
[Return to Main World War II naval campaign page]
[Return to Main World War II page]
[Introduction]
[Activities]
[Biographies]
[Chronology]
[Clothing styles]
[Countries]
[Bibliographies]
[Contributions]
[FAQs]
[Glossaries]
[Images]
[Links]
[Registration]
[Tools]
[Boys' Clothing Home]