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Departments - Pages of History

The Boat
 A new exhibit opening this spring at Chicago’s Museum of Science and Industry will bring to life the dramatic story of the capture of a German U-boat during World War II.

On June 4, 1944, the U.S. Navy captured a German U-boat off the coast of Africa. Now, a new exhibit at Chicago’s Museum of Science and Industry will bring the story of the legendary submarine to life for visitors.

Set to open in spring 2005, the $35 million exhibit will portray the USS Guadalcanal Task Force 22.3’s dramatic search for and capture of the enemy submarine, U-505. Visitors will be able to see the outside of the U-505 up close, tour the inside of the submarine, and climb into a recreation of a crewman’s bunk. The 35,000-square-foot exhibit will include an Enigma machine captured from the U-505, audio narratives from more than 25 veterans, and one of the boat’s two original periscopes. Personal effects of the U-505’s crew, binoculars, and flags also will be displayed.

The Navy gained important information from its capture of the U-505, the only German submarine captured by the U.S. Navy during World War II. The intelligence it found allowed the Navy to break German codes and develop anti-torpedo countermeasures.

This Month in History

 On April 26, 1945, U.S. and Soviet troops made contact for the first time at Torgau, Germany, on the bridge over the Elbe. Photos of the Allied handshake went around the world, heralding the imminent end of World War II.


For 50 years, the U-boat had rested in an outdoor courtyard, braving the Chicago elements, but last year it was moved to an underground, climate-controlled space that will help preserve this unique World War II artifact. Four members of the USS Pillsbury boarding party, which kept the U-505 from sinking after its German crew tried to scuttle it, were present to celebrate the move.

The U-505 is one of only five U-boats remaining worldwide. The submarine was nearly destroyed after the war, but supporters raised enough funds to bring the boat to the Midwest. Nearly 24 million visitors have toured it.

For more information, including a virtual tour of the submarine, visit http://www.msichicago.org/exhibit/U505/.

Operation Deep Freeze

This season marked the end of an era for the C-141 Starlifters, which supported Operation Deep Freeze in the Antarctic continent since the 1960s. They are being taken out of the Air Force inventory and will be replaced next year by C-17 Globemaster IIIs. The U.S. Antarctic Program allows scientists from around the world to conduct research at McMurdo Station on Ross Island. The LC-130 Herculeses, C-17s, and C-141s have supported the mission by flying thousands of passengers and millions of pounds of cargo to McMurdo.