The U-1105, known by her crew as the Black Panther, was one of the world’s first stealth submarines. The U-boat was covered with a rubber coating that was given the code name Alberich, after the invisible dwarf king in Wagner’s opera Der Ring des Nibelungen. U-1105 conducted one war patrol and on 27 April 1945, she successfully demonstrated her stealth capability by evading detection after attacking and damaging HMS Redmill, a U.S.-built destroyer escort. Twelve days after this attack U-1105 received the message to all deployed U-boats announcing the cessation of hostilities and instructing them to surrender to the nearest Allied units. U-1105 surrendered to the Royal Navy and was later transferred to the U.S. Navy. In late 1945, a crew of U.S. submarine sailors, assisted by a Royal Navy engineer and under command of LCDR Hubert Murphy, USN, crossed the North Atlantic and arrived at Portsmouth Naval Shipyard in Maine. Ultimately, the U-1105 was sent to Solomons Island, Maryland where she was used to train Navy divers in submarine salvage. After several sinkings and raisings, U-1105 was permanently sunk on 19 September 1949 by a depth charge placed under her keel.
As a war prize, the U-1105 remains property of the U.S. Government and the wreck site is administered by the State of Maryland as a historic shipwreck preserve. Removal of any material from the wreck is prohibited by state and federal law.
BAREG conducted a survey of the U-1105 in 2021 and 2022 with support from the State of Maryland’s Department of Planning/Maryland Historic Trust (link to survey report in references below). In 2024, BAREG, in collaboration with and under the supervision of the Naval History & Heritage Command, removed samples of Alberich from the U-1105 for conservation and analysis by the U.S. Navy.
U-1105 Wreck Site
The U-1105 wreck site is in the lower Potomac River approximately one nautical mile west of the old Piney Point lighthouse. From April to December the site is marked by a white and blue mooring buoy, and the buoy is depicted on NOAA Chart 12233, Potomac River, Chesapeake Bay to Piney Point. Anchoring on the wreck site is prohibited and dive boats are encouraged to use the mooring buoy. In 2021, BAREG relieved another dive group of its responsibilities for deployment, recovery, and maintenance of the U-1105 mooring buoy. The deployment and recovery of the buoy is conducted by a cadre of experienced BAREG tec divers.
The U-boat lies in 85 feet of seawater (fsw) with the top of its tower at 65 fsw. Most of the U-boat’s hull lies buried in a soft black sediment that is easily disturbed, and when disturbed, it will create zero viz in an instant. Good trim and buoyancy control are essential for diving the U-boat, and though the wreck is relatively shallow, other conditions, most notably strong current, make the U-1105 an advanced dive.
During the warmer dive months BAREG maintains a fixed up/down line attached to the search periscope at the forward end of the U-boat’s tower. This line is removed when the mooring buoy is taken off station for winter maintenance, and during the off season BAREG uses a shot line to dive the U-boat.
The U-1105 is about 25 minutes by boat from the Tall Timbers Marina in southern Maryland. The M/V My Purpose Holds, captained by BAREG’s Operations Coordinator, makes scheduled trips to the U-1105 throughout the year, but only for BAREG members. The Operations Coordinator vets all BAREG divers planning to dive the U-1105 for certifications and experience diving in strong current, cold water, and near-zero viz conditions.
Resources
The U-1105 ‘Black Panther’ (18ST636) 2021-2022 Maritime Archaeological Survey Report can now be downloaded here.
Naval History and Heritage Command – U-1105 US Navy’s U-1105 page.
U-1105 Black Panther Historic Shipwreck Preserve – Official Site of State of Maryland Tourism
Hardcover or Kindle book on Amazon.com: German submarine U-1105 ‘Black Panther’: The naval archaeology of a U-boat
