Five BAREG divers traveled to Rhode Island this past weekend to dive the wreck of the U-853. This U-boat lies in 120 fsw about six miles ENE of Block Island. The U-boat was attacked and sunk on 5 May 1945 after sinking the SS Black Point, a collier inbound to Providence with a cargo of coal. U-853 is a Type IX U-boat designed and built for long range operations to all parts of the Atlantic and as far as the Indian Ocean.
Diving this U-boat is an annual event for BAREG and this year we had great weather topside and not-too-bad conditions on the wreck. This time of year there’s a lot of suspended material in the water near the bottom and inside the U-boat the water had a milky cast to it, that’s a technical term…
Next trip we’ll have a closer look to see if it’s an electric motor or a fuel-driven torpedo. The last two photos are of the electric motor controls, the first from the U-853 and, for comparison, the second from the U-505 at the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago. Will have to go back to Chicago to get better interior photos of the U-505.
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