The Sailor
26-12-2007, 00:54
The U-570 was a German U boat that incredibly surrendered to a Lockheed Hudson of Coastal Command.
On the 27 August 1941 the U-570 was proceeding on the surface to her war station when she was sighted by the crew of a Lockheed Hudson of Coastal Command, piloted by Sqn Ldr Thompson, RAF, who was later presented with the U boat's flag.
The Hudson had dropped several depth charges and succeeded in damaging the U boat so that it was unable to submerge.
It's captain Kapitänleutnant Hans-Joachim Rahmlow for some reason decided to surrender his ship and the Hudson circled until surface forces arrived in the form of HMS Burwell and HMCS Niagara.
U-570 was repaired in the British yard Barrow in Furness and later commissioned as HMS Graph on the 19th September 1941.
Unfortunately HMS Graph did not distinguish itself in RN service and it seemed that a golden opportunity was lost to really do some damage to other U boats in covert operations.
She remained in service until 1944 when she ran aground on the Scotish coast.
Another story I heard was that the German captain Hans Rahmlow, had a very hard time of it in the British prisoner of war camp and had to be segregated for his own protection from senior U Boat officer prisoners.
Enclosed is a photo of HMS Graph in 1943
and a Lockheed Hudson of Coastal Command.
On the 27 August 1941 the U-570 was proceeding on the surface to her war station when she was sighted by the crew of a Lockheed Hudson of Coastal Command, piloted by Sqn Ldr Thompson, RAF, who was later presented with the U boat's flag.
The Hudson had dropped several depth charges and succeeded in damaging the U boat so that it was unable to submerge.
It's captain Kapitänleutnant Hans-Joachim Rahmlow for some reason decided to surrender his ship and the Hudson circled until surface forces arrived in the form of HMS Burwell and HMCS Niagara.
U-570 was repaired in the British yard Barrow in Furness and later commissioned as HMS Graph on the 19th September 1941.
Unfortunately HMS Graph did not distinguish itself in RN service and it seemed that a golden opportunity was lost to really do some damage to other U boats in covert operations.
She remained in service until 1944 when she ran aground on the Scotish coast.
Another story I heard was that the German captain Hans Rahmlow, had a very hard time of it in the British prisoner of war camp and had to be segregated for his own protection from senior U Boat officer prisoners.
Enclosed is a photo of HMS Graph in 1943
and a Lockheed Hudson of Coastal Command.