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The French Submarine Surcouf World Naval Ships Forums Archive

The French Submarine Surcouf

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I wonder what really happened to the French submarine Surcouf. Here is the story, judge for yourselves! Cover ups keep springing to mind.
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That was a very interesting story and article Bob. What a mess all that Vichy and free French business was. "The French they are a funny race parlez vous" In fact the Japanese built something simular in the 1-1400. See my post.

Yes, most interesting. Thanks Bob. The division in France during WW2 was tragic. I know there was much anger directed at us for not rushing to France when Hitler invaded like we did in WW1. To let France fall to the Hun was a bitter pill indeed. But Hitler's threat to bomb Paris couldn't be taken lightly. As for the destruction of part of the French fleet - they still are very angry about this I gather. Then there was the tragedy of Syria. That our forces had to engage and defeat the Vichy French there suffering many casualties on both sides. It's interesting to reflect that today the firmest allies in the EU are the French and Germans.

Bob, where did the story you quote come from if you don't mind my asking? I have a very good book called "Submarines with Wings" and it definitely made no mention of a French inquiry following her sinking. And the record of the K-Class submarines in the First War suggests that big submarines hitting ships and losing is a lot easier than one would thought. Harley

i like to read about surcouf ,is something very interesting for me thank you.

Am doing a lot of work about the French Submarines 1939 -1945. At the outbreak of the second world war the French were actively working with us in the Channel and North Sea.However at the invasion of the Low Countries and the fall of the French defences on the Maginot line the speed of Hitlers ''Blitzkrieg'' advance surprised everyone. German advances westwards 14thMay 1940 and Dunkirk evacuation started 4th June On the 18th June Surcouf and six other French Submarines had escaped to England or were in the Uk allready .On the 22nd June the Vichy French agreement had been made . Churchill was afraid that the French Fleet would be used against the Uk so 3rd July the French vessels in UK ports were given an option to stay and fight with us or be repatriated --Surcouf and its crew were the only ones to resist . 3rd --7th July 1940 the French Fleet ships in the N. African bases were given ultimatums join the Uk or scuttle --they were subsequently attacked by the UK ships with a big loss of life. On the 14th July 1940 De Gaulle and a Uk Naval Force went to Dakar and Gabon to attempt to get the Vichy French forces to come over to the Free French --they refused and an action took place at Dakar where the Uk forces withdrew -The Resolution was almost sunk by french torpedo's. 1942 and the allies invasion of N Africa and also the taking of Madagascar and Syria involved more loss of French lives.However at the same time the whole French Fleet scuttled in November 1942 vessels in Brest ,Oran ,Toulon Morrocco all scuttled and surrendered. The Germans invaded Vichy France November 1942. The rest is history as they say . The Free French Forces with the UK were fully integrated and were quite good in the fight against the Nazi's . Fred

The collision with Thompson Lykes is pretty well documented. A published account is available in Strike from beneath the Sea by Treadwell. There are some really wacky versions of her loss, filled with Vichy intrigue and Jacques Cousteau escapades. The French tragedy gives us one wartime oddity. On 9 Nov 1940, the Free French sloop Savorgnan de Brazza sank the Vichy sloop Bougainville off Libreville--the only instance I know of in which a ship deliberately sank its own sistership in battle.

For those interested in the French submarine Surcouf the most complete articel I have found is in the "Military Heritage Magazine." You can try this link: http;//militaryheritagemagazine.com/MH%UPDATE%20SCAN/6.gif Jim Clarke

This article can be relied on as giving the most probable scenario of the [I]Surcouf [/I]loss : damages caused by the [I]Thompson Lykes [/I](damages only as traces left on the cargo's hull were deep abrasions but not to the extend of a shock likely to a smash a warship hull in) then a bomb attack the following day that completed the tragic event. Several weeks later, several bodies were washed ashore in Florida, unidentifiable but wearing french navy regular dresses. These couldn't come from another ship than [I]Surcouf[/I]. I regard as very doubtful that J.-Y. Cousteau team found [I]Surcouf [/I]wreck as he had such sense of communication that he won't have missed to publicize the fact. Jean Lassaque

Hello, I'm a new member to the Forums and would like to share some of my photos with you. Here are a couple of photos of the Surcouf that may be of interest. One shows a close-up view of the massive guns, the top brass seem to be onboard, maybe the photo is from the inauguration of Surcouf. The second was taken in Casablanca and shows the spotting plane out of its hangar. What a monster submarine! The acoustic signature must have been something! Met up with Valere Ortoli, son of Admiral Ortoli, lieutenant de vaisseau on the Surcouf in the early 30s, the other day and had a good discussion about the Surcouf. John
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Some years back I saw, read and might even still have and article from the Hartford Current (CT) newspaper about this sub. a diver said he found Surcouf in Long Island Sound. This was an article from the 1960's (1967 I think). I was told, tho I have never seen or read, that it was retracted 3 weeks later, tho only after some guys in suits and dark sedans, "talked" to the person who found it. His name slips me right now, but I remember he was a founding member of a large CT dive club along the coast. Now you have to understand, the diver, a hard hat diver from the picture of him in the paper, was black (African American) and dies back in the mid/late 1990's and was married to a white woman. A truly hard thing at the time. I'll be going thru my boxes of sub stuff to find the names and the day/date and post what I can. I found the article, already cut out and folded up, in a 1941 Janes, at the Springfield Mass Library when I was a teen, researching subs for a war games club I belonged to. In the 1990's I pulled it out and started looking more into it again. That's when I heard about the retraction from a member of the dive club and the stuff about his wife and threats that where made to them. In 1994ish I made contact with a few interesting people, one said he was a member of the crew of the US Sub Marlin off Long Island. From another I heard about a US Navy Seal operation off New London CT to demo the hulk of a WW2 sub. This was to have happened in the 1970 or early 1980's. Other interesting info I picked up, before shelving this little pet project for a while, (I pull it out every now and then) include she was not the only free french sub to go missing around this time. another was lost right after a refit in Philly Navy Yard. Surcouf stopped in Bermuda after her refit in Portsmouth Navy Yard, and the trouble she had there included a mine that went off and while in Bermudas another was found on her. The ideas that she was trading torps and supplies to the Germans make no sense at all, as French, British or US (tho we where "neutral") would not work in a German tube. Add to that the record keeping of the Germans say nothing of it ever happening, so even if we thought it might be going on at the time, we know now it was not, tho most Vichy records are still sealed. Jacques Cousteau was going to look for it and was talked out of it by US and French authorities, I had never heard he found it. Tho Surcouf, being the pride of the French Navy in WW2, you'd think the world renown diver would have looked for it and it would have been fairly easy if the story about being rammed and sunk by the Thompson Lykes as the official story goes, and even easier with today's equipment, she is the size of a WW2 era Destroyer and they can find the Liberty Bell space capsule at the bottom of the Pacific. Tho if she sank someplace else... Well and on that topic, The crew of the Lykes thought they ran over a small costal tanker, and there was oil in the water, tho no cork, which a sub a that time had alot of for insolation and they crys for help they heard, where in English, not French or Spanish. Now If you where a French Submariner, and was just rammed and sinking, would you cry for help in English for French? The Lykes did have damage, there are pictures of her hull damage, tho to me it does not look like damage from hitting the largest sub in the world at the time, a sub twice the size & weight of a US Gato class sub. Lastly, the Naval Inquire on her loss, was just Brits and US, The French where not allowed to be present, with is rather odd. I have never seen or read anything about a French inquiry after and would love to see that info.

[quote=PupSter;57298]Some years back I saw, read and might even still have and article from the Hartford Current (CT) newspaper about this sub. a diver said he found Surcouf in Long Island Sound. This was an article from the 1960's (1967 I think). I was told, tho I have never seen or read, that it was retracted 3 weeks later, tho only after some guys in suits and dark sedans, "talked" to the person who found it. His name slips me right now, but I remember he was a founding member of a large CT dive club along the coast. Now you have to understand, the diver, a hard hat diver from the picture of him in the paper, was black (African American) and dies back in the mid/late 1990's and was married to a white woman. A truly hard thing at the time. I'll be going thru my boxes of sub stuff to find the names and the day/date and post what I can. I found the article, already cut out and folded up, in a 1941 Janes, at the Springfield Mass Library when I was a teen, researching subs for a war games club I belong In the 1990's I pulled it out and started looking more into it again. That's when I heard about the retraction from a member of the dive club and the stuff about his wife and threats that where made to them. In 1994ish I made contact with a few interesting people, one said he was a member of the crew of the US Sub Marlin off Long Island. From another I heard about a US Navy Seal operation off New London CT to demo the hulk of a WW2 sub. This was to have happened in the 1970 or early 1980's. Other interesting info I picked up, before shelving this little pet project for a while, (I pull it out every now and then) include she was not the only free french sub to go missing around this time. another was lost right after a refit in Philly Navy Yard. Surcouf stopped in Bermuda after her refit in Portsmouth Navy Yard, and the trouble she had there included a mine that went off and while in Bermudas another was found on her. The ideas that she was trading torps and supplies to the Germans make no sense at all, as French, British or US (tho we where "neutral") would not work in a German tube. Add to that the record keeping of the Germans say nothing of it ever happening, so even if we thought it might be going on at the time, we know now it was not, tho most Vichy records are still sealed. Jacques Cousteau was going to look for it and was talked out of it by US and French authorities, I had never heard he found it. Tho Surcouf, being the pride of the French Navy in WW2, you'd think the world renown diver would have looked for it and it would have been fairly easy if the story about being rammed and sunk by the Thompson Lykes as the official story goes, and even easier with today's equipment, she is the size of a WW2 era Destroyer and they can find the Liberty Bell space capsule at the bottom of the Pacific. Tho if she sank someplace else... Well and on that topic, The crew of the Lykes thought they ran over a small costal tanker, and there was oil in the water, tho no cork, which a sub a that time had alot of for insolation and they crys for help they heard, where in English, not French or Spanish. Now If you where a French Submariner, and was just rammed and sinking, would you cry for help in English for French? The Lykes did have damage, there are pictures of her hull damage, tho to me it does not look like damage from hitting the largest sub in the world at the time, a sub twice the size & weight of a US Gato class sub. Lastly, the Naval Inquire on her loss, was just Brits and US, The French where not allowed to be present, with is rather odd. I have never seen or read anything about a French inquiry after and would love to see that info.[/quote] I agree , sounds like a cover up , and expertly done

That information has got to be accessible under the freedom of information act. After all, the death of US marines training with landing barges on the coast of Southern England only came up recently. The truth about the Surcouf could be buried there somewhere. I bet the French government would raise an eyebrow if it turned out the ramming had been politically motivated.

Hi. Wallpaper for interested. Best regards Alex
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Thanks Alex , She looks very top heavy !

The idea that Surcouf was resupplying German U-boats originated from the British capture of a small freighter, also named Surcouf, which was attempting to break the Allied blockade and reach Madagascar with supplies for the French subs stationed there. At the time several U-boats were active in the South Atlantic and someone made the connection between the names and the Germans, thus creating a myth which persists to this day. Regards to all, Brian

The story of SURCOUF is indeed a tradjic one. At the take over of the boat as she arrived in England the French crew resisted to the effect that two British sailors were lost. One was the captain of HMS/m THAMES, a sad loss. as at that time England needed all the fighting men, especially well trained submarine captains. The other to be lost was Leading Seaman Webb, of HMS REVENGE. Here details of loss of the two men. Sadsac SPRAGUE DENIS VAUGHAN CDR RN SM THAMES 04.07.40 X 38 B C PLYMOUTH WESTON MILL C G 3716 GLR 43 Son of Alfred Ernest and Ella Sprague ; husband of Rosemary Sprague, of Alverstoke, Hampshire. Grave Reference ; Section C. Congregational Grave 3716. Lost on Submarine Service. Shot during take over of French submarine "SURCOUF". Not in Memorial Register Book. Serving H.M. Submarine THAMES at Devonport. Also killed on this take over of F.S. SURCOUF was Leading Seaman Webb, R.N., of HMS REVENGE.

Dennis - could you please see my PM to you?

The Surcouf was NOT, in any way, supplying German U-Boats, While much of the Vichy & Free French record are still available, the German ones are an very open book and there is no records of any German sub meeting up with Surcouf anyplace or anytime.

An interesting picture of her that I recently came across. Taken at an unnamed British port early in WW2.
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NICE shot Terry...sure never saw that view before...right down to the ensign! Of course at that time at least some French seemed to rather like the UK and America. Political winds....such fun. DFO :eek:

Agreed my friend I have never understood after all the help given to De Gaulle and the Free French by both Britain and America during WW2, why it should have ended up with him having such a dislike of anything Anglo-Saxon?? :confused:

From what I have read of Le Grande Charlie in WW2 he was a royal PITA to Ike and Winston: apparently he felt he could....shall we say: "walk on water"...in June. Truly amazing arrogance; maybe it's in their wine??............DFO :(

Some images of this giant submarine, taken in Autumn 1941 in Portsmouth (USA), during repair: [URL=http://radikal.ru/F/i044.radikal.ru/1004/81/c69664983362.jpg.html][IMG]http://i044.radikal.ru/1004/81/c69664983362t.jpg[/IMG][/URL] [IMG]http://s40.radikal.ru/i087/1004/e3/98794cf7ee75t.jpg[/IMG][/URL] [URL=http://radikal.ru/F/s55.radikal.ru/i149/1004/f5/e6a101be169e.jpg.html][IMG]http://s55.radikal.ru/i149/1004/f5/e6a101be169et.jpg[/IMG][/URL] [URL=http://radikal.ru/F/s45.radikal.ru/i108/1004/73/c316e485dc9d.jpg.html][IMG]http://s45.radikal.ru/i108/1004/73/c316e485dc9dt.jpg[/IMG][/URL] [URL=http://radikal.ru/F/i064.radikal.ru/1004/3d/5c2fb4276fe9.jpg.html][IMG]http://i064.radikal.ru/1004/3d/5c2fb4276fe9t.jpg[/IMG][/URL] [URL=http://radikal.ru/F/s48.radikal.ru/i122/1004/8f/f4995078b8a5.jpg.html][IMG]http://s48.radikal.ru/i122/1004/8f/f4995078b8a5t.jpg[/IMG][/URL] [URL=http://radikal.ru/F/i018.radikal.ru/1004/c8/402f82c9e9be.jpg.html][IMG]http://i018.radikal.ru/1004/c8/402f82c9e9bet.jpg[/IMG][/URL] [URL=http://radikal.ru/F/s03.radikal.ru/i176/1004/e7/a4f46dbcac60.jpg.html][IMG]http://s03.radikal.ru/i176/1004/e7/a4f46dbcac60t.jpg[/IMG][/URL] [URL=http://radikal.ru/F/s001.radikal.ru/i193/1004/01/2df60937360c.jpg.html][IMG]http://s001.radikal.ru/i193/1004/01/2df60937360ct.jpg[/IMG][/URL] [URL=http://radikal.ru/F/i077.radikal.ru/1004/f9/38066358f30a.jpg.html][IMG]http://i077.radikal.ru/1004/f9/38066358f30at.jpg[/IMG][/URL] [URL=http://radikal.ru/F/i057.radikal.ru/1004/c1/2ad6b87179da.jpg.html][IMG]http://i057.radikal.ru/1004/c1/2ad6b87179dat.jpg[/IMG][/URL] [URL=http://radikal.ru/F/i065.radikal.ru/1004/eb/ecf0a7a95f93.jpg.html][IMG]http://i065.radikal.ru/1004/eb/ecf0a7a95f93t.jpg[/IMG][/URL] [URL=http://radikal.ru/F/i074.radikal.ru/1004/f4/a9aa955964a7.jpg.html][IMG]http://i074.radikal.ru/1004/f4/a9aa955964a7t.jpg[/IMG][/URL] [URL=http://radikal.ru/F/s003.radikal.ru/i201/1004/97/31cf15ff8755.jpg.html][IMG]http://s003.radikal.ru/i201/1004/97/31cf15ff8755t.jpg[/IMG][/URL] [URL=http://radikal.ru/F/s45.radikal.ru/i109/1004/fb/43578b55d2fe.jpg.html][IMG]http://s45.radikal.ru/i109/1004/fb/43578b55d2fet.jpg[/IMG][/URL] [URL=http://radikal.ru/F/s40.radikal.ru/i088/1004/a5/656051595e06.jpg.html][IMG]http://s40.radikal.ru/i088/1004/a5/656051595e06t.jpg[/IMG][/URL] [URL=http://radikal.ru/F/s15.radikal.ru/i188/1004/74/2858da873c52.jpg.html][IMG]http://s15.radikal.ru/i188/1004/74/2858da873c52t.jpg[/IMG][/URL] [URL=http://radikal.ru/F/s001.radikal.ru/i195/1004/87/0ef8b363ae89.jpg.html][IMG]http://s001.radikal.ru/i195/1004/87/0ef8b363ae89t.jpg[/IMG][/URL]

[QUOTE=kronserg;111354]Some images of this giant submarine, taken in Autumn 1941 in Portsmouth (USA), during repair:[/QUOTE]Thanks! Photos are great - anyone recognize the other sub?! Andrzej

The other submarine may be HMS Pandora.She was also refitted in Portsmouth around this time.Where did this series of photographs come from?

They come from a Russian site called Radical Foto. [URL]http://radikal.ru/GALLERY/PageListGallery.aspx[/URL]

Terry I think that is just a photo hosting site. What I meant is where did the poster get the originals as I have been trying to find some pictures of Pandora during her US refit for a long time without success.

Terry, whilst on the subject of photographs, your picture of SURCOUF at post 20 was taken whilst she lay alongside 7 wharf at Devonport. The huge coal heaps and goose neck crane on 8 wharf clearly identify the location. As has been previously discussed on other threads, SURCOUF was at Devonport at this time during WW2 with other French ships including the battleship PARIS. Regards.....Paul

Thanks Paul - I thought it might have been Devonport but it is good to get definite confirmation.

Sorry, friends - I have just noticed discussion of these photos. Here there are some pictures of Pandora viewed from the Surcouf: [URL=http://radikal.ru/F/s41.radikal.ru/i093/1004/0f/467625734efa.jpg.html][IMG]http://s41.radikal.ru/i093/1004/0f/467625734efat.jpg[/IMG][/URL] [URL=http://radikal.ru/F/s52.radikal.ru/i138/1004/03/7c04446263c7.jpg.html][IMG]http://s52.radikal.ru/i138/1004/03/7c04446263c7t.jpg[/IMG][/URL]

Kronserg,out of interest where did this set come from?

[QUOTE=Linton;112800]Kronserg,out of interest where did this set come from?[/QUOTE] These photos from the Life Magazine archive.

Thank you for posting the pictures.I have been looking for a photograph of Pandora during her refit for ages.:)

Have you got a publication date for the magazine so that I can use it to decide whether that is definitely Pandora or one of her sisters?

Kronserg do you have any more info on the pictures from the magazine?

Unfortunately, but I don't have any other information about these photos without Wiki info: .[I].. Surcouf then went to the British base at Halifax, Nova Scotia and escorted trans-Atlantic convoys. In April 1941, she was damaged by German plane at Devonport; on 28 July 1941, Surcouf went to the United States Naval Shipyard at Portsmouth, New Hampshire for a 3-month refit (when sub was equipped with radar).[/I]

LINTON / All, dates of SURCOUF at USA Yard are here below. You will see that there are TWO `P' boats there in the time scale given for SURCOUF - so I/Ding required. Dates reverse order - i.e 410626 = 26 June 1941 410626 – 420101 PANDORA PORTSMOUTH 410916 – 420416 PARTHIAN PORTSMOUTH 410728 – 411129 SURCOUF PORTSMOUTH Only just seen this Thread / Post. Do not visit Forum so often now !! Sadsac

Can anyone imagine if the germans had got thier hands on her and put someone like Kerchmer or Sckepe in command. That thing would have been bad news for a convoy.:eek:

Another close up of the mighty armament. Bob.
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Surcouf in Portsmouth (allegedly). [ATTACH]93053[/ATTACH]
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Batstiger, Thank you for the article. Where did it come from? A small detail, The sailors repatriated on July 25th 1940 travelled in the French passenger liner MEKNES, 6,127 tons, not a British hospital ship. MEKNES was torpedoed at 1030 hrs (p.m.) on July 25th 1940 by E-boat S 27 and sank with the loss of about 383 lives out of a stated 1277 people on board. Did the captain of S 27 know about the safe-conduct that had been arranged? Had these people travelled in a hospital ship, fully lit up, would the disaster have happened? Considering the state of mind prevailing at the time, I would not be surprised at blame being laid at Britain's door; it took time for the French to realize... Regards, Gerard

Further to the above, 1) Four men were killed aboard Surcouf on July 3rd 1940: French Lt; Daniel and Cdr Sprague (HMS THAMES) Lt Griffiths (HMS RORQUAL) Leading Seaman Webb (HMS THAMES ?) 2) Surcouf was kept in commission, I feel, mainly for prestige reasons. I can't help thinking a lot of people realized the ship was useless, but who was willing to stick their heads above the parapet? I can only remember one captured French submarine being completed and used by the German Navy. (La Favorite: UF 2, used as a target ship in the Baltic, scuttled Gdynia) L'Africaine UF1 and L'Astrée UF 3, were taken over but never completed. Apart from that, I can't remember the German Navy taking much interest in French submarines. What would they have done with an experimental white elephant that took over two and a half minutes to dive to 40 feet ? regards, Gerard

I have read with interest the thread on Surcouf. My late father, Francis Cocks was involved in the seizing of Surcouf, and was present in the Control Room of the boat shortly after it had been boarded on 3rd July 1940. He was serving aboard HM Submarine Thames at this time. The Captain of Thames was Commander Denis Vaughan Sprague. A French Officer Yves Marie Daniel shot Commander Sprague through the throat and my Father had to shoot Daniel at point blank range which killed him instantly. Also killed during the seizure of the boat was Lieutenant Patrick Maule Kerr Griffith, who was serving aboard HM Submarine Rorqual at that time, and Able Seaman Albert Webb who was serving aboard HMS Revenge. All three were buried in Weston Mill Cemetery Plymouth, as was Daniel, although his remains were exhumed in 1948 by his family and taken back to France. My Father visited Paris in the late 1950's with the intention of seeing Daniels Mother to explain what had happened. She refused to see him. As a boy I visited the Cemetery at Weston Mill each Remembrance Sunday with my Father who used to pay his respects to his fallen comrades, until his death in 1985. I have continued this and lay a cross with poppies on the grave of each of the three killed, the last time being 3 days ago. I have attached photographs of the graves of the three who died.
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I've turned up late it seems but a relative of mine was the Chief Petty Officer and Coxswain on HMS Thames, Herbert Mott, and would have been party to what was going on here. Your Dad would have known him too :) Would love to know more.

I've never been convinced the a collision with [I]Thompson Lykes[/I] was responsible for [I]Surcouf's[/I] loss. Firstly the respective positions of [I]Thompson Lykes[/I] and [I]Surcouf [/I]are about fifty miles apart at the time of the collision (although that can be explained through navigational error). Further doubt on the collision theory comes from an examination of damage to the [I]Thompson Lykes' [/I]bows. The energy expended by a mass of 6,000 ons ([I]Thompson Lykes'[/I] displacement) striking an object as large as [I]Surcouf[/I] while moving at 16 knots would cause major structural damage. The photographs show no such damage. If the Surcouf was not the victim of [I]Thmpson Lykes[/I]- then who was? Some sources have suggested that it was a small tanker or a launch. However no such vessel was reported as missing. It would seem more likely that the "victim" was a smuggler's laucnh whose absence would not be reported. A days later after the collision, reports were heard of an attack on a submarine by two A-17 auircraft and a B-18 from the USAAC 3rd Bombardment Squadron who were flying from Rio Hata in the Panama Canal Zone. The orders to attack a submarine were issued from 6th Bombardment Group in Panama City at 0713 on 19 February. The attack took place in an area where [I]Surcouf[/I] would have been had she continued her journey to Colon at the eastern end of the Panama Canal. [I]Surcouf[/I] was travelling in a moving haven but there is no record of the 3rd Bombardment Squadron pilots being issued with the warning- even though all US commands in the area had been given details of [I]Surcouf's[/I] route. Lieutenant Harold Staley, pilot of one of the A-17s, dropped three four on the submarine which "was very large and low in the water" After the attack the submarine was seen to drift towards the coast and sank off Chi Chi Mey Island. Bodies were washed ashore and buried near San Blas Point. Unfortunately although the attack is recorded in the operational records of 3rd Bombardment Squadron there is no trace of the original orders from 6th Bombardment Group or of how they learned of the submarine's presence. The end of [I]Surcouf[/I] is shrouded in mystery but there is considerable doubt over whether or not she was a victim of the [I]Thompson Lykes[/I]. On the other hand there not enough information to confirm that she was the victim of a "blue on blue". As she did in life, [I]Surcouf [/I]continues to perplex and confuse the historian.

The Life magazine photo archive has been indexed by Google an dthe full set of photographs of Surcouf and Pandora can be seen here: [url]http://images.google.com/hosted/life/358c9cc98d8313cf.html[/url] Click through the related images to view the full set.

[QUOTE=Linton;10137001]The Life magazine photo archive has been indexed by Google an dthe full set of photographs of Surcouf and Pandora can be seen here: [url]http://images.google.com/hosted/life/358c9cc98d8313cf.html[/url] Click through the related images to view the full set.[/QUOTE] Very interesting! What is this picture? British uniform, so probably in Pandora... [url]http://images.google.com/hosted/life/7082cdf2edbc1d1a.html[/url]

That I believe is the CO of the submarine Lt Alexander looking at the engine block?

I may have missed it but don't seem to have seen any comment regarding the $1,000,000 in gold that is offered by Capt. Julius Grigore Jr., US Navy (Rtd) the author of the book [B]The Surcouf Conspiracy: A Penetrating Analysis of the Worst Submarine Disaster in History[/B]. [QUOTE]The author offers (the) $1,000,000 in gold if it can be proved officially that SURCOUF was a traitor submarine or that she was not sunk by the SS THOMPSON LYKES.[/QUOTE] This written offer can be found in [URL="http://bernews.com/2011/10/mystery-of-sub-lost-after-leaving-bermuda/"]http://bernews.com/2011/10/mystery-of-sub-lost-after-leaving-bermuda/[/URL] an article in Bermuda News which includes some photographs.

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