It was not until her twelfth war patrol that the U-505 saw her end as Allied decryption services allowed for improved tracking and targeting of German submarine activities in the Atlantic. United States Navy Task Group 22.3, under the command of Captain Danial Gallery, was sent to the Cape Verde area off of the Western African coast in the South Atlantic to contend with German U-Boat operations. The U-505 was detected on June 4th, 1944 and entered into a series of cat-and-mouse maneuvers with the Allies who applied considerable pressure from depth charges and aerial reconnaissance launched from USS Guadalcanal. The U-505 eventually took damage to her rudder, forcing her to enter into a turn and lose useful control. Additional damaged then forced her to the surface under the Captain Lange's orders.
Once surfaced, officers (including Lange) made their way to the conning tower to assess the situation and were greeted by heavy-caliber gunfire from surrounding Allied ships. The shooting claimed one of U-505's crew - the only recorded casualty of the U-505's capture (Captain Lange was also injured but survived). The U-505 was ordered scuttled and abandoned by her captain to which her evacuated personnel were recovered by American warships. An Allied boarding party arrived at U-505 and disarmed awaiting charges and managed to cap a drain set up to take on seawater (the Germans mistakenly left the cap right next to the open port). The final room to be checked was the aft torpedo room which was found to not be booby trapped by the German crew. Now contained from dangers and sinking, the U-505 was claimed by the American Navy and towed under secrecy to Bermuda for internment and extensive review by the USN. The German boat revealed thousands of pages of vital intelligence and information as well as an Enigma machine showcasing the latest codes in use. American naval engineers were also able to delve into the newer German acoustic homing torpedoes with yielded highly sensitive information on their design - rather advanced for the period. The capture of U-505 proved such a treasure trove that its design qualities influenced the future post-World War 2 line of American submarines to come.
After her usefulness had been expended by the USN, U-505 was set to become a target boat for USN munitions. However, now-Rear Admiral Gallery arranged for the boat to be placed in the care of the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago, Illinois. The USN donated the boat for permanent display at the museum where it resides today (2013) and available as a walking tour. U-505 originally was berthed outdoors, subject to the ever changing weather of Chicago until a concrete housing was erected and the submarine moved indoors. She now resides in a climate-controlled environment for long-term preservation as part of an exhibit detailing World War 2 submarine warfare.
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