Fascinating images of the US capturing U-Boat 505 (52 Pics)

Incredible story of the complete capture of U-505 just two days before D-Day.

On June 4, 1944, a German submarine known as U-505 was prowling off the coast of West Africa on a hunt for American and Allied ships, when depth charges from the USS Chatelain blasted the dreaded U-boat out of hiding. It was the end of a violent run for U-505, which had terrorized the Atlantic Ocean as part of a massive U-boat campaign that almost altered the outcome of World War II.

Ultra intelligence from decrypted German cipher messages had informed the Allies that U-boats were operating near Cape Verde, but had not revealed their exact locations. The U.S. Navy dispatched Task Group 22.3, a “Hunter-Killer” group, commanded by Captain Daniel V. Gallery, USN, to the area. TG 22.3 consisted of Gallery’sescort aircraft carrier Guadalcanal, and five destroyer escorts under Commander Frederick S. Hall: Pillsbury, Pope, Flaherty, Chatelain, and Jenks. On 15 May 1944, TG 22.3 sailed from Norfolk, Virginia. Starting in late May, the task group began searching for U-boats in the area, using high-frequency direction-finding fixes (“Huff-Duff”) and air and surface reconnaissance.

At 11:09 on 4 June 1944, TG 22.3 made sonar  contact with U-505 at about 150 miles off the coast of Río de Oro The sonar contact was only 800 yards  away off Chatelain‘s starboard bow. The escorts immediately moved towards the contact, while Guadalcanal moved away at top speed and launched an F4F Wildcat fighter to join another Wildcat and a TBM Avenger which were already airborne.

Chatelain was so close to U-505 that depth charges would not sink fast enough to intercept the U-boat, so instead she fired Hedgehogs before passing the submarine and turning to make a follow-up attack with depth charges. At around this time, one of the aircraft sighted U-505 and fired into the water to mark the position while Chatelain dropped depth charges. Immediately after the detonation of the charges a large oil slick spread on the water and the fighter pilot overhead radioed, “You struck oil! Sub is surfacing!” Less than seven minutes after Chatelain‘s first attack began, the badly damaged U-505 surfaced less than 600 metres (700 yd) away. Chatelain immediately commenced fire on U-505 with all available automatic weapons, joined by other ships of the task force as well as the two Wildcats.

Believing U-505 to be seriously damaged, Oblt.z.S. Lange ordered his crew to abandon ship. This order was obeyed so promptly that scuttling was not completed, (although some valves were opened) and the engines were left running. With the engines still functioning and the rudder damaged by depth charges, U-505 circled clockwise at approximately 7 knots (13 km/h; 8.1 mph). Seeing the U-boat turning toward him and believing she was preparing to attack, the commanding officer of Chatelain ordered a single torpedo to be fired at the submarine; the torpedo missed, passing ahead of the now-abandoned U-505

Stars and Stripes

Salvage crew hauling tow line aboard sub.

Making Tow line fast to sub.

Wounded German sub survivor being hoisted aboard in stretcher

U Boat survivors coming aboard.

A TBM circling the 505

U.S. Colors flying over captured German sub.

Salvage crew aboard

U-505 shortly after being captured

While Chatelain and Jenks collected survivors, an eight-man party from Pillsbury led by U-505 in a boat and entered through the U-505 was otherwise deserted. The boarding party secured charts and codebooks, closed scuttling valves, and disarmed demolition charges. They stopped the water coming in, and although low in the water and down by the stern, U-505 remained afloat. They also stopped her engines.

While the boarding party secured U-505, Pillsbury attempted to take her in tow, but collided repeatedly with her and had to move away with three compartments flooded. Instead, a second boarding party from Guadalcanal rigged a towline from the aircraft carrier to the U-boat.

Commander Earl Trosino (Guadalcanal‘s chief engineer), joined the salvage party. He disconnected U-505‘s diesels from her electric driving motors, while leaving these motors clutched to the propeller shafts. With the U-boat moving under tow by Guadalcanal, the propellers “windmilled” as they passed through the water, turning the shafts and the drive motors. This caused the motors to act as electrical generators charging U-505‘s batteries. With power from the batteries, U-505‘s pumps cleared out the water let in by the attempted scuttling, and her air compressors blew out the ballast tanks, bringing her up to full surface trim

Port side of Conning of German U 505.

View from the bow of sub showing salvage crew and carrier in background.

View from bow of sub showing salvage crew.

Detection gear aboard

Caption reads “Radio Gear aboard German sub.” This is actially the main battery switch in the E-motor room

Aerial view of German sub just after crew abandoned ship.

The tight space of the control room

The Captain’s cabin

Control room

After three days of towing, Guadalcanal transferred U-505 to the fleet tug Abnaki. On Monday, 19 June, U-505 entered Port Royal Bay, Bermuda, after a tow of 1,700 nautical miles.

This action was the first time the U.S. Navy had captured an enemy vessel at sea since the War of 1812. 58 prisoners were taken from U-505, three of them wounded (including Lange); only one of the crew, Oberfunkmaat (Signalman First Class) Gottfried Fischer, was killed in the action. U-505‘s crew was interned at Camp Ruston, near Ruston, Louisiana. Among the guards were members of the U.S. Navy baseball team, composed mostly of minor league professional baseball players who had previously toured combat areas to entertain the troops. The players taught some of U-505 sailors to play the game

TBM coming into land with sub on tow in the background

Aerial view off the port bow showing U-505 in tow

Strange combination – plane being catapulted of the carrier with a U-Boat in tow….

Aerial view off starboard bow of the carrier with the sub in tow.

U.S.S. ABNAKI towing the captured German sub.

U.S. Ensign over German Ensign

Along side the US aircraft carrier

Gear stacked on the hangar deck that was brought over from the sub.

Captain Gallery on the flight deck with the captured sub in background.

View from 35MM AA Gun mount showing stern of U-505.

View of US and German colors flying over conning tower of U-505.

View of forward end of damaged torpedo on U-505.

Close up view of the damaged torpedo from U-505

Damaged torpedo and case in cradle on U-505

Preparing to jettison the damaged torpedo from U-505

Torpedo being dumped over side of U-505. War head was damaged by a depth charge

Captain Gallery on bridge of “JUNIOR”, U-505

6 Super Healthy Seeds You Should Eat

Seeds contain all the starting materials necessary to develop into complex plants. Because of this, they are extremely nutritious. Seeds are great sources of fiber. They also contain healthy monounsaturated fats, polyunsaturated fats and many important: vitamins, minerals and antioxidants.

When consumed as part of a healthy diet, seeds can help reduce blood sugar, cholesterol and blood pressure.

This article will describe the nutritional content and health benefits of six of the healthiest seeds you can eat.

1. FLAXSEEDS

Flaxseeds, also known as linseeds, are a great source of fiber and omega-3 fats, particularly alpha-linolenic acid (ALA). However, the omega-3 fats are contained within the fibrous outer shell of the seed, which humans can’t digest easily.

Therefore, if you want to increase your omega-3 levels, it’s best to eat flaxseeds that have been ground (1, 2). A 1-ounce (28-gram) serving of flaxseeds contains a wide mix of nutrients (3):

• Calories: 152
• Fiber: 7.8 grams
• Protein: 5.2 grams
• Monounsaturated fat: 2.1 grams
• Omega-3 fats: 6.5 grams
• Omega-6 fats: 1.7 grams
• Manganese: 35% of the RDI
• Thiamine (vitamin B1): 31% of the RDI
• Magnesium: 28% of the RDI

Flaxseeds also contain a number of different polyphenols, especially lignans, which act as important antioxidants in the body (4). Lignans, as well as the fiber and omega-3 fats in flaxseeds, can all help reduce cholesterol and other risk factors for heart disease (5, 6, 7). One large study combined the results of 28 others, finding that consuming flaxseeds reduced levels of “bad” LDL cholesterol by an average of 10 mmol/l (8).

Flaxseeds may also help reduce blood pressure. An analysis of 11 studies found that flaxseeds could reduce blood pressure especially when eaten whole every day for more than 12 weeks (9).

A couple of studies have shown that eating flaxseeds may reduce markers of tumor growth in women with breast cancer, and may also reduce cancer risk (10, 11, 12). This may be due to the lignans in flaxseeds. Lignans are phytoestrogens and are similar to the female sex hormone estrogen.

What’s more, similar benefits have been shown regarding prostate cancer in men (13). In addition to reducing the risk of heart disease and cancer, flaxseeds may also help reduce blood sugar, which may help lower the risk of diabetes (14).

2. CHIA SEEDS

Chia seeds are very similar to flaxseeds because they are also good sources of fiber and omega-3 fats, along with a number of other nutrients.

A 1-ounce (28-gram) serving of chia seeds contains (15):

• Calories: 137
• Fiber: 10.6 grams
• Protein: 4.4 grams
• Monounsaturated fat: 0.6 grams
• Omega-3 fats: 4.9 grams
• Omega-6 fats: 1.6 grams
• Thiamine (vitamin B1): 15% of the RDI
• Magnesium: 30% of the RDI
• Manganese: 30% of the RDI

Like flaxseeds, chia seeds also contain a number of important antioxidant polyphenols.

Interestingly, a number of studies have shown that eating chia seeds can increase ALA in the blood. ALA is an important omega-3 fatty acid that can help reduce inflammation (16, 17). Your body can convert ALA into other omega-3 fats, such as eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), which are the omega-3 fats found in oily fish. However, this conversion process in the body is usually quite inefficient. One study has shown that chia seeds may be able to increase levels of EPA in the blood (18).

Chia seeds may also help reduce blood sugar. A couple of studies have shown that whole and ground chia seeds are equally effective for reducing blood sugar immediately after a meal (19, 20). Another study found that, as well as reducing blood sugar, chia seeds may reduce appetite (14). 

Chia seeds may also reduce risk factors of heart disease (21). A study of 20 people with type 2 diabetes found that eating 37 grams of chia seeds per day for 12 weeks reduced blood pressure and levels of several inflammatory chemicals, including C-reactive protein (CRP) (22).

3. HEMP SEEDS

Hemp seeds are an excellent source of vegetarian protein. In fact, they contain more than 30% protein, as well as many other essential nutrients. Hemp seeds are one of the few plants that are complete protein sources, meaning they contain all the essential amino acids that your body can’t make. Studies have also shown that the protein quality of hemp seeds is better than most other plant protein sources (23).

A 1-ounce (28-gram) serving of hemp seeds contains (24):

• Calories: 155
• Fiber: 1.1 grams
• Protein: 8.8 grams
• Monounsaturated fat: 0.6 grams
• Polyunsaturated fat: 10.7 grams
• Magnesium: 45% of the RDI
• Thiamine (vitamin B1): 31% of the RDI
• Zinc: 21% of the RDI

The proportion of omega-6 to omega-3 fats in hemp seed oil is roughly 3:1, which is considered a good ratio. Hemp seeds also contain gamma-linolenic acid, an important anti-inflammatory fatty acid (25).

For this reason, many people take hemp seed oil supplements. Hemp seed oil may have a beneficial effect on heart health by increasing the amount of omega-3 fatty acids in the blood (26, 27, 28).

The anti-inflammatory action of the omega-3 fatty acids may also help improve symptoms of eczema.

One study found that people with eczema experienced less skin dryness and itchiness after taking hemp seed oil supplements for 20 weeks. They also used skin medication less, on average (29).

4. SESAME SEEDS

Sesame seeds are commonly consumed in Asia, and also in Western countries as part of a paste called tahini. Similar to other seeds, they contain a wide nutrient profile. One ounce (28 grams) of sesame seeds contains (30):

• Calories: 160
• Fiber: 3.3 grams
• Protein: 5 grams
• Monounsaturated fat: 5.3 grams
• Omega-6 fats: 6 grams
• Copper: 57% of the RDI
• Manganese: 34% of the RDI
• Magnesium: 25% of the RDI

Like flaxseeds, sesame seeds contain a lot of lignans, particularly one called sesamin. In fact, sesame seeds are the best known dietary sources of lignans.

A couple of interesting studies have shown that sesamin from sesame seeds may get converted by your gut bacteria into another type of lignan called enterolactone (31, 32). Enterolactone can act like the sex hormone estrogen, and lower-than-normal levels of this lignan in the body have been associated with heart disease and breast cancer (33).

Another study found that postmenopausal women who ate 50 grams of sesame seed powder daily for five weeks had significantly lower blood cholesterol and improved sex hormone status (34).

Sesame seeds may also help reduce inflammation and oxidative stress, which can worsen symptoms of many disorders, including arthritis. One study showed that people with knee osteoarthritis had significantly fewer inflammatory chemicals in their blood after eating about 40 grams of sesame seed powder every day for two months (35).

Another recent study found that after eating about 40 grams of sesame seed powder per day for 28 days, semi-professional athletes had significantly reduced muscle damage and oxidative stress, as well as increased aerobic capacity (36).

5. PUMPKIN SEEDS

Pumpkin seeds are one of the most commonly consumed types of seeds, and are good sources of phosphorus, monounsaturated fats and omega-6 fats. A 1-ounce (28-gram) serving of pumpkin seeds contains (37):

• Calories: 151
• Fiber: 1.7 grams
• Protein: 7 grams
• Monounsaturated fat: 4 grams
• Omega-6 fats: 6 grams
• Manganese: 42% of the RDI
• Magnesium: 37% of the RDI
• Phosphorus: 33% of the RDI

Pumpkin seeds are also good sources of phytosterols, which are plant compounds that may help lower blood cholesterol (38). These seeds have been reported to have a number of health benefits, likely due to their wide range of nutrients.

One observational study of more than 8,000 people found that those who had a higher intake of pumpkin and sunflower seeds had a significantly reduced risk of breast cancer (39).

Another study in children found that pumpkin seeds may help lower the risk of bladder stones by reducing the amount of calcium in urine (40). Bladder stones are similar to kidney stones. They’re formed when certain minerals crystalize inside the bladder, which leads to abdominal discomfort.

A couple of studies have shown that pumpkin seed oil can improve symptoms of prostate and urinary disorders (41, 42). These studies also showed that pumpkin seed oil may reduce symptoms of overactive bladder and improve quality of life for men with enlarged prostates.

A study of postmenopausal women also found that pumpkin seed oil may help reduce blood pressure, increase “good” HDL cholesterol and improve menopause symptoms (43).

6. SUNFLOWER SEEDS

Sunflower seeds contain a good amount of protein, monounsaturated fats and vitamin E. One ounce (28 grams) of sunflower seeds contains (44):

• Calories: 164
• Fiber: 2.4 grams
• Protein: 5.8 grams
• Monounsaturated fat: 5.2 grams
• Omega-6 fats: 6.4 grams
• Vitamin E: 47% of the RDI
• Manganese: 27% of the RDI
• Magnesium: 23% of the RDI

Sunflower seeds may be associated with reduced inflammation in middle-aged and older people, which may help reduce the risk of heart disease. An observational study of more than 6,000 adults found that a high intake of nuts and seeds was associated with reduced inflammation (45).

In particular, consuming sunflower seeds more than five times per week was associated with reduced levels of C-reactive protein (CRP), a key chemical involved in inflammation.

Another study examined whether eating nuts and seeds affected blood cholesterol levels in postmenopausal women with type 2 diabetes (46). The women consumed 30 grams of sunflower seeds or almonds as part of a healthy diet every day for three weeks.

By the end of the study, both the almond and sunflower seed groups had experienced reduced total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol. The sunflower seed diet reduced triglycerides in the blood more than the almond diet, though.

However, “good” HDL cholesterol was also reduced, suggesting that sunflower seeds may reduce both good and bad types of cholesterol.

THE BOTTOM LINE

Seeds are great sources of healthy fats, vegetarian protein, fiber and antioxidant polyphenols.

Furthermore, they can help reduce the risk of certain diseases. In particular, the lignans in certain seeds may help lower cholesterol and the risk of cancer.

Seeds are extremely easy to add to salads, yogurt, oatmeal and smoothies, and can be an easy way to add healthy nutrients to your diet.

6 Impressive Health Benefits of Eating Curd (Yogurt) Daily

A bowl of fresh, creamy and homemade yogurt is one of the simplest food joys. This wonder dairy product can make for a dish itself with fruits or chopped onions and tomatoes or it can be blended into smoothies, used to add texture to your curries or make your breakfast cereal wholesome. It is very convenient for us pair yogurt with our daily meals but have we ever wondered about the amazing health benefits that we can enjoy by having a bowl of curd or yogurt every day? Yogurt comes from milk and therefore, it is loaded with several essential nutrients like calcium, vitamin B-2, vitamin B-12, potassium, and magnesium. An advantage with yogurt is that it is light on the stomach and easier to digest than milk. If you didn’t know, here are six impressive health benefits of eating curd.

1. Good for digestion: Yogurt or curd is a great probiotic (an ingredient that contains live bacteria). These good and beneficial bacteria are known to improve gut activity, soothe inflamed digestive systems and treat an upset stomach. 

2. Stronger immunity: The live active cultures found in yogurt fight disease-causing germs and keep your gut and intestinal tract protected. A scientific study conducted by a team of researchers at the University of Vienna in Austria found that eating a 7-ounce dose of yogurt (about 200 grams) was just as effective in boosting immunity as popping pills.

3. Beautiful and healthy skin: Curd has a moisturizing effect on your skin and it heals your dry skin naturally. A lot of people suffer from acne due to certain gastrointestinal problems. Curd helps in marinating a happy and active gut which leads to healthy skin. Yogurt is an excellent beauty ingredient for face packs too as it contains lactic acid that acts as an exfoliator and clears off all dead cells and blemishes. 

4. Reduces high blood pressure: A research presented at the High Blood Pressure Research Scientific Sessions of the American Heart Association (AHA) showed that people who ate more non-fat yogurt were 31 percent less likely to develop high blood pressure than others. The special proteins in yogurt along with nutrients like potassium and magnesium help in lowering high blood pressure and promoting a healthy heart. 

5. Prevents Vaginal Infections: Yogurt may be particularly good for women as it helps in discouraging the growth of yeast infections. The lactobacillus acidophilus bacteria found in yogurt is known to control the growth of infection in the body and kill the yeast by kills by producing hydrogen peroxide. 

6. Good for the bones: A cup of yogurt (250grams) contains about 275mg of calcium as per the United States Department of Agriculture. A daily dose of calcium not only helps in maintaining bone density but also strengthens them. It is low in fat and calories and thus, may also help in keeping your weight in check. 

You can team a bowl of yogurt with fresh fruits or seeds like flaxseeds and sunflower seeds to add an extra dose of fiber along with all the other nutrients that it provides.