Crewman from a WW2 German U-Boat has words we should ponder [View all]

[Coventina]

Part of my recent trip to Chicago was visiting their fabulous Museum of Science and Industry.
I had never even heard of it, the Shedd Aquarium and the Field Museum being much more famous.
I was not part of the decision making process on what we would visit (not my circus, not my monkeys! Haha!).
But I have no regrets! The Museum of Science and Industry was fantastic!

The highlight for me, though, was their ACTUAL WW2 U-Boat the U-505, fully intact and lovingly restored to original specs.

It is the ONLY surviving, intact u-boat from the German fleet, as the rest all are rusting in their watery graves.
A unique set of circumstances caused this u-boat to be captured during the war with only one fatality on the German side, and then towed to Bermuda where it was analyzed and helped to win the war for the Allies.

By the way, the crew (minus the one fatality) were taken to a top-secret location in Louisiana for the duration of the war. No information on the capture of the boat or crew was released until after the war. This was a direct violation of Geneva Conventions. The Germans assumed the sub had sunk and notified all the families that their servicemen were most likely dead.

Anyway.....ten years after her capture, she was towed to the Chicago museum where she has been ever since. Touring the inside is an upcharge from the standard museum admission, but well worth it! Nothing has been altered except a large door cut in her side so that tours don't have to enter from the top hatch.

One of the crewmen from the u-boat wrote his autobiography shortly before his death in the late 90s. I bought a copy in the museum gift store because I was so fascinated by the tour.

He tells the painful, unvarnished truth in all matters, only changing some names to protect some other crew members. He felt it was important, even when it cast him in a bad light, that the truth in all things be known.

I thought some of his statements are very pertinent for us now, so I'm quoting him here: Hans Goebeler, crewman of the U-505

"It was at this time a politician appeared who promised to solve our nation's problems; give food and work to the unemployed, regain our lost territory, reestablish safety in the streets, and restore dignity and honor to our people. We would have voted for such a man if his name were Schmidt or Meyer; his name just happened to be Hitler."

Hitler came to power in his young teens, and he enthusiastically joined the Hitler Youth.

"The Hitler Youth's emphasis on patriotism, loyalty, and sacrifice fit in perfectly with the values my father instilled in me. Little did we suspect that these same qualities would compel our nation to follow Hitler over the precipice to disaster."

A little later, he describes the aftermath of their first "kill", a British freighter called the Ben Mohr:

"By 2347 hours, there was nothing left floating on the surface except the lifeboats and a curious assortment of debris. We were so close to our target that we could plainly see the survivors huddled in the boats. We were relieved that no one appeared to be injured. It may seem strange, but despite our countries being traditional enemies, we felt no hatred toward the British seamen. We were fascinated by the awesome destruction we had wrought, but we had no desire to see our brother sailors harmed. In a way, it was like watching an automobile race: one loves to see a good crash, but at the same time hopes that no one gets hurt."

One final paragraph, so not to exceed copyright! This is from a bit later, and they've made several "kills" by now. This one is a Dutch merchant vessel the Alpaca.

"Lowe (the u-boat captain) maneuvered our boat close to the lifeboats to render aid. ***snip*** The survivors had escaped from the sinking ship without casualties, and their lifeboats were well provisioned with supplies. Our skipper's conversation with the survivors, in English and German, was remarkably cordial given the circumstances. The Dutch crew thanked us for our help, and even wished us bon voyage! As we left the area, we pondered the irony of fate that had pitted our country against such a friendly people who spoke our own language."

Dutch, of course, is a Germanic language, as is English.

So why am I posting all this?

1. I think it is a sobering reminder that when someone tells you, "I alone can fix it!" People will fall for it. Even smart, well-intentioned people. However, one critical difference is that Trump cultists now choose to follow him KNOWING his atrocities and evil intentions. For the Germans, once Hitler was in power, he was never removed, until the bitter end.

2. I want to promote history in general and this fascinating, surviving relic in Chicago.

3. The US knowingly and intentionally broke the Geneva Conventions in WW2, when it was in our interests. Did the ends justify the means? I don't have the answer. I'm just glad the decision wasn't mine.

If you've made it this far, thanks for reading!!