German Submarine U-505
German Submarine U-505 is a World War II German submarine now displayed at the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago, USA. The boat is about 252 feet long and shows the cramped crew quarters, control room with periscopes, and torpedo tubes in the bow.
The submarine was built in 1941 in Hamburg and conducted several patrols in the Atlantic before being captured by the US Navy off the coast of West Africa in 1944. The capture provided the Allies with valuable information about German encryption techniques and the Enigma machine found on board.
Visitors can climb through the hatch and stand in the rooms where German sailors worked and slept during the war. The narrow bunks and tight corridors show how the crew lived together in small spaces and carried out their duties under great pressure.
Admission to the submarine is included in the general museum ticket, but a guided tour inside requires an additional booking. The corridors inside the submarine are very narrow and low, so access is difficult for people with limited mobility.
The crew of U-505 often had to share a bed with another sailor because there were not enough bunks for everyone. The Enigma machine discovered on board during the capture helped the Allies decode German messages and is now displayed alongside the submarine.
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