Why Chicago Has a German U-Boat

Nearly every removable part had been stripped from the boat's interior by the time she went to the museum; she was in no condition to serve as an exhibit, so museum director Lohr asked for replacements from the German manufacturers who had supplied the boat's original components and parts. Admiral Gallery reports in his autobiography Eight Bells and All's Well that every company supplied the requested parts without charge. Most included letters to the effect that the manufacturers wanted her to be a credit to German technology.

The Museum of Science and Industry was one of my coolest field trips growing up

My dad was a retired USN Submarine sailor before his passing in 2011. Not only was he alive to see the U505 get brought across Lake Shore Drive (not far from the neighborhood he grew up at), but the boats my dad was on during the Vietnam war were all retired USN subs from WW2 - all of which are now Museum pieces themselves. When I was young we visited the U505 in its old exhibit outside, and my dad told me something interesting that only just recently made it back into the current exhibit: During and after WW2, German periscope optics were far superior to anything that the allies had, so shortly after its capture the U505 was extensively studied and secrets/technology were sent back the USN. One of those "secrets" was the U505's periscope, which had been removed and "replaced" with an old/outfitted USN periscope. This is the periscope that remains on the sub until this very day, and is something that only the keen eyed/or a submariner would catch. For years after the war it was "rumored" that the original German periscope has been dismantled/scrapped/discarded - point being is that it was thought lost. It wasn't until recently after the new enclosure was built, that the intact original periscope was discovered stored and forgotten in a Navy warehouse. It was subsequently donated back to MSI and now has a permanent display case next to the U505 herself.

I knew a crewman on the U-505, Hans Goebler, who actually DID open the sea valves, however, not expecting Americans to board the boat, left the caps there. When the Americans boarded, they closed the valves. This he told me personally in Orlando, Florida. Hans was one of the people responsible for saving the 505. He moved to America after the war so he could be an advocate for her. ( He wrote a book called "Steel Boat, Iron Heart", about his time aboard to 505. It's a fascinating read.) Also, I saw a video about the photographer sent over to take pictures ASAP, expecting the boat to sink. He went into the Captains cabin and " pilfered " his Mauser HSC pistol, not telling anyone for over 50 years.

The U-505 was one memorable experience for a filipino kid like me (I was 8 back then in 1984). Me and my family saw that sub in an episode of Ripley's believe it or not (tv show in the 1980s) and decided to visit the museum when we flew to visit our relatives in april. So one early morning in may, from Skokie Il, we searched for the sub and museum with only the knowledge we had on that day was the Ripley's episode and word "German Submarine". Good thing people in the 1980s were so kind and told us where the museum is. Thus before lunchtime (no GPS or Uber back then), we found the museum. We saw the film in the theater, and visited the sub (outdoor display back than). So so lucky to peep in the periscope. One memorable experience for the family.

My grandfather, who was the president of the Museum of science and industry. He was instrumental in the transportation of the 505 to the museum of science and industr It was my grandfather‘s pride and joy prior to his death, and we were so proud of him

I've been on the U-505 in 5 different decades. The exhibit it's in now is spectacular.

The tugboat that towed the U-505 from Portsmouth to Lake Erie was the Pauline Moran. The portion of the tow from Portsmouth to the St Charles River was done for free by the Moran tugboat company. My Grandfather Robert B. Fisk Sr. was first mate on Pauline Moran. It was one of the highlights of his long career at sea starting in the Navy in 1911. He trained to be a bugler on the USS Constellation that was moored at the harbor in Baltimore.

I grew up in Gary Indiana, just minutes from Chicago. I have been to the Museum of Science & Industry plenty of times and walked through the U-boat every time I visited. I'm very happy to hear that in the 40 years since last visiting the museum they have moved the unterboot into an enclosure that will protect it for many decades to come!

I was able to visit U-505:in spring of 1980. I was attending an AT&T class in nearby Lisle, Ill. One weekend a few of us rented a car and among other famous locations we managed a vivit at the Museum of Science and Industry. Seeing the U-505, which was still outside, was most memorable.

When I was a child, my family lived in Downer's Grove for 2 years (the winter of 78 or 79 convinced them to move) and I loved it when my mom would pack me up and take me to the museum. I still, 43 years later, remember how cool I thought it was. Any time after that that as a kid growing up I would beg my parents to take me to visit Naval ships. I think my other favorite was the Battleship North Carolina. Thanks for the video Ryan. I always look forward to your content.

I took a tour through the U505 back when I was just a kid with my Late Great DAD. This was when it was still outside on the eastside of the Museum of Science and Industry. I still have the souvenir book that my DAD bought for me. It was really neat to see inside the U505 and I would recommend that everyone to go see it.

I toured U-505 back when I was attending Radar school in Great Lakes back in 1970 while serving in the Navy. After I went to the fleet I served on two destroyers chasing Soviet subs.

I was born and raised in Chicago and toured this submarine twice in the early 1980's . Great history behind it.

Another great article. As a Chicagoan, she’s been a part of all of our visits to MSI. I always tell people to take time and watch the pre show video and read the story of the capture. Makes the story of her and the capture of the enigma machine as major importance to the change of the war. It helped get the necessary equipment and men across to Europe to finish off the axis.

My family and I visited the museum and U505 after my completion of basic training at RTC Great Lakes. I still remember helping a little kid get his novelty dogtags squared away, and then showing him mine while we were waiting to board the boat. It was a neat experience with my dad, a retired Senior Chief Petty Officer who spent most of his 26 years in the Brown Water Navy.

Thanks for this great video! The agency I used to work for here in central illinois provided some of the video work for the U505 exhibit. All these years later, it’s still one of my favorite projects to tell people I played a small part of (I did the animated maps in a couple of the videos). Being even a small part of the revamp of the exhibit was a HUGE honor. Also - when leaving the exhibit, the room that houses the elevator for the exit has a video above the elevator doors honoring those that have served in our military. My grandfather, his brother and sister are in that video (the only pic with three WW2 service people in it together. If I remember correctly, the German sailor actually HAD attempted or scuttle the U505 - but in their haste to escape the sinking vessel and get topside, had left the cover for the scuttle valve close by to where the water was gushing in. A boarding party of several brave US sailors entered the sinking U505 - not knowing if they’d meet resistance or booby traps - managed to find the scuttle valve cover (BENEATH the floor grates of a sinking vessel, mind you) and replace it, thereby saving it further sinking. Heroes. They just don’t make brave dudes like that anymore….

I've toured that sub a couple times in my life, and it has never failed to amaze me. What a great piece of history.

I worked at a grocery store in the greater Chicago area back in the 90s. Tourists from Europe would ask about the U-boat in Chicago. At the time a lot of Europeans thought it was an urban legend.

My grandfather brought me to see the Museum of Science and Industry when I was 10 in the late '70s. I was blown away. It was the coolest thing to have happened to me until that time.