Diving the U-1105

Last weekend gave me the opportunity, which I have long held, to dive a wartime German U-Boat wreck down in the States. The U-1105 was built in 1944 and had only one operational patrol, in waters off Scotland, before the war ended and she surrendered to the Royal Navy. She was later transferred to the US Navy and brought to the Eastern seaboard, where she was subjected to experimentation and finally sunk in a trial of a new depth charge in September 1949.

Her resting place, where she is largely intact, but mainly buried in the silt, is off Piney Point in Maryland, in 85 feet of tidal water in the Potomac River. I made two dives in the company of local divers and enjoyed excellent conditions, though visibility, thanks to the heavy particulate content of the water, was pretty restricted. I joked with my fellow divers that it was the first night dive I've ever made in broad daylight. Put it this way, when my buddy (who was using two HID video lights) moved around a corner of the wreck, I couldn't even see the glow of his lights. It was pitch dark at 80 feet. I managed to patch together some video from a visit to the local Museum, where many artifacts from the submarine now reside, the trip out and the underwater experience. It can be seen here. Enjoy ! I may try to put together a trip to this wreck - and the nearby American submarine wreck, the S-49 next year. Clicking here will give you a access to an information sheet on the U-1105.