Posted by Jim Jarecki on February 19, 1999 at 03:29:11:
In Reply to: Sunken German U-BOAT in Lake Michigan posted by Thomas Fox on February 18, 1999 at 00:27:56:
: Does anyone know anything about a WWI submarine that
: was sunk intentionaly afte the war?
: I think it was sunk n Lake Micigan
: Thanks
:
You are refering to the UC-97, a type UCIII German mine laying submarine. She was never commisioned for active duty during WWI but was surrendered along with 175 other German U-Boats at the end of the war. The US brought 5 of these back to the States for technical study and to be used as war trophys for advertising the Victory Bond drive. As per terms of their surrender, all of these U-Boats were eventually destroyed. The UC-97 was stripped of all of its armaments as well as it's propulsion and navigational equipment and towed out into Lake Michigan by the U.S.S. Hawk. The UC-97 was then sunk by a barrage of shells fired from the U.S.S. Wilmette. (The U.S.S. Wilmette had been constructed from the hull of the ill fated passenger ship the Eastland.)
The wreckage of the UC-97 was located in '92 by A&T Recovery but it's location has not been made public. The Navy's records indicate that the location of it's sinking was 42 deg. 10' N, 87 deg. 20' W, which is about 20 miles east of Highland Park, IL. However, if this was very accurate, then it wouldn't have taken A&T as long to locate it as it did. The video of the UC-97 that A&T has made public, indicates that it is approximately 250' deep. Other searches for the wreckage have been ongoing, but I am not aware of anyone else locating her.