This thread is dedicated to My Friend Mike Rachlin a very knowledgable TR ordnance collector and one of the original finders of U-352 in the late 50s.. which was sunk off Morehead City, N.C... He has gone to that eternal collector museum... Enjoy this round from the U-352... BIll
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Mike at Morehead City, N.C. 1960Comment
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Awesome!
Now I want one...
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Bill,
Another wonderful relic. Mike had to have taken this off the sunken U-Boat. How did he find it?? Must be a very interesting story. Like the "Shadow Divers".
rThe probability of being watched is directly proportional to the stupidity of your act.
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U 352 running light
Hi Bill
Great seeing that picture of Mike. Have you seen the navigation light housing from U-352 that Mike recovered? They won't let me attach pics here yet. I am trying to figure how best to preserve it and make a display box for it.
BenComment
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yes
Yes I sure have.. It was in RB garage.. To attach picts you have to pay 25$.. You can do this by credit card..And it opens up other sections, which are helpfull..Send me the picts and I'll post them under this thread..BILLComment
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U-352
Is this the U-Boat off of N.C. that one of the divers privately published a book about? I can't remember the title of the book at this moment and the book is at home.
The book shows lots of cool stuff pulled off of the boat and restored, including ENIGMA machines, spare optic sights and tool/parts chests for the 8,8cm gun, recovered 8,8 ammo, and a MP38/40 SMG.
Assuming we are talking about the same U-Boat and salvage dives, do you have any idea what happened to the rusted up MP38-40 (non-NFA item b/c of its deteriorated condition)?Comment
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Hi All,
Thanks to relentless pressure from Uncle Bill I've paid my assosciation fee and can now contribute. What? I don't know?
Ben has the stern light in his garage now. Resting next to that Falk cannon! He's going to make a glass display case for it.
Alan,
Yes there was a small book published about it back in 1987. If that is the book you are talking about. There is also a documentary about diving on it, this was made a number of years ago. Bill has a copy of that, which reminds me that I can't find mine. I need to get another copy from you.
Here is a shot of the book and also another artifact from the U-352. Mike gave the plate to me years ago as a Christmas present.
Some have inquired about how the ship was discovered. They knew that the sub was down there because a number of the veterans of the U-352 were alive and so were lots of the crew of the Coast Guard Cutter- Icarus who sank her. So it's general location was not a secret. They simply started researching the archives and found the recorded location of the sinking and started from there.
It was not long after the initial discovery that others got wind of it and heavy diving started. The Navy tried to put a stop to it because of the dangerous ordanance still down there and the potential danger of people going inside the boat and getting killed and messing around with the remains of the dead.
Mike told me that they only took a few items off the boat. The 88 rounds were still in their protective cannisters. They were on the sea bed where they had rolled off the deck of the U-352. The wooden deck had rotted away.
Let me be very clear about this. " THE ROUND IN THIS THREAD IS FULLY INERT!!"
Roscoe BlueComment
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The plate.Comment
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U-85 and several U-boats are off the coast of N.C. U-352 is one of the most popular wreck dive sites,North of Fla.. There has been several private books on 352 and there is a small museum at one of the NC coastal dive shops,with the 20mm flak cannon from 352 on the dock.. BILLOriginally posted by Alan SmithComment
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Bill & Roscoe,
Thanks for the additional information and photos. The book I asked about is titled "U-85 A Shadow in the Sea" by Jim Bunch. Based on the book it looks like U-85 has been pretty well cleaned out. In fact, it mentions that some divers dredged out the interior, netting lots of artifacts.
Interesting that you mention a 20mm cannon from U-85 is on display at a small museum. Mr. Bunch's book indicates that U-85 was partially salvaged by the U.S. Navy shortly after its sinking, with a 20mm gun being among the salvaged items. Do either of you know whether the 20mm gun now on display is the one the Navy salvaged during the war?
Very interesting thread.Comment
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U-352 Navigation Light
Posting this for Ben...U-325 Navigation/running light housing...BILLComment
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