Operation Deadlight & Operation Pledge
May / June 1945
The Admiralty put Operation Pledge into action to gather together 116 surrendered German U-Boats from various locations all over Europe.
The Royal Navy was to escort the U-Boats to Loch Ryan, Scotland and Lisahally, Northern Ireland.
The U-Boats flew the Royal Navy white ensign and had a skeleton crew of German sailors with Royal Navy sailors to supervise them.
When the U-Boats arrived at Lisahally and Loch Ryan the German crews were taken to prisoner of war camps and the U-Boats stripped of useful items.
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Once the U-Boats were assembled Operation Deadlight was commenced.
The purpose of Operation Deadlight was to ensure that the U-Boats..
"Shall be destroyed in such a manner that the possibility of salvage and partial or full use for naval purposes is precluded".
May / June 1945
The Admiralty put Operation Pledge into action to gather together 116 surrendered German U-Boats from various locations all over Europe.
The Royal Navy was to escort the U-Boats to Loch Ryan, Scotland and Lisahally, Northern Ireland.
The U-Boats flew the Royal Navy white ensign and had a skeleton crew of German sailors with Royal Navy sailors to supervise them.
When the U-Boats arrived at Lisahally and Loch Ryan the German crews were taken to prisoner of war camps and the U-Boats stripped of useful items.
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Once the U-Boats were assembled Operation Deadlight was commenced.
The purpose of Operation Deadlight was to ensure that the U-Boats..
"Shall be destroyed in such a manner that the possibility of salvage and partial or full use for naval purposes is precluded".
The Admiralty identified areas of deep water off coast of Northern Ireland that were away from fishing grounds and from transatlantic cables.
The U-Boats were to be sunk by demolition charges, naval gunfire or torpedoes from Royal Navy submarines.
Some were specially chosen to be sunk by RAF and Fleet Air Arm aircraft.
The Admiralty invited Naval Attaché's from friendly countries and members of the press to watch the spectacle.
It was big news at the time and stories regularly appeared in the Evening Standard and Daily Express.
Surrender Of German U-Boats - British Pathé
The Admiralty identified areas of deep water off coast of Northern Ireland that were away from fishing grounds and from transatlantic cables.
The U-Boats were to be sunk by demolition charges, naval gunfire or torpedoes from Royal Navy submarines.
Some were specially chosen to be sunk by RAF and Fleet Air Arm aircraft.
The Admiralty invited Naval Attaché's from friendly countries and members of the press to watch the spectacle.
It was big news at the time and stories regularly appeared in the Evening Standard and Daily Express.
Surrender Of German U-Boats - British Pathé
The Hargood was tasked with escorting a flotilla of six of the surrendered U-boats from Wilhelmshaven, Germany, to Lisahally, Northern Ireland.
On Thursday, 21 June 1945, Commander John Pringle, summoned the U-Boat captains for a conference onboard Hargood at 09:00.
The six U-Boats in the flotilla were; U-3008, U-2356, U-2351, U-2341, U-2336 & U-883.
The U-Boat commanders are pictured arriving at HMS Hargood to receive their orders.
Although they encountered rough seas and fog, the Hargood's flotilla all arrived safely in Lisahally.
After delivering the U-Boat flotilla the Hargood sailed to the Belfast docks for repairs and to replace a damaged propeller.
On returning to Portsmouth Commander Pringle noted in his report that "the eleven days at sea involving 2,295 miles steaming and a complete circuit of England and Scotland, had been a welcome change.."
On Thursday, 21 June 1945, Commander John Pringle, summoned the U-Boat captains for a conference onboard Hargood at 09:00.
The six U-Boats in the flotilla were; U-3008, U-2356, U-2351, U-2341, U-2336 & U-883.
The U-Boat commanders are pictured arriving at HMS Hargood to receive their orders.
Although they encountered rough seas and fog, the Hargood's flotilla all arrived safely in Lisahally.
After delivering the U-Boat flotilla the Hargood sailed to the Belfast docks for repairs and to replace a damaged propeller.
On returning to Portsmouth Commander Pringle noted in his report that "the eleven days at sea involving 2,295 miles steaming and a complete circuit of England and Scotland, had been a welcome change.."
The U-3008 was a new and advanced design of U-Boat.
After arriving at Lisahally U-3008 was secretly sailed to the US and spent some time serving with the US Navy and was re-named USS U-3008.
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The conclusion of Operation Deadlight did not go to plan.
A total of 116 U-Boats of all types were assembled, with 30 at Lisahally and 86 at Loch Ryan.
The plan was that the U-Boats would be towed to a designated scuttling area of deep water on the North Western coast of Ireland.
Rough seas meant that many of the U-Boats broke their tow lines and floundered and sank in shallow water.
Many of the U-Boats were in a bad condition and not seaworthy.
Plans for aircraft to locate and sink some of the U-Boats also did not go to plan due to low cloud and stormy weather.
The Admiralty were not amused and noted that out of a flotilla ".. of 28 U-Boats to be sunk only 6 appear to have reached the correct sinking area."
“CAPTAIN-CLASS FRIGATES TOOK MORE U-BOAT SCALPS THAN ANY OTHER CLASS OF SHIP”
Although the Captain Class frigates served for a short time they proved very effective at anti-submarine warfare.
This did come at a cost as U-boats sunk at least 11 Captain Class frigates and over 700 men lost their lives and many more were injured
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After the end of the WW2 the Admiralty returned the lend-lease ships to the US as soon as possible to reduce the agreed payments.
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In early 1946 Hargood made a final trip across the Atlantic where she was returned to the U.S. Navy on 23 February 1946.
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The U.S. Navy struck Hargood from its Naval Vessel Register on 12 April 1946.
She was sold to the Northern Metal Company of Philadelphia for scrapping, and was removed for scrapping on 7 March 1947.
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During March 1946 the Hargood's crew returned to the UK from New York on the RMS Queen Mary.