U-505 page 29

U-505 page 29 by ric gustafson

At 11:38 am, a whaleboat is launched over the side of the USS Pillsbury. On board are nine sailors. At the wheel is Coxswain Philip Trusheim. Only 17, Trusheim has a lot of experience operating a whaleboat. As the 22 seat craft heads toward the U-505, it encounters German sailors in life jackets in the water. Trusheim was focusing on getting the nine men of the boarding party to their target. For right now, the German sailors were ignored. Trusheim knew another whaleboat would come to pick them up. 

Thanks to a gutsy maneuver, Trusheim was able to pull the whaleboat next to the U-505's starboard side. Then Seaman First Class Jim Beaver Jr took a bow hook and attached it to the U-505. With the bow hook, Beaver Jr swings himself. He lands on the top deck of the U-505. Then Trusheim steers the whaleboat to the stern of the U-Boat. Then a hook was attached to the stern of the U-505.

Now it was up to the rest of the boarding party.

research help: ' Codename Nemo' by Charles Lachman

Peace and God's blessings. Love Ric