Germany Thought These U-Boat Sailors Were Dead — America Hid Them in Louisiana!

Germany believed the crew of U-505 was dead. In reality, 58 German U-boat survivors were in American custody, later held secretly at Camp Ruston in Louisiana to protect captured naval codes. This World War II history documentary follows the capture of German submarine U-505 on June 4, 1944, just two days before D-Day. Discover how Captain Daniel Gallery’s U.S. Navy task group seized the submarine, recovered Enigma machines and codebooks, and created a wartime secret that left families believing their loved ones had died. From the dangerous boarding operation to the isolated Louisiana POW compound, this is a story of naval intelligence, survival and the human cost of secrecy. We examine why communication was restricted, why Red Cross access was denied, and why historians debate the intelligence value and risks of the capture. In this video: • The U-505 submarine and its troubled wartime history • USS Guadalcanal and Captain Daniel Gallery’s capture plan • Lieutenant Albert David’s dangerous boarding mission • The seizure of Enigma machines and German naval codebooks • The secret detention of U-505 prisoners at Camp Ruston • Families who believed the sailors were dead • The ethical questions surrounding the prisoners’ isolation • How the captured submarine became a museum memorial in Chicago Should wartime intelligence have justified keeping these prisoners’ survival secret from their families? Share your thoughts in the comments. Like this video and subscribe to Mr. WWII Show for more documented World War II stories, naval history and extraordinary events behind the headlines. Historical note: This story concerns the captured crew of U-505 specifically. It does not describe the treatment of all German U-boat prisoners in the United States. Disputed claims and personal recollections are identified in the narration. Sources and further reading: U.S. Naval History and Heritage Command — U-505 capture and aftermath: https://www.history.navy.mil/about-us... The National WWII Museum — Louisiana Spotlight: U-505 and Camp Ruston: https://www.nationalww2museum.org/war... Griffin Museum of Science and Industry — U-505 prisoners of war: https://www.msichicago.org/explore/wh... This independently produced historical documentary is intended for education and discussion. #WW2 #U505 #WorldWarII