The Destroyer that Traded Cannons for Shotguns

In October 1943, the aging destroyer USS Borie found herself locked in one of the most extraordinary naval duels of World War II. Commanded by the U.S. Navy's youngest destroyer captain, Lieutenant Charles Hutchins, the World War I-era ship hunted down the German submarine U-405 in the stormy North Atlantic before ramming it in a desperate attempt to finish the fight. What followed was a brutal point-blank battle unlike anything either crew had trained for. With the two vessels wedged together by heavy seas, sailors exchanged rifle fire, pistols, machine guns, and even improvised weapons from only a few feet apart while Borie's larger guns could no longer bear on the submarine beneath her. Although the destroyer ultimately sank the U-boat, the violent collision left her own hull fatally damaged. After battling flooding for hours and sacrificing nearly everything onboard to stay afloat, the exhausted crew was forced to abandon the ship they had just fought so hard to save. This is the incredible true story of USS Borie, the destroyer that defeated a German U-boat in one of the closest naval battles of World War II—and paid for that victory with her own life. -- As images and footage of actual events are not always available, Dark Seas sometimes utilizes similar historical images and footage for dramatic effect. I do my best to keep it as visually accurate as possible. All content on Dark Seas is researched, produced, and presented in historical context for educational purposes. We are history enthusiasts and are not always experts in some areas, so please don't hesitate to reach out to us with corrections, additional information, or new ideas.