Troop 186 becomes Crew U-858

[RememberSchiff]

no not Venturing 

A Delaware Goes to War tradition, the staging surrender of German submarine U-858 will be held. However, there will be a new group of German re-enactors.

Because the German Grossdeutschland living history group is unable to attend due their big event in early May, organizers have enlisted the services of scouts from Boy Scout Troop 186 in Milford.

“You can’t have a Delaware Goes to War event without that,” said Dr. Hattier. “Some of the guys we’ve drafted to become Germans. I need Germans to surrender. Involving the Scout troop is going to be fun. A lot of the kids were highly motivated.”

Mike Hills, chaplain for the Harbor Defenses living history group, will deliver the speech for the surrender of U-858 — the first German warship to surrender to U.S. forces and the first enemy vessel to surrender in U.S. waters since the War of 1812 with the British.

Besides roles of the U-858 crew, Scouts will also man the snack bar.

https://delawarestatenews.net/news/delaware-goes-to-war-brings-military-history-to-life/

http://www.capemay.com/blog/2001/09/report-from-another-era-nazi-sub-surrenders-off-cape-may/

 

Edited April 27, 2018 by RememberSchiff

[RememberSchiff]

I believe the reporter meant to say the U-858 was the first German warship to surrender after the end of WW2?

It certainly was not the first German warship to surrender to the U.S. forces, consider the U-505 which is now in Chicago. The U-505 was the first enemy ship captured by the US Navy on the high seas since the War of 1812.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/German_submarine_U-505

P.S.

After receiving Admiral Dönitz' order to surface and surrender and of Germany's unconditional surrender,  German submarine crews including the U-858 surrendered on 14 May 1945.

Edited April 27, 2018 by RememberSchiff