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For Posterity's Sake 
A Royal
Canadian Navy Historical Project
HMCS U-889
Former
German U-Boat U-889
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U-889 after her surrender in May 1945
From the collection of John Stewart, Slt, RCNVR
Courtesy of Jim Stewart
Click on the above photo to view a larger
image
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Badge associated with U-889
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Laid down: 13
Sep
1943
Launched: 05
Apr 1944
Commissioned: 04
Aug 1944
Surrendered to RCN: 13 May 1945
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Commissioned:
14 May 1945
Paid off: 12
Jan 1946
Transferred to the USN: 12
Jan 1946
Fate: Sunk as a torpedo target ship in 1947
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U-889 was a IXC/40 type U-boat, built by Deutsche Schiff und
Machinbau Ag Weser, Bremen, launched in 1944 and commissioned 04 Aug
1944. Her specifications on completion were: Displacement:
1120 / 1232 tons, Length: 252 ft, Beam: 22 ft, Draught: 19 ft,
Speed: 18 / 7 kts, Armament: 6-21" TT, 2-37mm (1xII). U-889 was Commanded by Kptlt Friedrich
Braeucker, and
sailed from Germany by way of Norway in early Apr 1945. After an
uneventful weather ship patrol and at the end of hostilities in
accordance with instructions U-889 surfaced & was spotted by an
RCAF Liberator some 250 miles south-east of Flemish Cap on 10 May
1945. U-889 surrender, at sea, to
RCAF, U-889 hoisted the black flag of surrender to the RCAF
Liberator. It took two low passes by the Liberator before the flag
went up. They were arming depth charges and setting the bombsight
when she made the hoist. The Liberator stood by until the ships
appeared. Subsequently HMCS Oshawa J330, HMCS Rockcliffe J355, HMCS
Saskatoon K158, HMCS Dunvegan K177 intercepted U-889 that day 175
miles SSE of Cape Race. HMCS Rockcliffe and HMCS Dunvegan were
instructed to escort U-889 into Shelburne, NS. However, 24hrs after
the interception, the 2 ships passed their charge to the frigates
HMCS Buckingham K685 and HMCS Inch Arran K667 of EG 28 some 140
miles SSE of Sable Island. An "official" surrender of U-889
took place 13 May 1945 off the Shelburne Whistle Buoy, 7 miles
from the antisubmarine boom gate. U-889 was commissioned HMC S/M U-889
on 14 May 1945, for testing and evaluation, of particular
interest were her acoustic torpedoes & highly developed German
GHG hydrophone array. U-889 was one of 10 U-boats assigned to the
U.S., as a result "a Canadian steaming crew" sailed on 11
Jan 1946 with her for Portsmouth NH. HMC S/M U-889 was Paid off 12 Jan
1946 and turned over to the USN.
Photos and Documents
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Commanding Officers |
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Lt E.A.D. Holmes, RNCR - 14 May 1945
- 27 May 1945
Lt Colin William Perry,
RCNVR - 28 May 1945 - 27 Oct 1945 |
Lt James Rodney Johnston,
RCNVR - 28 Oct 1945 - 12 Jan 1946 |
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Former Crew Members
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Beverley,
Maurice Outhit, Lt, RCNVR - 25 May 1945
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Photos and Documents
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Newspaper article on the surrender of
U-889
From the collection of John
Acorn
Courtesy of Barry Acorn
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Guarded by
Canadian sailors, some of U-889's crew stand on the deck of
Fairmile motor launch Q-117. The Royal Canadian Navy removed U-889's
crew following the U-Boat's surrender at Shelburne, Nova Scotia. On this,
its first war patrol, the submarine had left Germany in March, stopping in
Norway before heading into the Atlantic in early April. It surrendered
before it could carry out orders to attack shipping off the port of New
York. U-889's crew were fortunate: an estimated 75 per cent of
U-Boat crew members did not survive the war.
Source:
George Metcalf Archival
Collection
CWM
20070014-016_1
Courtesy
of the Canadian War Museum
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Surrender
of the German submarine U-889 and hoisting of the British ensign 12 miles
off Shelburne, NS, May 13, 1945
Photographed by the Royal Canadian Navy
(MS-2-202 Box 23, Folder 12, photograph 1571)
Source: Dalhousie
Library |
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Surrender of the German submarine U-889
off Shelburne, Nova Scotia, May 13, 1945
Source: Richard Graham Arless/Canada.
Dept. of National Defence/Library and Archives Canada/PA-17333 |
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A
Canadian sailor poses aboard U-889 with the Royal Canadian Navy's
White Ensign. Although spotted by a Canadian aircraft and intercepted by
Canadian ships on 10 May, poor weather delayed U-889's official
surrender until the 13th, when the submarine arrived at Shelburne, Nova
Scotia. As part of the surrender, Canadian sailors hoisted the White Ensign
on the U-Boat's flagstaff. The sailor wears the insignia of the naval
police, including a white cuff with "NP" and white gaiters
covering his ankles. His holstered pistol is attached to a lanyard that
passes around his neck.
Source:
George Metcalf Archival Collection
CWM
20070014-017
Courtesy
of the Canadian War Museum
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Two
Canadians, one armed with a pistol, stand inside U-889's control
room following the submarine's surrender in May 1945. The control room was
the submarine's nerve centre. The helmsman's controls can be seen on the
right: a large compass mounted to the right of the watertight door, with the
buttons to electrically control the U-Boat's rudder just visible below it.
Directly above the compass is an engine room telegraph for controlling the
speed of the submarine's diesel engines. Part of the commanding officer's
quarters are visible through the watertight door (centre).
George
Metcalf Archival Collection
CWM
20070014-018
Courtesy of
the Canadian War Museum
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Kapitänleutnant Friedrich Braeucker,
C.O. of U-889 on the bridge at Shelburne, Nova Scotia, May 13, 1945
Source: Uboatarchive.net
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Surrender of U-889
From the collection of Robert Burns, HMCS Oshawa J330
Courtesy of Robert Burns (Jr)
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The surrender of U-889
From the collection of John C. Orr, HMCS Saskatoon K158
Courtesy of John P. Orr
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The surrender of U-889 - ML Q117 in the background
DND / RCN photo. Neg # A-1416
From the collection of H.W. Patterson
Courtesy of Steve Patterson
Click
here to view the back of the photo
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Surrendered U-889 coming alongside HMCS Joliette K418 in Shelburne, NS.
From the collection of Patrick Casey
Courtesy of Patricia Pollock
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U-889 - location unknown - possibly NAD Jetty in
Dartmouth
From the collection of H.S. (Tim) Lee
Courtesy of Ryan Lee
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Unknown sub - appears to be either U-190 or U-889 -
location possibly Halifax
From the collection of H.S. (Tim) Lee
Courtesy of Ryan Lee
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U-889 secured alongside a unknown frigate - location possibly Halifax
From the collection of H.S. (Tim) Lee
Courtesy of Ryan Lee
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