Or, as it appears on the maps of South America – Tierra del Feugo! There is so much history of U-Boats, with both “black” and normal combat operations – boats that are on record and those that are not.

Some years ago, we revealed all the German maps and hiding places around South America where ships and submarines could hide. We are closing in on some more high-impact history from that area, but we will wait until all the ducks are in a row first before we make any announcements.--HC

Surrender Document

In Mar del Plat July 10, the commander of the German Submarine boat U-530 Oberleutnant zur See OTTO WERMUTH unconditionally surrenders to the Commandant of the Argentine Navy, Fregattenkapitän JULIO C. MALLEA the ship under his command and the crew of the same according to the (attached) list.

Oberleutnant zur See OTTO WERMUTH certifies that the Submarine U-530, whose crew has been disembarked, is in floating condition and that the only explosive material on board are to be found in torpedo warhead, whose trigger has been removed and that there is no plan in place nor apparatus on board to sink or totally or partially damage the vessel.

This document with attached crew list is being completed in 4 copies in Spanish and German.

The Spanish text is considered the only valid one. Signed by the Argentine and German commandants.

Mar del Plata, July 10, 1945

Fdo: Otto Wermuth
Oberleutnant zur See
Kommandant U-530

Fdo: Julio C. Mallea
Fregattenkapitän, Kommandant
the Argentine Submarine Div.

As you will note, U-530 surrendered more than two months after the German surrender. Mar del Plat is the Argentine Navy submarine base some miles out of Buenos Aires, so it would not be unlikely for a submarine to come in there………

When asked why he chose this spot, he said that he felt it would be a good place to surrender where his men would be treated with dignity. Remember his words – he is the first, but not the only one to use them. U-530 was the first of the three U-Boats at sea in the Atlantic to surrender.

Surrender Document

I Mar del Plat on 17 of August 1945, through this writing and in presence of the commandant of the Submarine division of the Argentine Navy Fregattenkapitän Julio C. Mallea, Oberleutnant zur See Heinz Schäffer surrenders unconditionally the ship under his command and the crew according to the list which is attached to this document.

The Submarine U-977 was located on 17 August 1945 at ten o’clock by the Minesweeper PY and was brought to the Harbour by the Oberleutnant zur See of the Argentine Navy, Rodolfo Saenz Valiente.

Oberleutnant zur See Heinz Schäffer certifies that the Submarine U-977 and the total crew are in secure condition and that the rapid fire munitions for and explosives on board; that of the 10 torpedoes on board, 5 of which are in the tubes and are intact; that all these materials are in their certain places and are secured; and declares that there is no apparatus on board or plan to sink or totally or partially damage the vessel.

This document being completed in 4 copies in Spanish and the same in German, the attached list has 4 copies in both languages. The Spanish text is considered the only valid one.

The responsible Argentine and German commandants sign this document and the related lists.

Fdo: Julio C. Mallea
Fregattenkapitän,
Kommandant of the Argentine Submarine Division

Heinz Schäffer
Oberleutnant zur See
Kommandant U-977

And why did Heinz Schäffer decide to surrender at Mar del Plat, the same place as U-530 a month earlier? In his book, he wrote that he wanted to surrender where his men would be treated with dignity. Where have we heard that reason before? U-5977 was the second of the three U-Boats at sea in the Atlantic to surrender.

According to Schäffer’s own book, U-977 departed Norway with 75% fuel load, traveled near the British Isles and got the surrender order. They returned to Norway, offloaded the married men then departed for Mar del Plat – all on that little fuel. Schäffer wrote that he snorkeled much of the way. This was not only a great feat of seamanship but maybe a remarkable piece of mis-information as well. A Type VII-C was rated at a range of 8,500 at 10 knots surfaced, but U-977 had only 75% of that, so the range would have to be re-calculated accordingly and so, at 10 knots surfaced, his range would have been cut to just under 6,400 miles. Do the math; the route he took was much greater than 6,400 miles and if he snorkeled as he claimed, then the drag on the boat would have been far greater, thus reducing his range even further.

So how did U-977 make it all the way to Argentina? Even if she had a full fuel load, the distance to Mar del Plat appears to be some well in excess of 10,000 miles, so how did he do it? We believe we have the answer, but a little more research is necessary before we can state absolutely how U-977 made it all the way to Argentina.

When U-977 surrendered 17 August 1945, the German surrender had taken place more than 14 weeks earlier – and there was still one more U-Boat at sea on the Atlantic. Which boat was this and what was her mission? We hope to be able to answer that in the year 2005. It will re-write some of the history books.