The Escape of Submarine U977 to Argentina: A Detailed Account

The ending

On May 8, 1945, when Germany announced the ceasefire of all combat forces and unconditional surrender, not all German submarines adhered to the "Rainbow" plan. According to incomplete statistics from post-war British and American intelligence agencies, at the end of the war, several German submarines did not surrender or scuttle themselves, but instead navigated to another country (neutral or allied). This action is referred to as defection, and U-977 is one such example.

The submarine was transferred to the allies through diplomatic channels and was subjected to naval torpedo tests by the U.S. submarine Atule (SS403) at the U.S. Navy testing grounds in Boston on November 13 of the same year, where it was sunk by a torpedo. Captain Heinz Schaeffer arrived in Argentina after the war and spent the rest of his life there. In 1952, he published a memoir titled "U-977: A Submarine's Story," which recounts his escape to Argentina. Captain Heinz Schaeffer arrived in Argentina after the war and spent the rest of his life there. In 1952, he published a memoir titled "U-977: A Submarine's Story," which recounts his escape to Argentina.

Surrender

On July 14, submarine U977 made a brief stop in the Cape Verde Islands, during which most of the crew participated in a swimming competition at sea. Two days later, the submarine continued its southward journey, but its right diesel engine malfunctioned and could not be repaired, limiting its maximum speed to 6 knots per hour. Fortunately, the submarine was not detected by Allied naval patrol vessels or aircraft during its voyage. Two days later, the submarine continued its southward journey, but its right diesel engine malfunctioned and could not be repaired, limiting its maximum speed to 6 knots per hour. Fortunately, the submarine was not detected by Allied naval patrol vessels or aircraft during its voyage. On July 23, it crossed the equator. Submarine U977 sailed continuously at sea for 66 days from May 10 to July 14, setting the record for the longest continuous voyage of a submarine in World War II, ranking second (the first being U978, which lasted 68 days), truly staging a scene of "underwater marathon running". Submarine U977 sailed continuously at sea for 66 days from May 10 to July 14, setting the record for the longest continuous voyage of a submarine in World War II, ranking second (the first being U978, which lasted 68 days), truly staging a scene of "underwater marathon running".

Final combat cruise

In September 1945, British and American military intelligence departments arrived in Argentina and subjected all crew members to a three-month interrogation. During the questioning, Captain Heinz Schaeffer insisted that he was merely fleeing and had not transported any supplies or personnel to Argentina. According to the interrogation records of U-977, Captain Heinz Schaeffer explained: "The main reason I fled to Argentina was the result of German media propaganda. I learned from the newspapers that once Germany was defeated, all soldiers would be enslaved and would never be able to rise again. Additionally, I found out that the living conditions in Argentina were relatively good, allowing Germans to escape." The vast majority of the crew echoed his sentiments. However, during the interrogation, Allied personnel managed to gather some information, leading them to believe that Heinz Schaeffer was lying and accusing him of transporting war criminals to Argentina. They even suspected that the submarine he commanded had sunk two ships during its voyage from Norway to South America (Allied intelligence suspected that the U-977 submarine likely attacked and sank the Brazilian light cruiser Bahia on July 4, as the U-977 was operating within 60 nautical miles of the area at that time). However, the specifics of the interrogation were not disclosed by British and American officials at the time.

According to the navigation log of submarine U977, on May 1, the submarine had approximately 80 tons of fuel. In order to reach its destination, the submarine made every effort to conserve fuel during the journey, maintaining a speed of only 5 to 6 knots. Typically, it would remain submerged during the day and surface at night to recharge. After a lengthy voyage of 108 days, the submarine arrived at the naval free port of Mar del Plata, Argentina, on August 17, and subsequently surrendered to the Argentine government. At that time, the submarine had less than 5 tons of fuel remaining, which left many historians astonished in the post-war period.

After U977 arrived at the port of Argentina and surrendered to the Argentine government, the crew immediately engaged in negotiations with the Argentine government and military, and all equipment on the submarine was quickly handed over to the Argentine government. Argentina was a neutral country during World War II, and it had a large German resident population, surpassing that of any other Allied nation. Evidence shows that among the cargo of the submarine, in addition to a significant amount of gold, Argentine military inspectors even discovered an onboard radar system from an M262 fighter jet. Why was this material transported to Argentina? Various sources provide differing opinions, and this question is not the direct focus of this article; however, it could certainly warrant further research if sufficient information is available. According to an article I found online titled "Nazi Gold," from May 1 to 6, 1945, the German Navy submarine forces dispatched at least six submarines towards Argentina, with three submarines confirmed: U977, U530, and U853, while U853 did not succeed. Therefore, the escape of U977 to Argentina was a relatively safe choice.

Although many people do not understand the actions of the crew of submarine U977, believing that their desperate escape to Argentina was driven by a fervent warlike sentiment, this is not entirely accurate. In fact, many crew members were in a state of deep despondency, fully aware that their homeland had become a pile of rubble after the war

After discussion, it was ultimately decided to hold a vote regarding whether to stay or leave—either voluntarily go ashore or return to the troops to surrender. Approximately one-third of the crew, around 16 individuals, chose to return to the troops to surrender. They boarded a lifeboat and left the submarine, planning to land near Holsen and then return to Germany, but were soon captured by the British Navy. The remaining crew members would face a long, helpless, and exhausting final leg of their journey. They had initially planned to land near Holsen and then return to Germany, but were soon captured by the British Navy. The remaining crew members would face a long, helpless, and exhausting final leg of their journey.

A difficult journey

Captain Heinz Schaefer was born in April 1921 in Berlin. He joined the German Navy in 1938 and was transferred to the submarine force in May 1941, initially serving as the commander of U-148. During the war, he was primarily responsible for submarine training. It was not until December 1944 that he was appointed as the commander of U-977, which meant he had little combat experience. Furthermore, the Allied naval escort forces were overwhelmingly strong, making it impossible for U-977 to approach Allied convoys. During the war, he mainly focused on training submarines, and by December 1944, he was appointed as the commander of U-977, resulting in a lack of combat experience. Additionally, the Allied naval escort forces were too powerful, preventing U-977 from getting close to Allied transport fleets. A crucial factor was that the war was nearing its end; in Heinz Schaefer's mind, this was not a true combat patrol but rather an escape to Argentina, which was his fundamental intention. According to post-war interrogation materials, Heinz Schaefer claimed that he had this plan in mind for a long time, as he did not want to die a miserable death in a concentration camp.

According to superior orders, submarine U977, under the command of Captain Oblt Heinz Schffer, departed from Kristiansand, Norway, on May 2, 1945, preparing to conduct a combat patrol in the English Channel with the objective of targeting Allied transport fleets near the British coast. Two days later, on May 4, Admiral Dönitz ordered the submarine forces to cease all combat operations

Decide to flee

On May 8, while the submarine was navigating in Norwegian waters, it received a radio message from the Allies via a broadcasting station, demanding that all German submarines at sea cease fire, report their specific locations, and proceed to designated ports to surrender unconditionally to the Allies. The next day, the submarine received many intermittent signals, most of which were telegrams from other German submarines notifying their return to base. However, Captain Heinz Schaeffer had already decided to escape to Argentina. After he announced his decision, there was significant turmoil among the crew regarding their thoughts. Out of camaraderie, Schaeffer allowed the married soldiers on board the opportunity to disembark and return home. According to Captain Heinz Schaeffer's post-war memoir "U-977", he stated: "At that time, I, along with the first officer and the chief engineer, considered going to Argentina, but we had to take into account the opinions of all crew members. Some of the crew members who were already married had to consider their families and future."

On May 10, the U977 submarine continued its journey towards Argentina. The long voyage was a tremendous ordeal for all crew members, who were essentially on the brink of nervous breakdowns. Due to the prolonged sailing, there were no fresh food supplies on board, and the freshwater supply was particularly strained, leading to extremely harsh living conditions. Although the submarine personnel had excellent training under normal circumstances, the extended duration of the voyage left them utterly exhausted. By early June, the radio station was no longer receiving any signals. It was evident that the war had come to an end. On June 11, a crew member named Wolfgang Edelstein attempted to commit suicide by jumping into the sea due to overwhelming psychological pressure but was stopped. In retrospect, he recalled, "At that moment, I felt that the situation was almost endless; I decided that ending my life was better than dying in that stinking submarine." A chief petty officer named Hans Schwbe recounted, "Everyone's endurance had reached its limit; the entire submarine felt lifeless. Initially, some people listened to opera records, but later no one wanted to listen anymore. In such an environment, day and night, and in the confined space, the detachment from reality worsened day by day, and many began to speak incoherently." To alleviate the pressure, during nighttime surface operations, crew members sometimes went up on deck to smoke a cigarette. According to safety management regulations and operational principles, personnel were prohibited from going on deck during surface operations except for the lookout, but the reality completely disrupted this protocol.