[Milsurplus] Chicago Museum U-505

[C.Whitaker]

de WB2CPN
There was a lot of press coverage when they hauled
that submarine from the lake into town.  Everything
was positive.
But things change, mainly schools and how we teach
history.   Go into any High School, and ask if anyone
knows what WWII was, or that we were deadly enemies
of the German people.   Hide the facts, Man, they'll
only confuse us.
Back in the mountains of eastern Kentucky a memento
of WWI was placed on the lawn in front of the County
Court House.  A French 75 field gun.  By the beginning
of WWII the wooden seats had faded away, but she
still looked good.  It pointed across the street at the
Hardware Store, and we kids thought we could fire
it.  But the WWII scrap drives took the cannon.
Now there is a tracked vehicle of some kind there.
They say it's full of water, and the kids can't get inside
to inspect the main gun.
73  Clete
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

On 8/24/2012 1:22 PM, w8au at sssnet.com wrote:
> Hue:
>
> Its tough to swallow the decisions of business organizations, and the Museum
> of Science and Industry definitely is a business when it comes to attracting
> visitors who pay to get in.
>
> A few years ago they moved U-505 inside, established a huge addition to
> cover the boat, decorated the interior to establish the atmosphere of a sub
> in the open sea, (tilted) and precedes this with three large displays
> and videos
> preparing the visitors for the grand entrance into the boat location.
>
> What they have done is eliminate most of the necessary maintenance items
> that were formerly needed when it sat for years in the water.
>
> I do think they missed a great opportunity for selling or auctioning
> the material,
> however.   And as for the UC-97, they probably can't undertake the project for
> budget reasons.
>
> Such is life....
>
> Perry
>
> At 06:53 AM 8/24/2012, Hue Miller wrote:
>> "We were trying to get a fix on the location of the only known WW I German
>> U-Boat sunk in fresh water; that of UC-97 sunk in Lake Michigan off
>> Wilmette.
>> We approached the Museum of Science and Industry and the Director, Vic
>> Danelov,
>> about an expedition to raise UC-97 and put her next to U-505.  When he asked
>> why,
>> I told him that this Museum would be the only one in the world with a WW I
>> and a
>> WW II German U-Boat.  "I don't even want this one!" was his reply.  And he
>> paid a
>> scrap dealer to come to the Museum and cart off TWO ENTIRE storerooms full
>> of
>> spare parts from U-805 that were to be used to keep U-505 in repair!  Just
>> threw
>> this priceless stuff in the trash!"
>>
>> Harry Cooper, 1983.
>> via: Hue Miller
>>
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