HORST DEGEN (116-1985)
Kriegsmarine, U-Bootwaffe
“The Gallant Degen” is what Admiral Karl Dönitz called him. He put U-701 into commission on 16 July 1942 and enjoyed successes with the boat including the only successful minefield in US waters. He laid a minefield right off the U. S. Navy base at Norfolk and some ships ran onto these mines and were sunk. It was a dangerous mission because there
One year later, almost to the day, U-701 was running on the surface off Cape Hatteras when a lookout failed to spot a Hudson bomber coming down on them until the last minute. They dived as quickly as possible, but the bomber, piloted by
He opened the hatch and was immediately blown to the surface followed by sixteen of his men. Some died quickly while, after a day of floating, two men attempted to swim to the American coast thirty miles distant. They were never seen again. Finally, after being in the water for a very long time, a U.S. Navy Blimp, piloted by
The Turmabzeichen (tower emblem) of U-701 was a flying fish.
U-701 was found about five decades later by UWE LOVAS (1022-1989). The photos below are more recent because
released it and several of his men went to the surface with him.