Museum of Science and Industry

 The Boarding Party

Once the Germans had abandoned the U-505, Task Group 22.3 dropped whaleboats into the water with crews trained in boarding and salvage procedures. Some of the crews rescued the surviving German sailors from the sea. One whaleboat from the USS Pillsbury pulled up alongside the damaged sub.

The crew's mission: to board the U-boat, overpower any remaining German sailors and take control of the submarine. It was an incredibly dangerous operation. The U-boat was going in circles, she was flooding with seawater and was most likely rigged with explosive charges intended to prevent her capture.

The Nine-Member Boarding Party

Albert L. David, Lieutenant, Junior Grade, U.S.N.
Chester A. Mocarski, Gunner's Mate, First Class, U.S.N.
Wayne M. Pickels, Boatswain's Mate, Second Class, U.S.N.
Arthur W. Knispel, Torpedoman, Third Class, U.S.N.R.
George W. Jacobson, Chief Motor Machinist's Mate, U.S.N.
Zenon B. Lukosius, Motor Machinist's Mate, First Class, U.S.N.
William R. Riendeau, Electrician's Mate, Third Class, U.S.N.
Stanley E. Wdowiak, Radioman, Third Class, U.S.N.R.
Gordon F. Hohne, Signalman, Third Class, U.S.N.R.

About this photo...

The photo above has an interesting history. The photo was supposed to depict only the members of the boarding party, but Chief Commissary Steward Lee Roy Lisk was mistakenly included. When the mistake was discovered much later, the U.S. Navy removed Lisk from the photo and shifted the three men on the right toward the middle. The altered photo was made public on May 16, 1945 with a press release announcing for the first time the capture of the U-505. Unfortunately, the Navy's retouched photo did not include Lt. Albert David. To show the entire nine-person boarding party, the Museum added Lt. David to a photo in the exhibit.