From the Nov. 23, 2013, Mail Online (UK) "Nazi U-boat sunk during Second World War is discovered by divers off of Indonesia-- complete with skeletons of its doomed crew."
The U-168 sank several Allied vessels before it was sunk in 1944. The wreck has a wealth of artifacts, as well as 17 skeletons.
The ship was launched in March 1942 and 23 died when it sank. German submarines were off Indonesia (and I always thought this was the area of Japanese sub operations) trying to cut Allied supplies from Asia to Britain.
Captain Helmut Pich commanded the sub for four missions. The ship sailed from France to the Far East in July 1943. He survived the sinking at 1:30 AM October 6, 1944, along with 28 others. And, here's another surprise to me, it was torpedoed by a Dutch submarine, the HrMs Zwaardvish (you never hear much about the Dutch Navy during the war).
Pich died in 1997 at age 83.
The U-168 was part of the Monsun U-boat pack operating around the Dutch East Indies, Jakarta and Sabang 1943-1945. Of the 14 U-boats sent out, only four returned.
--GreGen
The USS North Carolina (BB-55) My all-time favorite warship. As an elementary school student in North Carolina, I donated nickels and dimes to save this ship back in the early sixties.
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