: To evade Allied naval patrols, U-977 stayed continuously submerged for 66 days using its newly fitted schnorkel (air intake mast).
In his 1952 memoir, , Commander Heinz Schäffer chronicles one of the most desperate and controversial naval voyages of the Second World War. Part technical history and part psychological survival tale, the narrative follows U-977’s 108-day journey from Norway to South America, a voyage undertaken after Germany's surrender in May 1945 to avoid Allied captivity. The Decision to Flee U-Boat 977.The U-Boat That Escaped to Argentina
On May 2, 1945, U-977 departed Kristiansand, Norway, on its first war patrol. Following the surrender orders of Admiral Karl Dönitz on May 5, Schäffer chose to disregard the command to return to port. Motivated by fears of the Allied "Morgenthau Plan"—which propaganda suggested would enslave German men—and memories of poor treatment of POWs after WWI, Schäffer proposed a flight to Argentina. He allowed 16 married crew members to go ashore in Norway before embarking with the remaining 32 men on the arduous journey. The Grueling 66-Day Submersion : To evade Allied naval patrols, U-977 stayed
The journey is best known for its incredible endurance phase: The Decision to Flee On May 2, 1945,
: The crew endured constant diesel fumes, fluctuating air pressure, and extreme humidity, which brought many to the brink of nervous breakdowns.
: After surfacing near the West African coast and crossing the equator in late July, the submarine finally surrendered at Mar del Plata , Argentina, on August 17, 1945. Controversy and "The Hitler Myth" U-boat 977: Heinz Schaeffer: Amazon.com: Books