LOCAL DIVING
N
ight doesn’t get much blacker than this, Korvettenkapitan
Ruggeberg thought. He and his crew of the U-513 had
just crossed the North Atlantic for their first war patrol.
Conditions were now textbook perfect to use the steamer
they were following to slip into the bay and sit out the dark night on
the seabed.
Lying in the mud at 80 feet made for a restful night, but at 1045 hours
the next morning, general quarters sounded, and Torpedoman Second
Class Hans Grubber scrambled to his duty station. He felt like he did
on his first date, complete with sweaty palms. He and his torpedo crew
loaded both “fish” in record time, and he drummed his fingers nervously
on the air-pressure lever. At 1107 hours Korvettenkapitän Rolf Rüggeberg
gave the order to fire, and the ship-killing torpedoes were away.
T e x t a n d P h o t o s b y J o s e p h C . D o v a l a
Diving Canada’s most eastern point
Why
Newfoundland?
34
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FALL 2013
An exploding torpedo sent one of the
S.S. Saganaga’s anchors up onto its deck.
