NARRATOR: April 9,
1944, Easter Sunday--
once again, U-boat Commander
Werner Henke's batteries
are running out of power.
DR. JANN K. WITT: Henke
has to surface this boat,
whether he wants it or not.
Because without A minimum
charge of the batteries,
he is virtually helpless.
He can't dive.
He can't evade any danger.
NARRATOR: There has been no sign
of their stalkers for hours.
Henke decides to surface.
He is careful to put as
many lookouts and gunners
as he can on deck.
The skies stay clear,
but only for 45 minutes.
[SPEAKING GERMAN]
Look-outs spot something
off the port quarter.
They identify warships,
including an aircraft
carrier heading their way.
Henke immediately
orders a crash dive.
On-board USS Guadalcanal,
along with more fighter planes,
Gallery orders destroyer escorts
USS Pillsbury and Flaherty
to locate and engage the enemy.
 All ahead flank.
NARRATOR: Destroyer
escorts carry a new weapon
called the Hedgehog.
MAN: It was called a Hedgehog,
because it looked like a bunch
of porcupine quills.
[GUNFIRE]
They'd fire 24 mortar rounds.
They made a circular
pattern in the water.
DR. JANN K. WITT: The
actual new feature
is that you can keep your sonar
contact with the U-boat while
attacking.
They don't interfere with
your detection signal.
So you can keep the contact
and go in for another time.
NARRATOR: With USS
Flaherty in support,
Pillsbury launches
a Hedgehog attack.
 Open fire.
NARRATOR: One round makes
contact and explodes.
[CRASHING NOISES]
U-515 plunges as
the water rushes
to the rear of the submarine.
U-boat Commander Werner
Henke and his crew
work frantically
to level the U-boat
and stop it from sinking.
The weight of the water
drags the stern of the U-boat
down by over 20 degrees.
By replacing the water
in the tank with air,
it should lighten the submarine.
At last, at a depth of about 660
feet, U-515 turns to balance.
But then, the submarine
over-corrects.
Water from the
stern moves forward,
which makes the bow heavier.
Instead of gaining an even
keel, the entire U-boat
now rises rapidly to the
surface by the stern.
[SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC]
All of a sudden,
the U-boat breaks
the surface, out of control
and at a very sharp angle.
[CRASHING NOISES]
 U-boat!
U-boat!
NARRATOR: Henke gives the
order to abandon ship.
He climbs onto the bridge.
The destroyer escorts Pope,
Chatelaine, and Flaherty
encircle U-515, while Pillsbury
and the escort carrier
USS Guadalcanal close in.
DR. JANN K. WITT:
The American vessels
surrounding him and airplanes
flowing over his head and--
yeah-- so this was
the moment of defeat.
