Buzz
For thousands of years, humans have traversed the oceans, but the submarines we recognize today are a modern development. Embarking on one of these confined underwater crafts demands immense bravery, as the immense pressure of the deep sea surrounds you on every side.
While the Yellow Submarine is widely known, few are aware of the fascinating and mysterious stories from beneath the waves—and sometimes even at the surface. Tales of ghosts, sea creatures, UFOs, and skeletal remains aren’t exclusive to pirate ships or spacecraft. Submarines, too, harbor their own legends of the unexplained.
10. U-505
On October 24, 1943, U-505 came under attack from British destroyers, which dropped depth charges. During the assault, Peter Zschech, the submarine's commander, tragically took his own life by shooting himself in the head in the control room, in full view of his crew.
According to Hans Goebler, a crew member who recounted the events, Zschech did not die instantly from the gunshot and was heard making loud noises, which inadvertently helped the British locate the submarine using sonar. Goebler described how someone took a pillow and covered Zschech’s mouth to silence him, despite objections from the crew doctor. Two other crew members held the pillow in place until Zschech fell silent.
Zschech’s deputy assumed command and successfully guided the crew through the attack. While everyone else survived, Zschech did not. The logbook entry for that day simply stated, “Kommandant tot,” which translates to “Commanding Officer dead.”
9. UB-65
Another German U-boat, this one from World War I, known for its eerily tragic fate, was the UB-65.
Even before its maiden voyage, a torpedo accidentally detonated, killing the second officer, Lieutenant Richter, and injuring several crew members. Shortly after departing, a lookout claimed to see Lieutenant Richter’s ghost standing on the deck. Whether due to the isolation of sea life or genuine supernatural activity, multiple crew members reported sightings of Richter’s apparition. The situation grew so dire that the Imperial Navy intervened, sending a pastor to exorcise the ghost.
In its final twist of misfortune, UB-65 was spotted by an American submarine near the Irish coast. As the Americans prepared to attack, they were astonished to witness the U-boat explode on its own before they could fire. An American officer later recounted seeing a figure in a German officer’s overcoat, arms folded, standing resolutely on the deck as the submarine sank.
8. UB-85
Who isn’t captivated by a thrilling sea monster tale? On April 30, 1918, the crew of the German submarine UB-85 surrendered without resistance to a British patrol boat as their vessel began to sink. Captain Krech, the commanding officer, shared a bizarre explanation for their lack of defense: the night before, while UB-85 was on the surface, a “mysterious creature” emerged from the depths, clinging to the deck with such force that it nearly capsized the boat. Krech described the beast as having “huge eyes embedded in a bony, horn-like skull.” The crew fired their weapons at it, eventually injuring it enough to loosen its hold. The creature retreated, but the damage it inflicted left UB-85 unable to submerge.
In 2016, the wreck of UB-85 was found, reigniting speculation about the events of 1918. Was it truly a sea monster, or could there have been another explanation?
Historians recently unearthed an interview with another crew member, shedding light on what might have actually occurred. It seems Krech had installed a heater in the officers’ quarters, with cables running through a watertight hatch, creating a vulnerability to flooding. Krech’s sea monster story may have been a clever cover for his own negligence, though some still argue it was a kraken-like creature.
7. The H.L. Hunley
Imagine this: It’s the year 2000, and you’re a diver tasked with recovering the Confederate submarine H.L. Hunley, the first submersible to successfully sink an enemy warship in combat. The vessel vanished on February 17, 1864, the very day it destroyed the USS Housatonic.
As you peer inside the submarine, you’re met with an eerie sight: eight skeletons, each positioned at their assigned stations, showing no signs of panic or movement despite the sinking. What could have kept them frozen in place, perfectly preserved in a haunting tableau of duty?
Scientists later determined that the H.L. Hunley was struck by the explosion of its own torpedo, triggered by the collision with the Housatonic. The blast knocked the crew unconscious, leaving them unable to operate the submarine or escape. They remained at their posts, undiscovered for 136 years. The H.L. Hunley was found approximately 300 meters (1,000 ft) from the wreck of the Housatonic.
6. USS Trepang
Submarines are perhaps the last place you’d expect to encounter a UFO. Yet, in 2015, enigmatic photos published in the French magazine Top Secret revealed exactly that: a cigar-shaped unidentified flying object.
The images were allegedly captured in March 1971 by an officer on the Trepang, stationed in the open waters between Iceland and Jan Mayen, a scarcely populated Norwegian island. During a routine mission, the crew accidentally spotted the UFO through the periscope, thanks to officer John Klika.
Nigel Watson, a British UFO researcher, noted that similar cigar-shaped aircraft have been sighted globally since 1896. While he remains doubtful about the photos’ legitimacy, the possibility still fuels our imaginations.
5. Quester I
Have you ever noticed the eerie shipwrecks along Coney Island Creek in New York City? They seem like the perfect setting for skeletons to emerge at any second. Among these, the most peculiar is a submarine with a rusted, orange-yellow conning tower protruding from the water. This vessel, named the Quester I, was constructed for a mission that never came to fruition: retrieving treasure from the sunken ocean liner Andrea Doria, which lies beneath the Atlantic off the coast of Massachusetts after sinking in 1956.
In the late 1960s, Jerry Bianco embarked on building a submarine capable of diving to the wreck and recovering its valuables. He chose yellow paint not as a nod to the famous Beatles song but because it was the most affordable option available.
On October 19, 1970, after four years of labor, the submarine was lowered into Coney Island Creek. The crane operator mistakenly submerged it completely, contrary to instructions. Bianco had only removed ballast from one side to save costs, causing the sub to tilt severely. This mishap eroded investor confidence in its seaworthiness, and the Quester I never left the creek. It remains in the same spot to this day.
4. K-219
On October 3, 1986, the Soviet submarine K-129 was on patrol in the Atlantic Ocean, approximately 1,100 kilometers (700 mi) northeast of Bermuda. An engineer detected a leak from a plug in the torpedo room and attempted to seal it. Water began pouring in uncontrollably. Eventually, a torpedo casing ruptured, causing an explosion that killed three crew members and triggered a massive flood. One brave crew member sacrificed his life to enter the nuclear compartment and shut down the reactor, allowing the submarine to surface.
Upon opening the hatch, the captain observed something unusual: two long scratch marks along the submarine’s hull, despite no collision occurring during the incident. The Soviet Navy speculated that the scratches and explosion were caused by the nearby American submarine USS Augusta. However, the US Navy continues to deny any involvement in the attack on K-219.
In 2010, Soviet captain Nikolai Tushin shared his theory about the incident, suggesting that the submarine collided with an unidentified underwater object known as a “Quacker.” These objects are named for the distinctive sound they produce, resembling a mix between a duck’s quack and a frog’s croak. Sonar operators first detected these strange noises during the Cold War, likely due to advancements in sonar technology. If a Quacker was responsible, it may still linger near the wreck of K-219 at the ocean floor.
3. U-537
During World War II, the Germans pursued some unusual military projects, but one of the most peculiar was their Arctic Circle scientific outpost. With the Allies controlling western regions, they had a significant advantage in weather forecasting for naval operations. To counter this, Germany established their own weather station, delivered and installed by the submarine U-537, which was specially equipped for the task on Labrador’s northern coast.
Despite facing severe challenges, including a collision with an iceberg that caused significant damage and prevented the sub from diving, U-537 successfully reached its destination. The Germans cleverly disguised the weather station, using a fake Canadian name for the equipment and scattering American cigarette packs to mimic an Allied installation. On its return journey to occupied France, the submarine was attacked three times by Canadian aircraft but managed to evade capture.
2. The Surcouf
When launched in 1929, the Surcouf was the world’s largest submarine, designed to compete with the advanced U-boats of the German Navy. After Germany invaded France, the Allies feared the French submarines would fall into enemy hands. The Surcouf was ordered to Plymouth, England, but tensions flared when British forces boarded the sub. The French crew, resentful of their historical rivals despite being allies, engaged in a fight onboard, resulting in four fatalities.
Tensions remained high even after the initial conflict. Both French factions suspected the other of secretly aiding the Germans, and the British accused some French vessels of attacking their ships. Eventually, the Surcouf was dispatched to the Pacific, stopping in Bermuda for refueling. In February 1942, it vanished in the Caribbean near Panama, never to be seen or heard from again.
One hypothesis suggests the submarine collided with an American merchant ship, which reported hitting an object in the water. Others attribute the Surcouf’s disappearance to the Bermuda Triangle, long before it gained notoriety. Regardless of the cause, neither the wreckage of the Surcouf nor its crew has ever been recovered.
1. U-166
While the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941 is widely known, fewer are aware of the German U-boat operations in the Gulf of Mexico, aimed at sinking American merchant ships close to their own shores.
Among the 17 U-boats in this German fleet was U-166. In 1942, it targeted the steam passenger ship Robert E. Lee. Passengers initially mistook the approaching submarine for a shark until a torpedo struck, sending the ship to the ocean floor. As survivors clung to lifeboats, the US Navy’s PC-566 dropped depth charges on the U-boat, though they never confirmed a hit. Coast Guard planes also bombed another U-boat, but upon returning to base, they were informed the incident was classified and never learned the outcome of their attack.
The mystery was solved in 2001 when a petroleum survey discovered a U-boat near the wreck of the Robert E. Lee. Historians concluded that U-166 had been sunk by the initial attack. Today, both the Robert E. Lee and U-166 rest on the Gulf of Mexico’s seabed, a haunting testament to a German assault perilously close to American shores during World War II, just under 80 kilometers (50 mi) south of the Mississippi River Delta.
