U.S.S. "Frederick C. Davis" Sinking into the North Atlantic
ID: SIA2007-0164
Creator: Unknown
Form/Genre: Photographic print
Date: April 24, 1945
Citation: Smithsonian Institution Archives, Assession 08-003, Box 1, Philip K. Lundeberg Papers
Usage Conditions Apply
The Smithsonian Institution Archives welcomes personal and educational use of its collections unless otherwise noted. For commercial uses, please contact photos@si.edu.Summary
U.S.S. "Frederick C. Davis" (DE-136) about to take her final plunge in the North Atlantic, halfway between Newfoundland and the Azores. Sunk by "U-546 (Just)" at 0840 on 24 April 1945 as "Davis" was moving in for a depth charge attack. In various stages of shock, compounded by underwater blasts from two depth charge explosions as "Davis" sank, seventy-seven of the "Davis" crew of 192 survived two to four hours in shark-infested waters and were rescued by sister ships. "U-546" was sunk, with 33 survivors, some ten hours later, after a protracted hunt and numerous depth charge barrages. Background for this image is in Philip K. B. Lundeberg's chapter, "Operation TEARDROP Revisited" in Timothy Runyan, editor, "To Die Gallantly" (Boulder, Oxford: Westview Press, 1994), (Philip K. Lundeberg, 10/04/06)
Subject
- Lundeberg, Philip K. 1923-2019
- United States Navy
- U.S.S. Frederick C. Davis
Category
Historic Images of the Smithsonian
Notes
Naval historian Lundeberg came to the Smithsonian in January 1959 as a Consultant in the Department of Armed Forces History in the Museum of History and Technology, now known as the National Museum of American History, and in June of that year was appointed Associate Curator in the Division of Naval History. From 1962 to 1984 Lundeberg was Curator of Naval History and in 1984, when the Divisions of Naval and Military History were merged to form the Division of Armed Forces History, he was named Curator of Armed Forces History. Following his retirement in 1986, he was named Curator Emeritus of Armed Forces History in 1987.
Contained within
Smithsonian Institution Archives, Assession 08-003, Box 1, Philip K. Lundeberg Papers
Contact information
Institutional History Division, Smithsonian Archives, 600 Maryland Avenue, SW, Washington, D.C. 20024-2520, SIHistory@si.edu
Date
April 24, 1945
Restrictions & Rights
No restrictions
Topic
- WW II
- Boats and boating
- Shipwrecks
- Transportation, Military
- Naval battles
- Naval history
- History
- World War, 1939-1945
- Military
- Ships
- Armed Forces--History
Form/Genre
- Photographic print
- Aerial
ID Number
SIA2007-0164
Physical description
Number of Images: 1; Color: Black and White; Size: 10w x 8 h; Type of Image: aerial; Medium: Photographic print