We Captured a U-Boat — Rear-Admiral Daniel V. Gallery, U.S.N.

We Captured a U-Boat — Rear-Admiral Daniel V. Gallery, U.S.N.

Edition: Popular Book Club (London), 1958. Hardcover with dust jacket.

Published by arrangement with Sidgwick & Jackson Ltd., the original publishers. Introduction by Commander Edward Young, D.S.O., D.S.C., R.N.V.(S)R. 248 pages with black & white photographic illustrations.

Club price printed on jacket: 4/3 (four shillings and threepence) — members only.

The Story

This is the first-hand account of one of the most dramatic episodes of the Battle of the Atlantic. On 4 June 1944 — the same day the Allies were preparing for D-Day — Captain Daniel V. Gallery, commanding U.S. Navy Task Group 22.3 from the escort carrier USS Guadalcanal (CVE-60), forced the German submarine U-505 to the surface off the coast of West Africa with depth charges. Gallery had pre-planned a boarding operation, and his men captured the submarine before the German crew could scuttle her.

U-505 became the first foreign man-of-war captured on the high seas by the U.S. Navy since the War of 1812. She was towed 1,700 miles back to Bermuda in secret. The capture yielded invaluable intelligence — including Enigma codebooks and radio equipment — that aided Allied operations in the final year of the war. Gallery and his task force received a Presidential Unit Citation.

The U-505 is now preserved at the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago, where it remains one of only four German U-boats still in existence.

About the Author

Daniel Vincent Gallery (1901–1977) entered the U.S. Naval Academy at age 16, graduated early in 1920, and even competed on the U.S. wrestling team at the 1920 Olympics in Antwerp. He was an early naval aviator before commanding the Iceland Naval Air Base and later Task Group 22.3. After the war he rose to Rear-Admiral and became a prolific author. He was awarded the Navy Distinguished Service Medal and the Bronze Star.

Condition Notes

Dust jacket: Present but worn — chipping/tears at spine ends and corners, holes punched through the "O" in "BOAT" on the front cover, some scuffing/rubbing. The striking blue-and-white illustration of the U-505 capture scene is intact and vibrant.

Boards: Blue cloth binding in good condition, gilt spine lettering visible.

Interior: Pages tanned/yellowed with age (typical for 1950s paper stock). Text block appears tight. Photographic plates present. No apparent inscriptions.

Jacket flaps: Inner flaps present with author bio, reviews, and "Popular Book Club" branding. Back flap lists forthcoming titles (Rockets Galore, Fortune Is My Enemy, As Far As My Feet Will Carry Me, Greek Fire, Cassino).

Good overall. Good dust jacket (worn, with defects as described).

Main Category:

American Militaria

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