PUBLISHED/Berkley Caliber adventure/military history
Where Divers Dare: The Hunt for the Last U-Boat
Randall Peffer
Think Shadow Divers meets Das Boot!
April, 1944. The build-up for the Normandy invasion is at fever pitch; an American convoy heads across the Atlantic. When the German submarine U-550 spots a tanker filled with aviation gas off the coast of Nantucket—it fires its torpedoes and scores a direct hit. The destroyer escorts rescue sailors from frigid waters. Then the sub is spotted on the sonar the depth charges begin, damaging U-550 and driving her to the surface. The German captain surrenders; his men abandon ship. Only 13 men from U-550 survive to make the crossing to a Northern Ireland POW camp. Their war is over. But the sub survivors and their rescuers become friends during the voyage across the ocean—some will exchange cards and visits until the ends of their lives 50 and 60 years later.
When divers Tom Packer, Steve Gatto and Brad Sheard (all appear in Shadow Divers) team up with wreck diver Joe Mazraani, they culminate a 20-year search for U-550. It is the last undiscovered U-boat in diveable waters off the Eastern seaboard of the United States, over 300' below the surface, nearly 100 feet deeper than the sub in Shadow Divers. Where Divers Dare: The Hunt for the Last U-Boat is part WWII naval battle, part treasure hunt, part mystery, and part living history—as survivors from the battle are located and tell their pieces of the story, both from the American and German sides. Most incredible is the tale of lasting friendship born in the heat of battle between two warring nations.
April, 1944. The build-up for the Normandy invasion is at fever pitch; an American convoy heads across the Atlantic. When the German submarine U-550 spots a tanker filled with aviation gas off the coast of Nantucket—it fires its torpedoes and scores a direct hit. The destroyer escorts rescue sailors from frigid waters. Then the sub is spotted on the sonar the depth charges begin, damaging U-550 and driving her to the surface. The German captain surrenders; his men abandon ship. Only 13 men from U-550 survive to make the crossing to a Northern Ireland POW camp. Their war is over. But the sub survivors and their rescuers become friends during the voyage across the ocean—some will exchange cards and visits until the ends of their lives 50 and 60 years later.
When divers Tom Packer, Steve Gatto and Brad Sheard (all appear in Shadow Divers) team up with wreck diver Joe Mazraani, they culminate a 20-year search for U-550. It is the last undiscovered U-boat in diveable waters off the Eastern seaboard of the United States, over 300' below the surface, nearly 100 feet deeper than the sub in Shadow Divers. Where Divers Dare: The Hunt for the Last U-Boat is part WWII naval battle, part treasure hunt, part mystery, and part living history—as survivors from the battle are located and tell their pieces of the story, both from the American and German sides. Most incredible is the tale of lasting friendship born in the heat of battle between two warring nations.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Randy Peffer is a much published author, both in fiction and nonfiction, whose 17 books and 300 + articles all have a nautical component. He is also a licensed sea captain rated at helming 100 ton vessels. Peffer teaches creative writing at Philips/Andover Academy, and lives in Andover, Massachusetts.
Randy Peffer is a much published author, both in fiction and nonfiction, whose 17 books and 300 + articles all have a nautical component. He is also a licensed sea captain rated at helming 100 ton vessels. Peffer teaches creative writing at Philips/Andover Academy, and lives in Andover, Massachusetts.
