[Osage Orange]

While the Germans jumped into the Atlantic, a 20-year-old David Balme and small team of sailors climbed into a rowing boat with simple instructions: Get what you can out of her.

Balme, who'd been in the Navy for seven years, could not believe the Germans "would have just abandoned this submarine" and was convinced U110 was either booby-trapped, or armed crewman were still on board, lying in wait.

What?????

[Larry Lucido]

Fascinating. RIP.

[Alas Babylon!]

A truly momentous occasion, and really, the dawn of the Age of Computing.

[Jeff Chandler]

U571; the fictionalised account has American submariners, not British destroyermen, rescuing Enigma from a crippled German boat.

Stupid. It would not have been any less dramatic or popular a story keeping the history intact.

I've learned over the years not to put much faith in the phrase based upon a true story. For example, if a movie based upon a true story is about a murder in Kansas, I know the true story could be as little as "there is actually a state called 'Kansas'."

[AppyPappy]

Trigger warning!

[Tijeras_Slim]

Thank you Sub Lt David Balme for providing the means of shortening the War and saving God knows how many lives.

[Gay State Conservative]

As we say in the States about men like this:

The Greatest Generation

This label having been coined by Tom Brokaw,a very famous US new anchor (or news reader) of yesteryear.

[Preachin']

I was in crypto maintenance in the USAF, so I knew of this story since 1984. Pretty cool part of history. The thing that really did the Germans in was that they were so sure that their code could not be broken that they got lazy about changing it at the scheduled times. If they had known that the allies had the device they would have been more careful.

[Sasparilla]

God bless these men and all the other brave men who saved the world without thought for themselves.

[fieldmarshaldj]

RIP.

[Fiddlstix]

Rest In Peace

[InABunkerUnderSF]

Think for a moment about jumping on to a sinking, potentially booby trapped enemy submarine for a moment.

We don't make many like him here in America and I don't think the POME make as many as they used to either. God bless you David Balme and my he comfort those who loved and grieve for you now.

[laplata]

RIP and thank you, Sir.

[PLMerite]

There’s also the story of the U-505:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/German_submarine_U-505

[Polynikes]

The German Naval Enigma machines were particularly troublesome insomuch as they used a 4th rotor and were capable of using as many as 8 rotors although 4 were commonly used. This made monitoring U-Boat movement difficult relative to the Army or Air force 3 rotor traffic. Getting a naval enigma machine was a big prize
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Enigma_machine

[GreenLanternCorps]

RIP Sub Lt David Balme, thank you for your service to King and Country.