Shadow Divers

In the fall of 1991, Captain Bill Nagle of the dive boat “Seeker” led a team of recreational scuba divers on an expedition to explore an unknown wreck site 60 miles off the New Jersey coast. Nagle had discovered the resting place of a World War II German U-boat, a wartime loss with the 56 man crew still aboard. Inquires to the both the German and American Naval Authorities failed to identify or explain the presence of this mystery U-boat. No attacks by or against a U-boat had been reported in this location during the war and no explanations were offered.

Over the next six years, a small team of divers led by John Chatterton and Richie Kohler explored the wreckage. Their mission: to figure out which U-boat this was and who these men were. The diving was extremely deep (230 feet) and hazardous, and sadly three of the divers died while investigating the U-boat. Despite these losses, John and Richie continued to dive to the limits of the current scuba technology, even after other divers had quit. Finally, in 1997, a team effort by John Chatterton, John Yurga, Pat Rooney and Richie Kohler discovered the evidence that conclusively identified the submarine as U-869.

For most divers, this was the end; the wreckage had been identified and history rewritten. But for Richie Kohler it was only half the story. He began meeting with families of the crew, and visiting their hometowns. They shared their memories and photographs with him, and he began to understand who the men of U-869 were and what their lives had been like. The details of the discovery and identification of the U-boat were documented in a two hour NOVA program, “Hitler’s Lost Sub”, and the New York Times bestseller “Shadow Divers” by Robert Kurson.

Mailing List

Join Our Mailing List!

Enter Email:

Dive Portal 3 : Pre-Order

Dive Portal 3 is now available. Featuring over 2 hours of international dive destinations and interviews with some of the world's most experienced divers. More Info