German U-Boats in Argentina 1945 - U-977

On 17 August 1945, over 3 months after Germany's surrender, the submarine U-977 suddenly appeared in Argentina. She was the second U-Boat to surrender at Mar del Plata in mysterious circumstances. Where had U-977 been since leaving Norway and what was her mission? Was there an organised U-Boat mission to Argentina involving several vessels at the end of the war?
Support Mark at Patreon for only $1 a month! / markfeltonproductions

[@BELCAN57]

Most people don't realize that the end of a war is not as "cut and dried" as it may seem. Thanks for a fascinating series.

[@markfryer9880]

Yes if you surfaced your U-boat and failed to fly a black flag you could still be attacked and sunk.

[@yuppy1967]

Steve P these boats amongst others that did not surrender were running supplies to a secret German base located in Antarctica. This is fact and later there was an attempt to flush the Germans out during “Operation High-jump” in 1947 that ended badly for the American convoy.

[@peterstadlmaier3107]

@@yuppy1967 Complete BS

[@Joesolo13]

@@yuppy1967 I rather doubt that they caused any serious trouble if it was true.

[@sargesacker2599]

Stories like this remind me of that one story of which a Japanese soldier didn't surrender until the 1960's. He only surrendered when his former commander told him the war was over decades past.

[@paullewis770]

Hi, I'm an Argentinian, and I know a story about an old guy with his wife who appeared to be german arriving to my grandfather's town in 1945 and stayed there, everyone knew them because they were very wierd, very shy and that they made a house completely underground, like a bunker, they barely knew Spanish, but they and my grandfather became friends, they met at Christmas (because they had no family) and they reveals where he was from but never told anybody why they were there. Suddenly, One day the military came to the town for no apparent reason, and suspiciously this German guy and his wife disappeared. Sorry for the grammar mistakes, my English is pretty bad

[@Yosemite-George-61]

I'm american, I lived in Argentina in the 70's when I was a kid. Part of my family were Germans, they had a big ranch and I used to go there to learn the trade. One day, several nice old guys showed up and stayed for a night, they all spoke German. That night we were all in front of the fireplace and one of those men came close to me and took me in front of the big fire, he had a cartridge from my uncle's 44-40, he took the lead bullet out and put it in the little iron shovel that was part of the fireplace's tools. He then put the shovel into the fire and melted the lead. When the lead was liquid he took the shovel out and said : "I'm going to put this hot lead into this glass of water, when it cools it will form a shape that will determine who you will be in the future" The lead fell into the glass and cooled, we both agreed that it had formed a motorcycle helmet.... Next day after they left, mon oncle said : "You know who they were ? Ex U-Boat crewmembers..." And by the way, I have already bought and sold more than 55 motorcycles and I still ridding... Cheers !

[@Jyrgenstrator]

Amazing story :)

[@ZekaSpalcev]

Oh i will just go and watch *Das Boot* for the 15th time after this.

[@dariogrosso4730]

Best sub movie ever made

[@proletheus8639]

NOT YET, Kameraden!!

[@MT-tu8qd]

They were transporting gold and VIP,s. He followed his orders and didn’t rat out what actual mission he was on...

[@molecatcher3383]

Also the captain went back to live in Argentina. Perhaps he had a nice reward waiting for him there.

[@kirkel101968]

In Argentina you don’t ask what your German Grandfather did during the war.

[@simmerocky2393]

Well you don't ask what anybody did in any war.

[@WillHayes44]

@Gappie Al Kebabi the rest of the world be like 🙊

[@allybally0021]

Well.......LOL...I suppose they did their duty like anyone else. In fact most allied veterans would sympathise with them....it is just loud left wing activsits that would criticise. I knew a number of British WW2 veterans and I did not know any that hated the German military. The politicians (of all countries) are another matter.

[@ckm-mkc]

Or what your father did for the facist dictatorship (like throwing people out of planes), esp. if you are the Queen of the Netherlands

[@Will-ce7tv]

Very true.

[@BrianStocking]

7:11 Is nobody going to address that Heinz died at 57. Heinz 57 .

[@WojciechP915]

Kind of like playing Age of Empires 2 when your losing and put your villagers on a boat and go set up shop somewhere else on the map.

[@n2thea]

If you're reading this Mark, keep doing what you do. Your videos are amazing!

[@Atitlan1222]

I lived in ARG in the early 90's and had german-argentine girlfriend. Her father told me it is was an open secret all the nazis living in their neighborhood in the decades after WWII. Although born in argentina their home language was german and always seemed more german than artgentine to me.

[@old_guard2431]

So, the captain didn't talk - made up a half-credible cover story. But apparently no one else in the crew did either, and that is kind of amazing discipline.

[@Treblaine]

Why in the world would you take huge amounts of food - in secret - from a place where there's great food shortages to where there's no particular shortage of food.

[@michaellong6605]

I met two old Germans in SA could most likely shed some light. The older locals only knew they appeared one day from sea at the end of the war and spent the rest of their life working and managing shipyards. They are great to talk to but NEVER let the subject of their origin go to far.

[@einfelder8262]

My father was a sailor on a submarine which was on a secret mission - the boat did not have a published number that I can find, neither can the authorities in Germany. They can't find him on any crew list. They sailed in the Argentina region and stopped at Buenos Aires to make repairs, during which time he went ashore for R&R. The boat then returned towards Germany and was sunk somewhere in the Bay of Biscay with the loss of all but 7 crew, who escaped via the airlock hatch. Last man was left with a revolver. The 7 were rescued by a ship of some kind and landed somewhere along the French coast and taken as a POW to Wales, where he was held till 1947. After returning to Germany he hated the life there and applied for emigration to Argentina with mum and us 2 kids. Argentinian quota was constantly full so he did the next best thing and migrated to Tasmania, as far away from Schleswig Holstein as it is possible to go without going back :) I'm very glad to have grown up here in Aus rather than Argentina. I would love to know what his mission had been but he never talked much about his experiences, first getting severley wounded in Russia in 1942 and then being assigned to the submarine corps because he could not march with his demolished leg.

[@mrtrailesafety]

The idea that they were carrying a surreal amount of tinned “food” is laughable. Although gold, in tinned disguise, might be a more logical answer.

[@markfryer9880]

They had a really good series of feasts and then surrendered

[@beetleything1864]

Exactly - that's what i would do.....

[@johnbecay6887]

Mark Fryer makes sense to me...

[@IllicitGreen]

finally we can close the case

[@davidrenton]

your probably right, they parked up outside Coney Island for a couple of weeks, had some overdue shore leave then headed south when they run short of cash.

[@brucer81]

An amazing bit of German WWII history. It's bewildering that the secrets remain a mystery to this day and beyond.

[@stevenmartines8872]

You don't ask an Argentinian his grandfather's SS rank.

[@anuvisraa5786]

why not my grandfather never hide is.

[@panzertracks]

Very suspicious activities in the Southern Atlantic ocean. Something shady went down in those waters.

[@stranraerwal]

history view: something shady goes on in this comment section !

[@mauriciosamsing1513]

In October 1945 I saw 2 German submarines in a southerly direction in the South Atlantic, in front of Prov. De Santa Cruz-Argentina, from the ship ARAUCO of the Interoceanic Cia of Chile. - Unforgettable to my 7 years of age at that time. Irrefutable memory

[@ronaldderooij1774]

Well, there could have been submarines, but definitely not German ones.

[@MrBothandNether]

This is apparently not a place for anecdotal input, just shills and trolls and entitled douchbaggery

[@ckm-mkc]

There is quite a lot of supporting evidence for this, look for my comment upthread. There is a rail line from San Antonio Oeste to Bariloche and many now declassified reports mention submarines have been seen by locals.

[@RoseSharon7777]

I believe you.

[@larrybxl5406]

@@rhysstanley7387 :-))

[@guillermomaclachlan1072]

i live about 5 miles from the port were the subs docked, theres a small submarine museum located at the port were there are uniforms and other items like documents etc from the crew and subs.

[@dannyflies7197]

Mark, I'm giddy with glee every time you come up with a new video! I love the subject matter too.Thank you!!!

[@HoH]

Hi Mark, I am thoroughly enjoying these videos! Thanks for the frequent uploads!

[@brianrobson5208]

Amazing and fascinating story. These man were clearly very loyal even after Germany surrendered. The mission was clearly sold to them as being of great importance. Thank you Mark for covering this.👍

[@geraldhannibal7654]

Thank you Mark for such interesting and informative films. I'm unable to support you financially but really hope you are able to continue your project. Bless you and yours: with respect G

[@earlcousins6635]

Outstanding work Mark! Thanks as ALWAYS for taking the time to do them and posting them.

[@johnbecay6887]

thank you for posting.... your non sensational reporting is greatly appreciated.

[@jamesclukey7488]

In a word, "ODESSA". Whole families were transported out of Europe at the end of the war. The U.S. military caught wind of a German installation in Antarctica and sent ships and personnel to check it out (Operation Highjump), under Admiral Byrd, and got their asses kicked by an unknown force in New Schwabia. Byrd and Secretary Forrestal never disclosed what they found, but years later Forrestal mysteriously fell to his death while under medical treatment for a mental breakdown. Rumors have it that he was running down the halls yelling about flying saucers.

[@rangefinder3538]

Great work Mark. Well done.

[@volksdeutschewaffenss9670]

you've done it again komrade excellent work thankyou

[@Ash007YT]

I must say thank you for the work you are doing- It is truly amazing. Mark thank you!

[@eisenhertz]

thanks again,for the great douku.keep the good work going!

[@bfdwarf]

As always, Mark, Good job!

[@daqt6079]

I thoroughly enjoyed every minute of this video!

[@brendenwymer3976]

Have you ever heard of the story in which, during the battle of the bulge, an area changed hands so many times that the German and American medics stayed behind when their main force had been pushed back to help the wounded?

[@jonnibegood1]

I've heard that too, I'd love to know more about that.

[@jamesbarca7229]

@@jonnibegood1 So would I. That reminds me of a similar story from D-Day, though...kzbin.info/www/bejne/i32YgGWcha2IjMU

[@austingode]

It happened in North Africa as well .... not on purpose but mainly because of the speed of advance

[@rickmaggie1]

Bull Sh_T, never happened.

[@xeroxxerox-iw4wh]

Yes, in Hürtgenwald. There is a statue to commemorate the German Wehrmacht Doctor. Unfortuanattly and very sad, the political correct lobby (Green, left wing, liberals etc) in Germany ordered the destruction of the Bunkers some years ago. I visited them before the destruction. If you ever go there you can still see a lot of bunkers etc. A very good book on this, if you can read German: Trees - Hölle im Hürtgenwald. There is in the area also a small but very interesting museum on this battle in Germany. This is the German Wehrmachts Officer/Doctor: kzbin.info/www/bejne/hIncn2qYaLqhja8

[@tedbaxter5234]

Well, hugely intriguing - lots of fun to speculate. Thank you so much!

[@zuutlmna]

Probably just moved some higher rank officials to pre-established South American locations so those officials wouldn't have to deal with Allied interrogations, internment etc. And could be that some u-boats didn't know whether Donitz was going to continue the war or not..

[@frankh2811]

Once again an informative and intriguing video, thank you Mr Felton

[@MarkFeltonProductions]

A pleasure sir

[@digitalsmoke4694]

If the german high command built a base in antartica underneath the ice during and completed before the end of the war, their decision to go to Antarctica must have been made quickly. This can explain why he was ordered to fill the uboat sub 977 with such vast amount of food to feed the many bodies who made it successfully to this base.

[@carlosacabrera294]

Like I said in U-530, German sailors were welcomed friends here in Argentina. Several sailors were invited to join the Argentine Navy.

[@ilmarvaim317]

I was under the impression that Argentina allied itself with the Allies in ww2?

[@Neukhal]

@@ilmarvaim317 It did. Argentina supported the axis only during Peron's government.

[@jimjones7821]

@@Neukhal A mistake on Argentina's part

[@fastair8546]

you're proud that your country sheltered Nazis and welcomed them with open arms? Weirdo

[@stephensmith4480]

@@jimjones7821 Like the mistake they made in 1982

[@CBKenyon]

Would appreciate your continued attention to the waning days. Die Spinne, Rat Lines, Vatican, Spain, Argentina. All are fertile and seem to me to be underreported. How in the heck you can crank these out daily beats me. Very high quality, and so polite at the end! Love your videos!!

[@MarkFeltonProductions]

You should probably read my book The Last Nazis - it covers all this in some detail: www.amazon.com/Last-Nazis-Hunt-Hitlers-Henchmen/dp/1848842864/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1544631725&sr=8-1&keywords=the+last+nazis+felton

[@ckm-mkc]

You should look up the series 'Hunting Hitler'. It's pretty sensationalist, but contains a LOT of interesting (and factual) information despite that.

[@remi1au]

another amazing and informative video .. keep it up Mark.

[@waffins7057]

My dad had a friend that his grandfather's attic had a some ww2 stuff, it was binoculars, German flag and a chest full of miscellaneous stuff. This was in mendoza. My father also recalled a story about a European man who every day would stand near the coast of comordoro rivadavia with binos, scanning the ocean for something.

[@ckm-mkc]

Interesting - it's possible as there were reports further up the coast that have since been de-classified.

[@WillHayes44]

Perhaps he just likes looking at the ocean, while others love to watch trains. Don't see everywhere signs for a conspiracy, you end up claiming earth is flat.

[@stranraerwal]

Waffins: well, good for your dad !

[@mynameis9057]

Could be the blood flag. ▪☆☆☆▪

[@paulbucknall1064]

Excellent video Mark!

[@SIBERIANDEATH]

My grandfather who work in the meat works at the "Swift Frigorifico" in Berisso City, told my father He once have to load a UBoat at the factory docks.

[@ericmcquiston9473]

Amazing story and another excellent video ! I can just imagine what happened in Argentina.

[@vandelayofficial492]

While very mysterious, I cant help but appreciate they extra layers you added.

[@goodguy4life889]

51..... incredible...good job Mark !

[@MrWattu]

I am so glad i found this channel. Your mini-documentaries are awesome!

[@MarkFeltonProductions]

Thanks

[@1funkyangel]

A great video,.. very detailed with amazing footage as well !!

[@richhh9000]

Great work on the video as always! Your passion for history makes these incredible to watch..

[@MarkFeltonProductions]

Thanks - I just love history!

[@rubensandri740]

Excellent and Epic, thanks Mark.

[@adamcoleman4001]

Thanks, I find these types of vids very interesting!

[@antonioperez2623]

Your video topics are fascinating. Please continue your great work. Thanks.

[@adrainmai1536]

Excellent videos, Thanks!

[@stalag14]

Very interesting video. Thanks for posting it.

[@RemoteViewr1]

Hitler's taxi service. Mission accomplished.

[@jrherita]

Yay1 After your U-530 video I was waiting for this one! :)

[@tylorchaffey9990]

Commenting to help with interaction. Thanks for all you do.

[@asheland_numismatics]

Interesting video as always!

[@memelord482]

Wow not even joking I thought this was an actual history channel documentary reuploaded. Keep up the good work my man.

[@michaelchesny656]

Thank you. Well presented.

[@MarkFeltonProductions]

Thanks

[@jesperarvidsson4281]

I find parts of this story hard to believe. You mention that U-977 leaves Bergen on May 10 and then heads to Frederikshavn in Denmark where she takes on large amounts of stores. Denmark was officially liberated (German surrender) on May 5 so I really think it sounds very unlikely that a German submarine would be allowed to enter the port of Frederikshavn, take on supplies and stores and then leave, a week after the Danish liberation. Surely the port of Frederikshavn including any German navy assets would be under Danish/Allied control by then `??

[@kingjamesviscotland241]

Great work again.

[@MyLateralThawts]

I can’t help but wonder if any of the completed, but uncommissioned Type XXI U-Boots could have been “appropriated” prior to their assembly point being overrun and sent off for a very specific final mission at the end of the war.

[@akribischerbeobachter7756]

They went to Neuschwabenland ;)

[@999chewbaka]

This sounds more likely with 38 days unaccounted for.

[@joachimmeier7318]

Schon mal gefragt warum die Graf Spee im Vorfeld des Krieges genau in diesen Gewässern operiert hat? Es waren argentinische (& Chilenische) Frachter die von Deutschland aus gesponsert wurden, welche die großen Maschinenteile ab 1939 bis nach Argentinien und von dort mit Versorgungs U-Booten (Milchkühe) durch die Unterwasserpassagen in die Antarktis transportierten. Es gab mehr Milchkühe als offiziell angegeben, die ersten Transport U-Boote wurden im 1. Weltkrieg gebaut. Das Höhlensystem in der Arktis wurden den deutschen Geheimgesellschaften schon vor dem ersten Weltkrieg gezeigt und man kooperierte schon damals mit seinen zukünftigen "Gastgebern/Alienoverlords". Daher auch der Falklandkrieg, die Engländer hatten jahrzehntelang nicht mitbekommen dass unterirdische Einrichtungen direkt vor ihrer Nase waren. Referenz hierzu: South Sandwich Islands / Insel Southern Thule

[@allybally0021]

Sehr kalt mein Herr!

[@Republic3D]

Correct

[@folkestender2025]

@@Republic3D Exactly, and Adolf Hitler shaved his beard and opened with Eva a boutique in Buenos Aires. And if they have not died, they still live today.... really

[@collomps]

They sent a few subs to Argentina, fully loaded with gold and VIP refugees, so the "provisions" sub was necesary during the long trip.

[@pawelkumorkiewicz]

Mark I really appreciate your work. Movies are great!! Keep up good work. Thank you@@

[@powellpker]

Some deals were made after the war, you aquire alot of wealth after you invade that many countries, the weight of the guns/torpedos were replaced with gold id imagine.

[@marks6663]

no way they had food in those cans. Most likely gold and other valuables disguised as food.

[@halo51997]

We need a vid on all the “suspect” missing u-boats mark

[@ericbrennemann7474]

The wreck of u235 has been found at 58° 09' N, 10° 48' O

[@sirbrick7105]

Love your work.

[@christopherthrawn1333]

Great work Sir

[@cornelbacauanu1544]

Fascinating story . Thank you .

[@mattperrin8372]

The Nazi's with at least half a brain would have wanted out of Germany a while before the Allies were at Germany's borders. Most of them were corrupt too, so I can imagine it would be possible to buy safe passage out of the European Theatre with the right connections. These U Boats were most likely running a ferry service for some time to Argentina. Another really good video !

[@xriz00]

Yea thats what I was thinking. Everybody keeps saying "Hittler" but quite a few other high ranking Nazi ended up in Argentina after the war and they would want to buy the silence of Argentinian authorities. That and nobody wants a bunch of freeloading "refugees".

[@mattperrin8372]

@Get Some! They were definitely not idiots but the point I'm making is that a vast amount would see the war out in a blaze of glory for Hitler, but those who saw past his doctrine would have wanted out and save their skins.

[@nirfz]

I would think of them carrying people too, but the thing i don't understand is why the highest ranks weren't among them. They surely were the kind of people not wanting to be held responsible for their doings.

[@thatsjustprime8096]

@Get Some! lol your funny.

[@davemorgan6013]

Did Dr. Mengele get to South America this way?

[@Castlebridge-00]

Intriguing ! you can say that again. Your Videos are compelling. Barry.Devon.

[@erichpro2159]

In July of the year 1945 in Argentina a woman who lives near the coast of southern Argentina when leaving her house to lay out clothes a submarine, for 15 minutes about 1500 meters away and about 100 meters from the beach, many they say that Germans were in that sector every year many Divers and group of people try to find the remains of that submarine or something like that

[@erichpro2159]

spotted a submarine *

[@erichpro2159]

The son of that lady who no longer exists, every year tries to find remains of that submarine

[@jasondaniel918]

Another excellent video, Mark. Thank you. As a 10-year old, I read the book "U977." I remember this story. The information you present here is all new to me, and reinforces the many stories I have heard over the years about Germans who escaped to South America. I should think it pretty obvious the U977 had a mission. Keep at your research. I hope you might find more information regarding this mission. The Captain of the U-boat lived in Argentina, but died at the age of 57. I wonder. Was his death a natural one?

[@hansvonmannschaft9062]

Well, let's put it simple, the lots of nazis in Argentina weren't precisely shipped there via Fed-Ex.

[@ralphraffles1394]

In 1977 I was a young British backpacker having a tea in Ascuncion, Paraguay’s swankiest hotel.(well you gotta live a little). I was amazed to realise that so many older guys, in white linen suits were all speaking German. The atmosphere was surreal, and I did not feel at all comfortable and left shortly. Especially as earlier one of these guys had offered me $1000 for my passport. An eerie experience.

[@uttaradit2]

ass port more like

[@MrWarwick15]

An amazing story Mark. Thank you. Rich.

[@Adelezie]

Maybe this links in to “europa: the last battle”? Love your video’s Mark!

[@loaf4008]

Correction: This channel is awesome, it's like Christmas everyday!

[@yahulwagoni4571]

"Why can't every day be Christmas? Why can't every day be gay?" "Why can't every day be merry Christmas, each and every day?"

[@Trek001]

Once again, another great video - I honestly wish you'd been my history teacher back in school - my history teacher in high school was just a "read the bloody book and don't ask questions" type of man! I'd love to see you do a video on the Ball Bearing Run

[@AstroTrain100]

Dropping off supplies to their Antarctica base.

[@peterstubbs5121]

@aerodog2 Another knob fantasy believer.

[@floro7687]

The movement of U977 on the coast of Norway is well known, the men were picked up on the 10th. The same day the crew of U320 came ashore quite near.

[@charleskettering2626]

Thanks for another great video. There seems to be a lot of unanswered /unanswerable questions of what happen between Germany and Argentina.

[@MarkFeltonProductions]

You are not wrong. In my book The Last Nazis I dealt with the rat lines and Vatican involvement in getting Nazis to South American. Peron's Argentina took thousands and thousands, and interestingly was the only South American nation to develop its own indigenous jet aircraft programme (I think I can guess where the technical know-how came from!).

[@mauriciosamsing1513]

En Octubre de 1945 vi 2 submarinos alemanes en dirección sur en Atlántico Sur, frente a Prov. de Santa Cruz-Argentina, desd el buque ARAUCO de la Cia Interoceánica de Chile.- Inolvidable a mis 7 años de edad en ese entonces. Irrefutable recuerdo!

[@Fran-fv6pf]

Has Mark's channel gained a thousand subscribers in the last week? Is there any way to tell that? Thanks for the uploads.... My happy place!

[@jonnibegood1]

The plot thickens! Thanks Mark. 👍🏼😁

[@Paradoxian-Windows-11-10]

Hello, I am from Argentina, also lived in Mar del Plata many yeards, when I was at high school at mar del plata our history teacher was a guy that loves to talk and talk, he also told us many fantastic stories, at that time we thought that he was a bit cracy because one of the stories was that submarines from Germany arrived at the cost near Mar del Plata and unloaded people and material. Now he is dead but the fact is that all south america is plagued with ex Nazis, and yes specially argentina with Peron offered a safe heaven in esxchange fro bribes, but Peron also simpatized a lot with Mussolini. Years later many of them where caught but also some of them cooperated with CIA in the fight against communist, when the URSS turned out ot be a much bigger problem graving one latin country after another with revolutions, in particular "the Lion's butcher" Barby was at Bolivia and was a close ally of US and UK.... before you say that i am crzy too: n 1947, Barbie was recruited as an agent for the 66th Detachment of the U.S. Army Counterintelligence Corps (CIC).[13] The U.S. used Barbie and other Nazi Party members to further anti-communist efforts in Europe. Specifically, they were interested in British interrogation techniques which Barbie had experienced firsthand, and the identities of SS officers the British were using for their own ends. Later, the CIC housed him in a hotel in Memmingen, and he reported on French intelligence activities in the French zone of occupied Germany because they suspected that the French had been infiltrated by the KGB and GRU.[14] en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Klaus_Barbie

[@MrPh30]

I live a few miles from Marvika, where the sub area was in Kristiansand,it could have been other areas also, as the Navy and Security services had a few big islands locked off that was capable of sending out subs undiscovered. U634 that was sunk at Fedje also left from here.

[@FoxATX]

very good videos well done!

[@garvinhooper]

would be interesting to know where they got enough fuel to make that entire trip

[@arska77]

Loyale mens to the end. And thanks again.

[@akivarubinstein9648]

Outstanding performance. A true scholar.

[@danhulson8703]

they were clearly carring Party officals and VIP's from germany,south America was welcoming to Fascist from Italy and Germany,others ran to Franco's Spain

[@deepdiggerquentin1413]

Great video, 😁😁. Can you make a video about the U-255?

[@maxhawkblues1723]

Your submarine videos are gripping!