Q&A · 1:57:42-2:00:06

The Canadian U-boat boarding anecdote

A Canadian boarding party reportedly responded so quickly to a U-boat opportunity that its members had not finished dressing.

Question

Which country captured a U-boat with a boarding party that was wearing almost nothing?

Short answer

The anecdote identifies Canada: three sailors reportedly left the showers, armed themselves, and boarded immediately.

Notes

The anecdote describes three Canadians leaving the showers, taking pistols, and boarding a German submarine before getting dressed. Their appearance supposedly added to the German crew's confusion as the armed men came through the hatch. A later correction specifies that the boarders were wearing pistol belts and their hats. The submarine is not named, so the story remains an anecdote rather than an identified reconstruction of a capture.