Freeporters Sharpen their WWII History - Uboats off the Maine coast!

Thanks to Belinda who works at the Freeport library, Freeporters were treated to a fantastic history lesson Wednesday evening, March 26, 2008. Mason Philip Smith, Maine photographer and book author, featured in the photo is an expert about German U-boat activity and German spy activity here in Maine as well as North America. Mason has a bookd coming out called Bold Gamble. Among the approximately 50 people who turned out was a Freeporter who captained Becuna, an American submarine. The Becuna captain began his training aboard her after the war. However, Becuna did prowl the pacific during World War II sinking several Japanese ships. Becuna is now a floating museum based in Philadelphia. To learn more about Becuna history, click the following link. http://www.phillyseaport.org/ships_becuna.shtml If you see a Maine vanity license plate with the word Becuna spelled out, you will know that you are following the captain!

Did you know that two German spies rowed ashore from U-boat 1229 on Hancock Point November 29, 1944? The two German spies were William Colepaugh and a Mr. Gimble who set off to Bangor by walking down the west side highway near Scoodic Point as they headed toward Route 1. A local woman named Mary Fournier was on her way home that evening when she saw two unusually dressed men who were definitely not from here. The Germans were dressed in top coats that were not the kind men wore here in Maine during that time. Mary notified the police shortly thereafter. Meanwhile the two Germans flagged down a taxi and headed for Union Station in Bangor. They took the train from Bangor to Union Station in Portland and then boarded a train to Boston. The Germans stayed at the Hotel Essex near north station, one of them enjoyed the company of at least two American women while in beantown. These guys made it to NYC where shortly thereafter they were picked up by the FBI.

A woman who grew up in Bath during WWII asked Mr. Smith if the rumor about a German spy infiltrating Bath Iron Works was true. He answered that that rumor was true, but fortunately he was quickly apprehended by the FBI. Mr. Smith also confirmed the rumor that a German U-boat sank what I believe was a Coast Guard Ship off the coast of Cape Elizabeth during the war. Our navy had for years held to the position that the American vessel suffered a boiler explosion. Yet just a few years ago an article in the Press Herald confirmed that it was in fact a U Boat that sank the vessel. That same U boat was later sunk by allied forces off the coast of Block Island.