This is a true story.
You wouldn't think many supernatural things can happen during a war, would you? Well, think again. There are many notable examples of creepy happenings, but none as interesting and as unsettling as the story of the German U-Boat, UB-65.
This story begins in early 1916, during World War I. At the time, German engineers proposed a new weapon that could help turn the tide of the war, as they were doing incredibly bad. The new plan was to create a boat that could submerge and be almost impossible to get hit while underwater. This plan was put into action, and pretty soon, many submarines, known as U-Boats, began to harass British ships and patrol the German seas. Improvement called, however, and soon, another 24 U-Boats were made. They were faster, more durable, and lasted longer than their predecessors. However, space and safety was limited. U-Boats proved hazardous in battle because of the number of explosives (not necessarily weapons) on board, and small mishaps could lead to imminent disaster.
During the construction of the 65th U-Boat, UB-65, two workers were standing talking, when a steel hull being lowered jerked away and fell on top of them. One man was killed immediately, while one, pinned by the legs, lay screaming in horrific agony while his peers tried desperately to get the hull off of him. He later died in the hospital. Of course, the incident was brushed off as an accident, and work continued. Weeks after the submarine was finished, three workers that went in to the engine room to add a few adjustments were heard coughing and crying for help. A nearby worker trying to rescue them found out the door was jammed, and by the time the door was opened, the three men were found dead, killed by poisonous fumes from the engine. No one knew why or how the fumes escaped. However, there was no investigation, since the U-Boats were needed desperately, and it was rushed to service.
On a nice, calm day in service, UB-65 experienced another fatality. Apparently, the captain of the boat asked a cadet up to close the deck-gun doors. However, according to the bridge watch, the cadet just hopped off the submarine, like he was committing suicide. After a search, no body was found. The crew morale sunk considerably. Going for the submarine's first dive, the captain ordered the sub to stop descending. However, the boat seemed to malfunction and it just kept going down until it hit the bottom. There was a leak in the tanks. Hours passed, and poisonous fumes once again attempted to overpower the crew. Twelve hours passed before the boat unexplainably rose back to the surface. The crew came out staggering and wondering how they all survived. Twelve hours was the absolute maximum amount of time to be submerged. Minutes more submerged and the crew could've entirely perished.
But wait, this was just the start.
The submarine was given an overhaul and was repaired. It made it all the way to Brudges. There, it restocked on supplies and ammo. However, right as the last loads were loaded, the boat's torpedo exploded. After the confusion, five men were found dead. One of the men dead was the second officer, known as der Schwarze, or "the black", because of his darker complexion. No one knew what made the torpedo explode. By this time, the crew thought of a jinx or a curse had caused all of this. A new crew was made due to short numbers, and during a roll call, an officer and a cadet claimed to have seen der Schwarze standing menacingly in the back. Almost like a shadow.
For months, the submarine was doing pretty well in combat. However, an ever-present enemy remained in the decks of UB-65; fear. The amount of deaths caused by the boat crippled the crew's morale. More people began seeing the dead second officer on the ship.
After leaving a Belgian port on New-Years of 1918, the crew's next assignment was to patrol the Channel off Portland, harassing enemy ships. On January 21st, as the boat resurfaced to recharge batteries, the current second officer saw der Schwarze on the deck. The captain also saw him, but he blinked, and the apparition disappeared. He ordered the men to keep it secret, as it may lower morale even more.
After a few weeks, the captain was walking along a casino when an air raid started. The captain started back to the U-Boat when a shell fragment flew at him and decapitated him. Finally, the jinx was taken seriously. A new captain was hired and an investigation started, but got nowhere. The crew's morale was lower than ever.
A torpedo gunner went insane on board in May and had to be sedated. After seemingly recovering, he went up to the deck and jumped off, committing suicide. The chief engineer of the crew slipped and broke his leg. The gunman of the submarine was swept off By a huge wave and drowned. At this point, everyone was "depressed", according to the captain, who also started to believe in the jinx.
While in the Straits of Dover, the submarine, even though it was shot at for over half an hour, came through unharmed. The Coxswain, or steerman, Lohmann led lookouts to the deck, only to be hit in the neck by a shell splinter that severed his jugular vein.
After UB-65 made it to Zeebrugge, the steerman made it to the hospital with minor injuries, surprisingly.
After two months, UB-65 met its final fate. On July 31st, 1918, German naval HQ reported the submarine missing. Afterwards, an American captain of submarine L-2 reported that UB-65 had exploded right in front of his eyes. No bullets or torpedoes fired, just a plain explosion.
However, the captain also reported seeing a figure on the deck right before the explosion.
A man with a dark complexion.
