Paul M Lawton Esq

The Sinking of the U. S. S. Eagle PE-56, Silent Victim of the U-853 Paul M Lawton Esq

This is the story of the mysterious loss of a small U. S. Navy warship operating in the perceived safety of New England waters in the closing days of World War II. The U. S. S. Eagle PE-56, an aged sub-chaser, exploded and sank off the coast of Portland, Maine in April of 1945 resulting in the Navy determination that she was lost due to an accidental boiler explosion, with the loss forty-nine Officers and enlisted crewmen. Following the end of the war that incident faded into history for 56 years until a chance encounter between family friends started an investigation that changed naval history and made national headlines. Though the loss of the PE-56 was witnessed by military installations on land and several ships at sea, repeated searches for the elusive remains of the ship were unsuccessful. It appeared as though the PE-56 had simply vanished from the bottom of the Atlantic, leading to one of the most enduring mysteries in New England's nautical ad maritime history. After two decades of searching, the wreck was finally discovered, almost 75 years after her loss, though her long lost wreck finally revealed conclusive, forensic evidence that she was, in fact, sunk by the German U-boat U-853. The "Gray Ghost of the Atlantic Coast" had finally spoken from the grave, proving once and for all that her Officers and enlisted crewmen were true war heroes who died in combat.