--- title: "This moving company moved a captured U-boat across Lake Shore Drive" description: "In 1954, the Navy agreed to donate the submarine to the museum. To get it there, an ordinary moving company came to the rescue." date: "2022-05-19" modified: "2022-05-19" authors: - name: "Miguel Ortiz" job_title: "Senior Contributor, Army Veteran" link: "https://www.wearethemighty.com/authors/miguelortiz/" url: "https://www.wearethemighty.com/mighty-history/moving-company-moved-captured-u-boat/" categories: - "History" - "Navy" - "Ships" - "Tactical" - "War History" - "World War II" --- # This moving company moved a captured U-boat across Lake Shore Drive ![A large, historic submarine displayed indoors in a museum setting. The submarine has a gray hull with a wooden deck and various structural details, including a conning tower and ventilation pipes. The surrounding area features exhibit lighting, informational displays, and a polished concrete floor. The space is enclosed by concrete walls with overhead lighting.]() *U-505* is a German Type IXC submarine that was built and served during WWII. On June 4, 1944, she was captured by U.S. Navy Task Group 22.3 in the Atlantic off the coast of the Western Sahara. She was towed to the U.S. Naval Operating Base in Bermuda where she was studied extensively. At the end of the war, *U-505* went on a war bond tour of the east coast. After the war, the Navy had no use for a German submarine and planned to sink her as a practice target. ![]() *U-505 *flying an American flag shortly after she was captured (U.S. Navy)** At the time, Chicago's Museum of Science and Industry was looking for a display submarine and heard about *U-505*. In 1954, the Navy agreed to donate the submarine to the museum. However, there was still the matter of getting the warship to the museum. Chicago residents managed to raise $250,000, just under $2.5 million in 2021 adjusted for inflation, to cover the transportation and installation costs. *U-505* was towed from the Portsmouth Navy Yard to the Great Lakes and made a stop in Detroit in July 1954. The final leg of the 3,000-mile journey, and the most challenging, was still to come. *U-505* had to moved up the beach from Lake Michigan and across Lake Shore Drive to reach the museum just 900 feet away. One of the busiest streets in America, Lake Shore Drive carried Chicago's lifeblood of commerce and traffic. The city agreed to shut the street down for 12 hours from 7PM on September 2nd to 7AM the next day. The company contracted to take on this enormous task was the LaPlant-Adair Company. ![]() *U-505 *sits on the Lake Michigan beach (Public Domain)** Based in Indianapolis, the LaPlant-Adair Company specialized in moving the immovable. From entire homes to a 250,000 gallon Ford plant water tower (still full of water), the company had the moving experience to take on *U-505*. At 7PM sharp on September 2, 1954, Chicago police shut Lake Shore Drive. Simultaneously, *U-505* crept off the Lake Michigan beach. A series of screw jacks, hand-turned by men, lifted the 920-ton U-boat just four feet, level with the street. The LaPlant-Adair Company's president, Kenneth Adair, was there to personally supervise the move. He was joined by 10,000 spectators who came to see the submarine cross the street. ![]() **The captured U-boat attracted quite a lot of attention (Public Domain)** A system of tracks and rollers were continuously built, dismantled, and rebuilt to move *U-505* just a few feet of the 300-foot-wide street at a time. Despite the herculean effort on display, the enormous crowd dwindled as the night dragged on. By the time *U-505* made it safely across Lake Shore Drive just before 4AM, only 500 spectators remained. Still, the LaPlant-Adair Company accomplished their goal with time to spare. Thanks to the LaPlant-Adair Company's efficiency, *U-505* proudly sits on display at the Chicago Museum of Science and Industry today. Although the Navy stripped her interior, the museum has restored her exterior extremely close to original condition. She stands as a testament to the Germans who crewed her, the Americans who captured her, and the movers who helped her cross the road. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DUuQIpVuhCg ## Author Miguel Ortiz is a Senior Contributor for We Are The Mighty covering primarily military news and history with an emphasis on weapons technology. He is a former active duty Army officer and remains a member of the Army IRR. After commissioning through San Diego State University Army ROTC, Miguel served with the 10th Mountain Division at Fort Drum, NY. He has written for We Are The Mighty since 2020, drawing from his passion for the military community and history. Miguel’s work has also been seen on Business Insider and The Blast. He remains an avid shooter, competing in local USPSA matches. Miguel’s other hobbies are traveling and watch collecting. ### Author social links [LinkedIn]()