German WWI UB-88 Submarine Bronze Paperweight, Sunk Off Los Angeles Harbor 1921
This item is listed for historical interest only. It was listed on our site previously but has been sold and is no longer available for purchase.
Sold for: $250.00

Original era manufacture. Cast bronze paperweight submarine, made from salvage material from SMS UB-88, prior to her sinking by US Navy gunfire on 3 January 1921, off of Los Angeles harbor. UB-88 was surrendered to the United States in 1918 for study and examination. She saw service in 1919 on the eastern seaboard of the USA during an exhibition cruise, down the coast from New York, then up the Mississippi river, then through the Panama Canal, up the Pacific coast as far as Seattle Washington. She returned to Los Angeles where she was stripped of usable material, towed out to sea and used for target practice by the US Navy. She sits on the seabed off of Los Angeles to this day. During WWI, UB-88 was credited with 14 ships sunk totaling 31076 tons, and an additional two ships of 10135 tons damaged. Included in the ships sunk were two US vessels, SS Berwind and SS Lake Portage, both cargo ships, sunk on the same day August 3rd 1918. In May 1921 a farewell ball was held in Long Beach California at the Hotel Virginia, honoring Captain & Mrs Chauncey Shackford, by the officers and sailors of Submarine Division 6, Submarine Base Los Angeles Harbor. To honor the event, over 4,000 miniature submarines were cast from scrap bronze from UB-88 and presented to the attendees as a momento of the event.