New York, NY - Urban Archive

South of Union Square

Story

Central Park's Submarine (or U-Buy-A-Bond)

On October 25th, 1917, New York City celebrated "Liberty Day," a massive attempt to raise funds for the United States entry into World War I. The campaign drew a crowd of thousands to watch a parade of military vehicles fill the streets of Fifth Avenue. Bomber planes flew low over the city, dropping a message in paper pamphlets: "A Liberty Bond in your home will keep German Bombs out of your home." But the real sight to see was the German captured submarine, renamed "U-Buy-A-Bond" in honor of the occasion.

By

New-York Historical Society

1

Sheep Meadow

Sheep Meadow

The UC-5, a German minelayer submarine (a.k.a. U-Boat) had a short but impressive career. She sank 29 ships over her 29 patrols and was the first to enter the English Channel. She carried no torpedos, only mines.

2

Sheep Meadow

Sheep Meadow

On April 27th, 1916 the UC-5 was scuttled by the Royal Navy. The submarine was taken in as a war prize and cut into three sections.

3

Sheep Meadow

Sheep Meadow

Each mammoth segment of the beached U-boat was pulled by horses from the 131st Street Pier to 125th Street. Proceeding down Central Park West from 110th Street, it was met with excited crowds, finally entering Central Park via 66th Street.

4

Sheep Meadow

Sheep Meadow

The U-boat, rechristened "U-Buy-A-Bond", was reassembled in Sheep Meadow. To see the inside of the ship, curious New Yorkers had to show proof they had purchased Liberty Bonds.

5

Sheep Meadow

Sheep Meadow

By the end of World War I, a staggering seventeen billion dollars of Liberty Bonds had been purchased by over 20 million Americans.

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