The German submariners aboard the U-505 nearly scuttled the sub when they removed this sea strainer cover. A sea strainer is a device that filters out debris from seawater that is pulled into a vessel to cool its engines. This U-505 sea strainer was in the aft half of the sub near the diesel engines. In an attempt to intentionally sink the U-505 during battle, the cover of the sea strainer was removed by the Germans allowing water to flow freely into the sub.

Motor machinist mate Zenon B. Lukosius along with seven other crew members of the USS Pillsbury were the first to board the sinking sub. As he ran to the engine room, he noticed water pouring in though the strainer. Luckily the water was not so deep, and he was able to find the cover quickly, but knew that he may have been putting his life and the lives of the others on board the U-505 at risk by moving it. The Germans may have placed concealed explosives under the cover which would detonate if the cover was lifted. Not feeling any wires around it, Lukosius took a gamble and lifted the cover, placed it on the strainer, and screwed it down thereby stopping the flow of water into the sub. If it had been even a few minutes later, then by Captain Gallery’s estimate, the strainer would have let in too much seawater and the sub would gone down, taking the entire boarding party with it. For his valorous actions in keeping the boat afloat so that the sub could be captured, Lukosius was awarded the Silver Star Medal.