The Official History Publication of the U

Transcription

Major items in this issue:
• ‘What’s a Torpedo Between Friends?’ HAL McCORMICK
• “Scuttlebutt from SANTOS”
• History U-235, U-250, U-251 and USS DRUM
• The INTELLIGENCE PAGE is back – WOW!!
•• PPEETTEER
R’’ss PPeerriissccooppee
• New Feature – “Died or Escaped?” (replaces Spook Stuff!)
• Diving with “Dex” – another great sea story
• Report on Argentina getting interesting - REAL INTERESTING!
• An Italian Submariner’s Memories
TM
“Yesterday’s
Enemies are
Today’s Friends”
The Official History Publication of the U-Bootwaffe
The
SHARKHUNTERS Intl, Inc. President’s
P. O. Box 1539 Hernando FL 34442
Phone (352) 637-2917
FAX (352) 637-6289
Column
[email protected]
Written & Copyrighted by Harry Cooper
Founded – February 1983
KASSLER BANK for European deposits
BLZ 520 900 00
KTNMR 157 0814 03
IBAN: DE68520900000157081403
BIC: GENODE51KS1
Volume 26 June 2008 Number 4
ISSN 1046-7335
Publisher/Editor
Administrative Assistant
Assistant Editor
Document Coordinator
Business Consultant
Legal Consultant
Researcher
Translators
(German)
(Russian)
(Spanish)
(French)
Far Eastern Correspondent
Videographer
Harry Cooper
Kaycee Cooper
Meaghan Cooper
Sean Cooper
‘Jamaica Jay’
Jeffrey Green
Brian Orlando
Walter Kern
Jason Bulkeley
Jason Bulkeley
Martin Fernandez
Kevin Farrell
Yoya Kawamura
Bud Dana
Sharkhunters purpose is submarine history with main emphasis on
the German U-Boats – the collection, preservation and
dissemination of this history without politics, prejudice or
propaganda. The KTB Magazine of Sharkhunters is published
nine times annually. Subscription is by Membership only.
_____________________________________________
Sharkhunters
Advisory Board
EMILIE CALDWELL-STEWART (2480-1992) …. …… 2008
BILL OLSEN (2431-LIFE-1992) ………………………… 2009
Oblt. GÜNTHER HEINRICH (1945-LIFE-1991) ………. 2010
Skipper of U-960 – the last boat through Gibraltar.
WILLIAM NAPIER (2290-C/LIFE-1992) ………………. 2010
MYRON BLAHY (5432-1997) …………………………… 2010
JOHN BUCK (3884-LIFE-1994) …………………………. 2011
Oblt. “Hai” Maßmann (4522-LIFE-`1995) ….. ………….. 2011
TILMAN HESS (5817-LIFE-1999) ………………………. 2011
DAVID MOBLEY (417-LIFE-1987) …………………….. 2012
STEVE SHOCK (2213-A/LIFE-1992) …………………… 2013
MATT HALL (6187-2000) ……………………………….. 2013
HAROLD GAY (286-1987) ………………………………. 2013
VICTOR TURON (28-1984) …………………………….. 2014
RICH delFAVRO (1495-LIFE-1990) ……………………. 2014
CHRIS BANDA (6733-2003) …………………………….. 2014
MARY MYERS (7025-2005) …………………………….. 2015
LOREN CHARLES (3818-2003) ………………………… 2015
PETER STOCKNER (6894-2004) ……………………….. 2015
BILL REED (13-LIFE-1983) ……………………………… 2016
JAMES KENNEDY (1906-LIFE-1991) …………………... 2016
Conning tower emblems by GEORG HÖGEL (240-LIFE-1987)
From Sharkhunters President
HARRY COOPER
(1-LIFE-1983)
Battle of the Falklands
To our friends and Members in Argentina – relax, we do not mean
the battle which you call the battle of the Islas Malvinas. We do
indeed mean the battle of the Falkland Islands which took place in
the early stages of World War One. It was during this battle in
which the cruiser squadron commanded by Admiral Graf von Spee
was all but wiped out in the southern Atlantic. Only the cruiser
DRESDEN (photo top right front page) escaped.
On board DRESDEN was a young Oberleutnant zur See named
Wilhelm Canaris (photo top left front page). After the escape from
Royal Navy, they went through the Straits of Magellan and plotted
dozens of “U-Plätze”; coves and harbors where ships could hide
from prying eyes. These charts were updated in 1938 when the old
line ship SCHLESWIG HOLSTEIN retraced the route.
Canaris went ashore in Chile and on horseback in 1915; he crossed
the Andes into Patagonia where he found a sleepy little town in the
eastern foothills that looked just like Bavaria. Better yet, he was a
guest on a massive ranch owned by the Schaumburg-Lippe family,
one of the princely houses in Germany.
Wilhelm Canaris went on to become an Admiral and in command
of the Abwehr (German Secret Service) in WW II.
Now where do you think this story goes from here in 1915 into the
years leading up to World War II……..and beyond? You’re going
to get a history lesson that you never got in high school.
What of the lower photo on the front page? At the lower left we
can see breaking waves on the shore – but what shore? It is also
evident that a shallow shelf runs out perhaps two kilometers but
look closer – we mentioned this phenomenon on page 35 of KTB
#208 last month. What do you think you are seeing? We will tell
you what is there in subsequent issues. You will be astounded!
_____________________________
Back Issues Available
Now that we are putting our KTB Magazines on
the computer, we can offer back issues of all KTB
#182 up to the current which we can send via
email. Please check Page 38 for full details.
You’re going to read history, FACTUAL history
with proof that you’ll never see anywhere else.
KTB #209
PAGE 2
“What’s a Torpedo Between Friends?”
by HAL McCORMICK (1184-+-1989)
As we often see, history – maybe call it FATE – but something has
brought Sharkhunters Members back together after decades. In
this piece, Commander HAROLD McCORMICK (1184-+-1989)
remembers the time his path crossed with JÜRGEN OESTEN
(1681-LIFE-1990) one stormy night.
_____________________________
EDITOR NOTE – It was U-861 under command of
JÜRGEN OESTEN that sank this ship. SS WILLIAM
GASTON was built in 1942, owned by WSA and
operated by the American West African Line. Under
command of Master Harry W. Chase, she was making
10 knots and drawing just over 27 feet under her
cargo of 9,038 tons of corn. Her armament consisted
of one 5 inch and one 3 inch deck gun and eight .30
caliber machine guns.
McCORMICK was the
Gunnery Officer.
On 19 July, SS WILLIAM GASTON sailed
independently from Buenos Aires bound for Baltimore.
In heavy seas, U-861 fired a torpedo that hit starboard
between #4 and #5 holds. The force of the explosion
blew out the port side, blew off the #5 hatch, torn open
steam lines and there were tons of corn flying all over
the decks. The ship’s company of eight officers,
thirty-three men and twenty-six Armed Guards began
to abandon ship.
About fifteen minutes later, the second torpedo hit
just forward of the stern post rolling the ship over. She
sank stern first in less than three minutes. The crew
was still abandoning ship at that time.
The Number 1 lifeboat was smashed by the heavy
seas but the other three boats and one raft were
successfully launched. A patrol plane later spotted
the wreckage and called in a search. Late in the
evening on 25 July, the seaplane tender USS
MATAGORDA (AVP-22) picked up all the survivors.
There were no casualties.
seaplane on routine anti-submarine patrol. Its seaplane tender,
USS MATAGORDA, reached the scene during the following night,
rescued the entire crew in separate operations and sank the boats
and raft with machine gun fire.
Two days later we were put ashore at Florianopolis, Brazil in the
custody of US Vice-Consul William Preston Rambo of Hamilton,
Ohio. Because housing facilities were limited, the ship’s Master,
Harry Chase of New York City, the other Merchant Officers and
crew were quartered in the town jail, the enlisted men in a nearby
military barracks while I, in a rather embarrassing bit of diplomatic
protocol, was invited to be the Vice-Consul’s house guest.
Later we were transported to Rio on the Brazilian steamer
ITABERA then by Naval Air Transport DC-3 via jungle airstrips
in Northern Brazil, French, British and Dutch Guinea, Trinidad,
Cuba and on to Miami and New York City. The trip required
nearly a week because of frequent overnight stop-overs to handle
passengers, mail and cargo; and because of only limited
navigational facilities in Latin America at that time there was no
night flying. After brief leaves at home, the crews were reassigned,
separately to other ships, for the remaining years of the War.
Nearly 40 years later, after retiring from US Corporate life, I
undertook a personal research project to try to ascertain the
circumstances of WILLIAM GASTON’s sinking. I learned
through researching our adversary had been the German submarine
U-861, under Commander Jürgen Oesten. I later learned that
Oesten had survived the War and had become a successful
businessman in Germany where he operated two companies
engaged in designing and installing complete sir-conditioning
systems for ships in Europe, the Middle East and Far East.
Here in HAL’s own words:
Sunday evening, July 23, 1944 the American Liberty Ship SS
WILLIAM GASTON on which I served as a US Naval Gunnery
Officer was twice torpedoed and sunk during a violent Pampero
storm in the South Atlantic while sailing independently between
Buenos Aires and Rio de Janeiro. Despite mountainous seas, 67
Merchant and Navy crewmen were able to abandon ship in three
lifeboats and one raft, which soon drifted far apart in the story
darkness. I was one of 14 men on the raft.
After a nasty, nauseous night, we discovered at daybreak that we
had no drinking water and only wormy chocolate for food. With
little shipping in the wartime South Atlantic, our prospects for
survival were not very good. Nevertheless, within 24 hours the
lifeboats and the raft were discovered by a US Navy MARINER
HAL McCORMICK (left) and JÜRGEN OESTEN
during a Sharkhunters “Patrol” in Chicago.
This was an excellent example of the Sharkhunters motto:
“Yesterday’s Enemies are Today’s Friends”
They were both sworn in as honorary Chicago police officers,
along with three other U-Boat Skippers.
KTB #209
PAGE 3
Happy Birthday!
Members celebrating a birthday in June 2008 include:
1st
3rd
4th
5th
6th
7th
8th
12th
15th
BURGESS JAMIESON (896-1989) Ordnance, Korea
JOHN RICHARDS (1310-1989)
DON HARDMAN (7113-2006)
ALBERT KNOBLICH (2563-1992)
RICH LUNDIN (6713-2003)
MILO HUNGERFORD (513-LIFE-1988) USN (Ret)
DUANE LUTHE-CHARLES (5821-LIFE-1999)
DAVE BAILLARGEON (831-1993)
GÜNTHER HOLLDORFF (207-1986)
L. I. Trainee aboard U-416
25 Years Ago in our KTB
KTB #4 was the first to be called our KTB Magazine. What does
it mean? In the German language, it is common to run several
words together to make one huge word that tells a story - then
abbreviate the word for ease of communication. So we have
Kriegs (war) Tage (daily) Buch (book) and when you put them all
together, the word is Kriegstagebuch (literal translation = daily war
book) and was shortened to KTB = ship's log. This first ever issue
of our KTB (newsletter at that time) was sent on 25 May 1983 to
even more people. There were no Members per se at that time and
not even any dues. I was Vice President of a company in Chicago
and used the company copy machine and their postage........we
were only talking about a handful of people.
We reported on a fellow named Roger Miklos who had claimed to
have found a specially modified U-Boat sunk in the Turks &
Caicos Islands (lower Bahamas chain) naturally filled with gold,
jewels, art from the Louvre and naturally, escaping high ranking
people from the Third Reich. The story was quickly debunked.
There were two other stories we were looking into - one was about
a U-Boat on the Pacific coast of Ecuador and the other was about a
U-Boat with uranium aboard headed for Japan at the end of the
war. The first was later found to be untrue while the latter
was...................well, you'll see.
We informed the readership about a guy named Heinz Houben
who claimed to have been I.W.O. on several boats then Skipper of
a Type XXI on war patrol in the South Atlantic. All totally
FALSE! The boats he claimed to have served aboard were all lost
with all hands and the U-number he gave for his Type XXI was
actually assigned to a Type XXIII that was never built and there
were no Type XXI boats in the South Atlantic.
KTB #4 was three pages and done on that manual typewriter and
we were still a very small group indeed. Today we are more than
7,300 Members in 76 countries, some of which no longer even
exist. How far we have come!
16th
17th
17th
17th
17th
21st
21st
22nd
22nd
24th
25th
25th
28th
29th
FRANK RACZ (1471-1990)
RADM VLADIMIR GRISHANOV (2533-1992)
RICHARD ARNOLD (3601-C-1994)
JOE FRANCE (6523-2002)
ION SOLTAN (7096-2006)
DETLEV ZIMMERMANN (247-LIFE-1987)
Diving planesman aboard U-315
JOHNNIE JOHNSON (4736-LIFE-1996)
CARL REICHL (1197-LIFE-1989)
RICH FARNHAM (2523-LIFE-1992)
Captain THOMAS MALONE (1415-LIFE-1990)
STEVE GROHE (1312-LIFE-1989)
MSGT DAVID HAGEN (3813-1994)
ARTHUR JACOBSON (2154-A/LIFE-1992)
LARRY DINKIN (6949-2005)
HAPPY BIRTHDAY to you from our more than 7,300 Members
in 76 countries, and we wish you MANY MORE!
Remember – we don’t know your birthday until you tell us. No, it
was NOT on your Membership application – you must tell us.
And no, it not ‘special people’ who are mentioned here – it is any
and all Sharkhunters Members who tell us their birthday.
PAGE 4
Comments on our eKTB
eKTB #208 was sent via email to those Members who chose to
receive theirs immediately – and with color photos. Some remarks:
a Member in Canada:
“Just read part of the eKTB – great articles! Real nice
pictures to go with them. This is the stuff I love to
read and learn about.”
from RAUL COLON (7194-2007):
“One of the best eKTB yet. Great stuff!!!!”
from DON NEAR (7317-2008):
“Well, you sure do have one great eKTB. I had to
stop reading #208 a few minutes ago to tell you this.
It is so damn spellbinding I can’t read it fast enough –
just great detective work. I love the Pete’s Periscope
and all the spook info. I just can’t believe how good
all this stuff is. Ain’t no fiction book as good; better
even than my favourite Clive Cussler! That’s a hell of
a good piece about H-G Hess. He would be happy.
Keep the truth coming.”
KTB #209
By HARRY COOPER (1-LIFE-1983)
This is the beginning of a very long treatment on the part that
Argentina played – knowingly or not – not only in WW II but also
for decades before the war began – and for many years afterward.
This series actually began in KTB #206 when I reported on my
visit to this really country, with rather light tourist type photos but
now we get down to serious history. You will read parts of this
history in this section but also more in regular features such as
PETER’s PERISCOPE, the Intelligence Page, Spook Stuff as well as
other articles that appear for perhaps one issue only. You will
have to gather the facts as they are released in each of these pieces
and piece them together in a logical order…..just like in school
with the exception that this is REAL history, not the simple warm
oatmeal they put in the politically correct books – the real history!
We may even go back over some facts that we’ve given previously
but it all goes to paint the complete picture. We will however,
sometimes use false names to make sure than no living person had
their live uprooted by……well, by anyone.
_____________________________
Baron Ludwig, from our research, was not doing well with the
family fortune in Germany and so, went to Argentina to manage
the ‘Estancia’ for the Schaumburg-Lippe family. He died shortly
after the end of WW I and his grave stands on a rise in a huge field
next to an Argentine pine tree, overlooking his beloved ‘Estancia’.
A logical place to begin would be with the crushing defeat of the
Kaiser’s cruiser squadron under command of Admiral Graf von
Spee in the area of the Falkland Islands in the early stages of the
First World War. The cruiser light DRESDEN (photo on page 1)
was the only ship to survive, and it dashed off into the Magellan
Strait to avoid destruction.
While transiting the Strait, young Oberleutnant zur See Wilhelm
Canaris made intricate studies of the multitude of hidden harbors
and coves all along the way – and there were dozens! These were
known as “U-Plätze” which meant hidden places. They were not
secret bases as some novelists would have one believe. They were
merely hidden harbors and coves with hard to see entrances, tell
trees and deep water. In true German fashion, each one of these
“U-Plätze” was given a number and all the specifics were recorded
such as where the entrance lay; sailing directions into the entrance;
distance to nearest civilization; distance to main steamer routes;
depth of the water, type of holding bottom; direction of prevailing
winds; how many ships of what size could remain hidden in there
and much more information.
Photo above – the Baron’s grave.
Photo below – the view from his grave.
After DRESDEN made her successful passage through the Straits
of Magellan, Canaris disembarked in southern Chile and for
whatever reason, went – by horseback – over the Andes into the
western edge of the district of Patagonia in Argentina. He went to
a huge, which we will merely call ‘Estancia’ for this piece.
Canaris was welcomed at ‘Estancia’ and stayed there for some
time. For decades before and after this visit, ‘Estancia’ was
owned by the German princely house of Schaumburg-Lippe. The
manager of ‘Estancia’ was a German nobleman, Ludwig Graf von
Bülow. That is a familiar name inasmuch as OTTO von BÜLOW
(305-+-1987) was skipper of U-404 and holder of the Knights
Cross. Furthermore, the wife of another U-Boat Skipper was of
the familie von Bülow. It is not a large family.
KTB #209
Canaris went the 20 or so miles to the nearby town, which we will
call ‘Stadt’ for this piece, and found that it was just like Bavaria.
This was a sleepy little town of a few hundred people and hundreds
of miles from the nearest neighboring town. It was an ideal place,
and apparently the seeds of an idea were planted with Canaris in
that tiny town of ‘Stadt’.
PAGE 5
Happy Birthday!
Members celebrating their birthdays in July include:
1st
1st
3rd
3rd
3rd
4th
Captain JAMES GAVIN (1058-1989)
DAVID SHAW (1395-1990)
GÜNTHER BUDDENBAUM (1229-LIFE-1992)
SHEILA BREVOGEL (1676-LIFE-1990)
ROBERT BRANEN (4847-LIFE-1996)
ALFRED RUDOLF (228-1986)
U-Bootfahrer, rode several boats.
4th
PAUL GATZKE (1222-1989)
Cook on Kriegsmarine supply ship.
Cdr. FRANCO deBERARDINIS (6771-2004)
4th
With Decima MAS then USN SEALS
5th
DALE SIMPSON (4036-LIFE-1994)
JESS BONDS (7038-2006)
6th
8th
LAWRENCE NOTHDURFT (5510-A/LIFE-1998)
8th
AUGUST KLUGER (6505-2002)
JAMES HILL (805-1988)
11th
13th
Adm. VALENTIN SELIVANOV (2545-1992)
C.O. Russian Naval Administration (Retired)
18th
Prof. RENEÉ von WÖRDE PhD (887-1988)
20th
BILL REED (13-LIFE-1983)
USN destroyer veteran – Sharkhunters Advisory Board.
21st
JAMES SANTOS (4896-A/LIFE-1998)
22nd
Dr. JACK WOLPER (945-C-2005)
23rd
ZEL EATON (55-LIFE-1984)
Retired Spook – Sharkhunters Advisory Board
23rd
JAN BEGG (310-1987)
24th
MIKE EPSTEIN (5-LIFE-1983)
US Army veteran – 82nd Airborne.
27th
ROLAND IHLE (5511-C-1998)
28th
WILLIAM GROSS (2877-1993)
Radarman aboard USS BROOKLYN in World War II
Argentina’s Place in the War (cont’d)
Oberleutnant zur See Wilhelm Canaris
went up through the ranks to become
Admiral Canaris and was commanding
the Abwehr, the German Secret Service.
In the photo right, we see him at the rank
of Korvettenkapitän.
What Canaris apparently saw in this little
town of ‘Stadt’ was a reflection of the
German state of Bavaria. There were the
mountain like the Alps, the Alpine type
lakes, it was near to a German owned
ranch (the ‘Estancia’) and best of all, it
was hundreds of miles from the nearest
large city – a very long way from even another town. We believe
that the seeds were already planted with Canaris for a German
town here is a remote area, far away from anyone’s eyes.
These photographs are NOT Bavaria but rather they are a little
town that we call ‘Stadt’ far away in Argentina. There are the
mountains across the Alpine type lake, and the buildings in town
are just as you would find in Bavaria. But they are not Bavaria and
not old photos. These photos were taken in January 2008
Membership PRIDE!
From RICK FOGEL (7281-2007) when he returned to receiving
the Sharkhunters daily HOT MAIL:
“Here is my email to get back on the HOT MAIL.
Proud to be a Member of Sharkhunters – wish I
could have joined years ago.
I really enjoy
reading about the heroes of the Vaterland and I
respect them as any other veteran! Once again;
proud to finally be a Member!”
Glad to have you wish us now and for a long time RICK.
PAGE 6
Remember – we said that you would have to pull things together
from various articles and features that are running in the KTB for
many months to make a clear – well, fairly clear – idea of what
went on in Argentina and more important – WHY. There will be
much more on this as we go forward. (Cont’d on page 10)
KTB #209
by MIKE KOSS
U-967 was commissioned 11 March 11
1943 and originally commanded by ObLt
Loeder; later to FK (then KL) Albrecht
Brandi, a Knight’s Cross winner. At the
end of the boat’s career ObLt Eberhard
(July, 1944) took command.
May, 1944
“We hope our
schnorkel
course will be
deducted from
our leave time;
it will bring us
luck
in
the
Mediterranean.”
Waldmar Jahn
Oblt (ING) and LI
U-967 ran a patrol in the North Atlantic
under Loeder and lost a man overboard.
Brandi took command in the Med to sink
the USS FLECHTELER, a destroyer
during May 1944.
U-565
U-565 was commissioned April 10th, 1941 under the command
of ObLt Jebsen, later by Knight’s Cross winner KL Wilhelm
Franken and completed its career under KL Fritz Henning.
U-565 ran 18 war patrols. After running two patrols in the
North Atlantic under Jebsen, U-565 broke through Gibraltar in
November, 1942 and operated in the Med for the rest of her
career. Some of the Mediterranean patrols were off Oran and
Algerian coasts December 1942 and an anti invasion mission
near Salerno in September 1943. In November, U-565 faced
British forces off the islands of Leros and Coos.
U-565 sank the British light cruiser NAIAD in May 1942, a
British destroyer PARTRIDGE, and in November 1943, two
unidentified British submarines.
EDITOR NOTE – On 15 November 1943, U-565
fired at a submarine and heard a detonation of her
first torpedo at 3 minutes 42 seconds and it is
probable that this accounted for the loss of HMS
SIMOON which went missing at this time. They
heard what was probably end of run detonation of
13 minutes for the second torpedo. The second
attack on a British submarine came on 20
November 1943 and there is no confirmation.
U-565 was docked in Salamis Harbor during the time when the
engineer and other members of the crew visited and trained
aboard U-235 during May. The luck Waldmar Jahn wished was
not to be, for his boat U-565 was bombed by Allied forces and
damaged so severely that it was decommissioned and scuttled in
Salamis harbor. Five men were lost during the bombing.
th
June 11 , 1944
“With the help of U-235, we have become
enthusiastic Schnorkelers! Our thanks for the
friendly reception! With the schnorkel we will
intensify battle with the enemy again!
….Also in the Mediterranean.”
Johan Oswald Prior
KTB #209
Lt (ING) and LI U-967
(Brandi)
U-967 remained in Toulon Harbor while Prior took training
aboard U-235 in the Baltic Sea. Later in the summer, Allied
forces bombed Toulon and damaged U-967 so badly that it was
decommissioned. The emblem needs no explanation.
June 20th, 1944
“One can only say:
Fine, ei, ei!
High lives the schnorkeling!
Hearty thanks for the schnorkel training, all the best
and great success for U-235, wishes the schnorkel
delegation of the sister boat U-230;
(Two – Three – Hole).”
Helmut Friedrich
ObLt (ING) and LI
Walter Rau
Ober Masch Maat
Hanno Brumotte
Maat
U-230
U-230 was commissioned 24 October 1942 and originally
commanded by KL Seigmann. U-230 operated in the North
Atlantic and one mission of mine laying in Chesapeake Bay.
On 5 December 1943, U-230 broke through Gibraltar and
operated in the Mediterranean sinking several landing craft, and
a sub chaser PC-558 at Anzio.
ObLt z.S. Erbach took command on 17 August. Four days later
the boat was scuttled in Toulon Harbor after severe damage
from an air attack. U-230 carried the emblem of the 9th flotilla
in Brest. A detailed story of U-230 can be found in Herbert
Werner’s “Iron Coffins”.
This well researched piece on the history of U-235 will
continue next page and the new feature regarding
Argentina’s place in World War II (and beyond) will
continue further on in this issue.
PAGE 7
Happy Birthday!
Members celebrating their birthdays in August include:
2nd
2nd
4th
5th
7th
8th
9th
11th
15th
17th
19th
23rd
26th
27th
28th
28th
29th
29th
DARCY BIRKHOLZ (864-1988)
GARY ZIMMERMANN (2595-LIFE-1992)
He rode USS ATULE (SS 403)
MARTIN FERNANDEZ (6522-2002)
Currently serving, US Army in Korea
TOM FYDRYK (5289-LIFE-1997)
PAUL DeBacco (7321-2008)
JOHN DRAGO (6798-2004) USN SeaBee
Captain ALFRED McLAREN PhD (5835-1999)
Skipper USS QUEENFISH (SSN 651),
President Emeritus Explorer’s Club
BILL DUNN (1019-1989)
DOUG COOK (6013-2000)
CHRIS WILLS (1935-A/LIFE-1991) USCG (Ret)
CHARLES SWEENEY (7121-2006) USN SeaBee
G. FRANK REYNOLDS (4935-1996)
CHRIS HARRIS (6422-2001)
JAMES KENNEDY (6284-2001)
Radarman in WW II aboard LCI-425
YOYA KAWAMURA (1739-LIFE-1991)
Sharkhunters Far Eastern Representative
TILMAN HESS (5817-LIFE-1999)
Attorney, son of H-G HESS (125-+-1985)
HAROLD ‘Butch’ GAY (286-1987) Chopper pilot and
nephew of Ens. GEORGE GAY (3300-+-1993)
Admiral FELIX GROMOV (2542-1992)
Chief of Russian Navy (Retired)
Membership PRIDE!
JANE RITTER (7334-2008) is a new Member, and she wanted to
get some beautiful, rare hand signed prints and to help the U-BootEhrenmal too, so she ordered two. Here is what she emailed:
“The beautiful prints arrived today!! Many thanks for
sending them so quickly and I appreciate receiving the
free print. I wish I had discovered Sharkhunters a
long time ago. I wonder how many great monthly
issues I have missed. The latest one has been read
completely and I’m anxiously waiting for the next one.
Thanks for your finding the former U-Boat crews
and giving them the credit they so earnestly deserve.”
Information on how your purchase of any of our hand-signed prints
with the signature of HANS-GEORG HESS (125-+-1985) on it is
on page 41 of KTB #208 last month. We will send 25% of the
purchase price from now until 31 July to the German U-Boat
Memorial in the name of HANS-GEORG HESS.
PAGE 8
The Story of U-235 (continued)
June 20th, 1944
“U-235 the past master of the high art of schnorkeling
already has a glorious background and by her
constant activity and security rendered new
possibilities and impetus to the submariners. Future
results may be on the credit of U-235. Long live the
‘old sister’ U-235!”
Dipl ING Rubnitz
KL (ING) in Agru-Front training
“Commanding officer is permitted to
schnorkel experiences at the Agru-Nord”
pass
on
(One wonders how many successful schnorkel attacks were a result
of skills gained from the crew of U-235)
June 29th, 1944
“The OKM Ost (Naval High Command East) was
arguing about the loading time of the schnorkels.
They did not leave the matter open as they delegated
two representatives. With love they schnorkeled a
loading time which may be considered timeless.”
P.H. Mohdieck
Marine Ober ING.
Dipl (ING) Hundt .
Schnorkel “loading time” was not defined at this writing.
No date
“Whether the LI is iron
hard or soft, both steering
deep – Bad.”
Rachner
ObLt (ING)
Wolka
Lt (ING)
Gagenmüller
Lt (ING
Rachner served aboard U-410 which operated from February 1942
to its end in Toulon Harbor March 1944. It is assumed Rachner
was with the Toulon based group which visited U-235 during the
summer of 1944. Unlike Hela, Toulon was not an oasis of peace
during 1944.
The reference of the “LI” being hard or soft; U-235 was fitted with
Anskonia’s “Iron LI” once in the eastern training front at Hela.
This refers to a rudder device. LI is also the chief engineer, so
there’s a pun.
Apparently, at certain depths the rudder
improvements were not evident to Rachner.
____________________________
Follow this well researched piece as it continues on the next page.
KTB #209
July, 1944
“I came, I saw, I schnorkeled!”
Kronenberg
ObLt (ING)
Trainer II U.L.D.
Kronenberg’s last assignment was on
U-555 which served as a training
boat for its entire 52 month career.
U-555 was commissioned January, 1941 and was sunk in
“Operation Deadlight” in 1945.
The U.L.D. (U-boot-Lehrdivision) was a training group located in
Gotenhafen. Graduates from the two U.L.D. groups went to U-235
and others for advanced training in Hela in the Baltic Sea (northern
area of Poland).
July, 1944
“It is a great pleasure to meet officers of the old and
proven 6th Flotilla again! To the commander and crew of
the first schnorkel
boat, always a happy
voyage. Break your
mast and sail!”
U-445 was commissioned 30 May 1942 and commanded by ObLt
z.S. Fenn, then ObLt z.S. Graf v. Treuberg after 11 January 1944.
U-445’s early career involved operations in the North and Central
Atlantic, later off Gibraltar, Freetown and the Gulf of Guinea. As
with a number of submarines during the spring and summer of
1943, U-445 suffered an outbreak of diphtheria. (KL Klaus Becker,
former C.O. of U-235 also suffered the same on his U-360).
Karl-Heinz Peter transferred from U-445 to become an instructor
at Hela. U-445 went on to an anti invasion patrol and was lost
with all hands by depth charges from the British frigate LOUIS.
U-445 carried the emblem of Rendsburg on the tower and the
insignia of a buffalo on their hats, both originated from Fenn and
crew, 1942.
July, 1944
“Through U-235 we became
new
and
enthusiastic
schnorkelers. Hearty thanks
to the commander and crew!”
Schroeder
Lt (ING) and LI
Karl-Heinz Schober
ObLt (ING)
Karl-Heinz Peter
U-518
Oblt (ING)
Shown above is the original hand drawing of U-518’s emblem,
sketched as they departed the Stettin yards January, 1945. The
signature of Schroeder and its C.O. Offermann are on the page.
Now, AO Agru-Front
U-445
U-518 was commissioned 25 April 1942 and commanded by FK
Brechmann, but for the balance of her career the C.O. was ObLt
z.S. Offermann.
This Type IXC boat ran training exercises in the Baltic during the
summer of 1942 and later went to Canada where she landed an
agent in New Brunswick on 9 November 1943. During the
summer of 1943, U-518 ran operations in the Caribbean, Gulf of
Mexico, and Panama.
EDITOR NOTE – PETE PETERSEN (1113-1989)
rode this boat for one patrol.
The men of U-518, now under Offermann, took schnorkel training
aboard U-235 then embarked for the next mission off cape Hatteras
August 1944. While schnorkeling there she torpedoed the SS
GEORGE ADE which survived to be sunk by a storm shortly after
the attack.
(We will report more on the sinking of GEORGE ADE when this
series continued next month in KTB #210.)
KTB #209
PAGE 9
KTB #43 was published September 1987 and we were going ahead
to create an archive here in the USA. I also reported that I had left
my job as Vice President of a large company in Chicago with a
nice salary, to more the Sharkhunters operation to Florida and
devote all my time to preserving this history. My wife of just two
years KAY COOPER (161-LIFE-1985) thought I was crazy – we
were expecting our first child in November. She thought it was
probably a really stupid decision on my part.
Argentina’s Place in the War (cont’d)
As reported in KTB #206, HARRY COOPER (1-LIFE-1983)
went to Argentina on a very special mission. We are now able to
divulge the reasons for the expedition and what was learned.
Remember, anything that would cause harm to anyone still living
is either masked or is withheld. We continue with the report by
HARRY COOPER (1-LIFE-1983) from page 6.
A Large German School
For years USS SILVERSIDES (SS 236) was docked at Navy Pier
in Chicago and past mayors loved having this historic boat there,
and charged the organization that ran it a mere one dollar per year
for the dock space. Then came Mayor Harold Washington, a man
of great controversy, and he decided that one dollar per year was
not enough – and he demanded $40,000 per year! It was rumored
that Mayor Harold had some friends who needed that dock space
for commercial boats…..but that was only a rumor; the same for
the stories that Mayor Harold liked to run around wearing a bra
and women’s panties – but again, an unproven rumor. It turned out
to be great for SILVERSIDES that she had to move, and she went
across Lake Michigan to the town of Muskegon, where she sits
today in a great museum area and is lovingly maintained.
We reprinted the report of 18 June 1942 by the US Naval Attaché
at Tangier about the loss of the French submarine SURCOUF. We
reported the death on 3 June 1987 of HERBERT SCHULTZE
(191-+-1986). HORST HASLAU (167-+-1986) was Radioman
aboard U-1230 when they dropped off two agents on the coast of
Maine, including our friend ERICH GIMPEL (884-1988).
HORST sent us a huge packet of information with drawings,
photos etc. of that landing.
KTB #43 was just 12 pages long and typeset on a typewriter.
You are beginning to comprehend the magnitude of this discovery
by looking at the area that is so much like Bavaria as well as the
construction of the buildings – very much like Bavaria. In this little
town ‘Stadt’ there is a large German school (photo above) and in
the photo below, we see also a large German cultural center.
And the German Cultural Center
Membership PRIDE!
On page 40 of KTB #208 last month, we published the complaints
of IAN WALLACE (7177-2007) in which he claimed HARRY
COOPER (1-LIFE-1983), Sharkhunters President, was making a
fortune and he complained that he had not received his eKTB for
some months and he complained about that too – but he had
changed his email address and didn’t bother to tell Sharkhunters.
He was offered the chance to be honorable and apologize for his
errors, but he did not. DON NEAR (7317-2008) emailed:
“I just finished reading 208. What a job you do, Harry.
I can’t believe that meathead that thinks you or
anyone else for that matter have a money machine
going down there. I ran a newspaper pressroom for
many years and I know what goes into printing a
magazine of the quality of the KTB magazine and also
all the hours it takes to do it, so I thank you for that.
Some people are such morons at times, but there will
always be a few. I also thank you for taking the time
to email me – I forgot you are the head honcho there
and it is indeed rare to hear from the head man.”
Member’s comments, questions and suggestions are always
welcome here and we try to reply in a timely manner.
PAGE 10
Please keep in mind that there are not old photos taken years ago.
These photos were taken January this year – 2008.
Warsteiner beer is one of my favorite beers – when I am in Austria
or Germany but imagine my surprise when I saw Warsteiner beer
sold in many places in ‘Stadt’. One may wonder why this excellent
beer from Germany is so popular in the outback of Patagonia.
Keep reading, you’ll find that this gets more and more interesting.
(continued next page)
KTB #209
We continue with HARRY’s report:
______________________________
Anyone who knows me knows that I can’t speak Spanish at all, so
when I went to dinner with two Argentine friends, I figured they
would get stuck translating the menu for me. That’s me on the left,
NAHUEL COCA (7304-2008) in the center and noted historian,
researcher and author ABEL BASTI (7305-2008) on the right.
There is so much about this little town that doesn’t make sense in
the normal way. For instance, just prior to the war, a very large and
very expensive hotel was built just outside ‘Stadt’. Why would
anyone build such a magnificent hotel at such a little town so far
away from any other towns? Far away from ANYTHING…….
Perhaps a more pertinent question would be – why would General
Dwight Eisenhower be interested in this hotel and this town? There
is a photo of him standing in front of this hotel apparently before
he was President and if so, then the photo would have been taken
sometime before 1952. Remember – this is out in the wilderness.
The owner of the hotel was a man of about 75 years, tall with blue
eyes and hair that once was blond before it went white. He could
not speak English well at all and I have no Spanish so we stumbled
along with the menu – the owner speaking, NAHUEL translating
into English – then an idea popped into my head. Since I do speak
German fairly well, I asked the owner in German if he had an
English menu. He replied, in German, that he did not – but we
went on speaking in German for about two minutes. Then I asked
him, in German, why he spoke such good German.
OH! He looked startled for a moment, then stammered out that he
was really Swiss. Okay, we’ll believe that…………
The owner and his friend, obviously an Argentinean, played and
sang for us. He played an accordion and his friend played the
guitar, and they sang typical gaucho songs in Spanish. It was 8pm
and we were the only three customers in the restaurant, so I asked
him if he would play the Matrosen Lied – the sailor’s song that
tells how they are sailing to attack England. No, sorry – he didn’t
know that song. Okay, I went back to the table and the owner
continued to play and sing the gaucho songs.
About ten minutes later, I was jerked back to reality as I heard a
very familiar tune and I began to sing along. It WAS the Matrosen
Lied! He went all the way through that song, then moved directly
into the Panzer Lied – the song of the armored divisions.
What idiot would take a photo of a parking lot – of the pavement
of a parking lot? I guess I’m that idiot, but if you travel Germany
much, you will recognize these paving stones – they are used all
over Germany and Austria for street and parking lot paving. But
this photo was taken at another luxury hotel in Chile – also very far
away from anything else.
He smiled when he saw the startled look on my face – he smiled,
gave me a ‘thumbs up’ and continued. For a Swiss, he sure knew
his German military marches…..and the food was great too.
KTB #209
We’ll look at this hotel in KTB #210 next month; this hotel where,
until recently, hundreds of veterans came together every year on 20
April. You can probably guess why. If not, we’ll tell you.
PAGE 11
NOW AVAILABLE in North America!
Finally, you can purchase EXECUTION FOR DUTY, written by
PETER HANSEN (251-LIFE-1987) from Amazon Books.
KTB #97 was published some 15 years ago and we were running
the memories of GERD RICHTER (214-+-1986), the radioman
aboard U-81 under FRIEDERICH GUGGENBERGER (269-+1987) when they sank the aircraft carrier HMS ARK ROYAL in
the western Mediterranean. We were also running the story by
Captain ARTHUR MOORE (533-1988) about the United States
Merchant Marine in World War II.
LOU HANSEN (2587-1992) reported that apparently there was an
early-war action between USS R-1 (SS 78) and an unidentified
German U-Boat off Bermuda on 16 April 1942. We listed all the
U-Boats that were in the area NW of Bermuda and east of Cape
Hatteras and wondered which boat it could have been. We also
listed all the boats off the American East Coast in early 1942.
PETER HANSEN (251-LIFE-1987) covered Stalin’s dogged,
blind view that despite evidence that BARBAROSSA was coming,
he would not believe it. PETER goes into the reasons why Stalin
refused to believe the obvious.
This book is the factual, dramatic, fascinating,
intriguing thriller for demanding, curious readers
looking for historical accuracy. New startling and
humane insights from the very inside! Makes a
wonderful present for all people and veterans alike.
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COPYRIGHT Reminder
As always, there is great history on the pages of our KTB
Magazine. Please remember that each and every one of our
Sharkhunters KTB Magazines is copyrighted and everything in
each and every issue is also copyrighted.
Back to Germany, Austria, Poland
Start saving up your vacation days – Sharkhunters are returning to
olde Europe on two Patrols in 2008. On the “Southern Patrol” we
visit Germany, Austria, Italy, Slovenia and Croatia. On the
“Northern Patrol” we visit Germany and Poland. Details are in
this issue and also on the website now.
PAGE 12
Lager Siegfrieg…..Rottach am Egern
We were trying to learn details about this place – we believe it had
plenty to do with the escape route of thousands who flew Europe.
It is mentioned in the book “Escape from the Bunker”.
We continued the story about R-Boats by ALFRED NUESSER
(1092-+-1989). He rode the R-Boats from the Caucasus to the
Mediterranean. We gave a short history of the battleship HMS
MALAYA which was seriously damaged by U-81 in the same
attack that sank HMS ARK ROYAL. Dr. HEINZ SCHLICKE
(1820-1991) was one of the scientists that the US grabbed up in
Operation PAPERCLIP and he gave us insights into the ride
across the Atlantic in U-234.
Dr. JUDE STACKPOLE (1334-+-1990)
was vigorously digging into the codes
used and especially the Triton code, which
was not broken by the Allies but the Allies
had the code. To any intelligent person,
that would indicate that someone on the
inside either gave or sold these codes to
the Brits. JUDE wondered if Admiral
Canaris (right) was so anti-Hitler that he
could also be anti-German. JUDE never
got to the end of his search. He was riding
his motorcycle on a bright, sunny
Saturday morning and someone blew
through a stop sign and killed him instantly. When we asked
JUDE’s son, a lawyer, for copies of JUDE’s research papers he
told us that he just ‘threw all that junk out’ so we’ll never know.
We were running more of the long piece by VICTOR HAWKINS
(1364-+-1990) on the Royal Navy submarines. There was more of
the essay ‘Conduct of the War at Sea’ written by Großadmiral
Karl Dönitz. We announced that MANFRED ROEDER (15171990) had just become a grandfather! We gave the specifications
for the French submarine SURCOUF and a photo.
KTB #97 was typeset by Pen Harms on a computer, 28 pages in
length but by being typeset on a computer, we got more onto 28
pages than we did before on a typewriter-set KTB of 32 pages.
KTB #209
from REMBRANDT
It is best to begin this section with an idea of what you will read
here. Very simply – who did and who did NOT die in Germany at
the end of the war and who did or did not die in South America.
Our S.E.I.G. Agent REMBRANDT was in the Spook World until his
recent retirement, and he sent
us a very thick file compiled
by other professional agents on
Dr. Josef Mengele. You will
read that many governments
closed the file on Mengele
when it was reported that he
was swimming in the Pacific
Ocean off Chile, suffered a
massive stroke and drowned.
Mengele’s home in Hönhof, Paraguay
Please keep in mind also that these reports were compiled mostly
by ‘Nazi hunters’ so you may have to excuse some of the rhetoric.
Okay – that being said, we begin.
Peter xxxx
5 December 2007
This will be complex to explain and I fear this thread will be
attacked by the Borg. I have sent off some emails and will have
more information shortly – I hope. It is a complex story to unfold
and it will take some days to post all the relevant information.
First, I met in Los Angeles Tony xxx xxxxxx and his wife Suzanne
at a Christic Institute event. Tony was Dutch and during World
War II, an intelligence officer for the Free Dutch Forces and a Nazi
Hunter. I told him about my uncle Raphael (the man who coined
the word Genocide, wrote Genocide Convention, legal expert at
Nürnberg) and we started to talk. He told me about how he and his
wife were hired by the Simon Wiesenthal Center, Los Angeles, to
find Josef Mengele and how they found him alive (after the CIA,
USG, Press, Posner and others had reported him dead).
Parts of my email are private, but this is a portion from 2005:
Dear Peter,
Indeed, this is a voice from the past. We do remember meeting
you than at Jan’s home and giving you the first day ‘Kennedy
Murder’ copies of TIME, LIFE etc.
I’m now 85 years old and quite invalid (on night oxygen due to
the altitude here) and can no longer drive etc. but fortunately, I can
still hear, see and think. In 1990 we left California for Holland
where we stayed until 2000 and returned here to xxxxxxx.
When I retired and left Holland I donated all my research to
them.
They have an incredible collection of information,
particularly on the US, for international researchers like you.
KTB #209
My name is Eva Kor. I am a twin who at age 10 survived Dr.
Mengele’s experiments at Auschwitz. Fifty-four years ago the
world didn’t know about me or the truth of what was being done to
us. For the past month I have been exposed to a systematic
distortion of the facts and truth for the purpose of sensationalism, a
personal vendetta and a sick political agenda. This attack has been
conducted by ‘Der SPIEGEL’ and a reporter by the name of
Bruno Schirra – a vindictive grandson of a holocaust survivor.
EDITOR NOTE – Der SPIEGEL is a very large
magazine in Germany. Spiegel means mirror.
It is beyond me to understand how a beautiful meeting of two
adversaries, namely Dr. Münch, an SS doctor from Auschwitz and
me, a survivor, could be misconstrued to be anything other than
what is was. We met in Auschwitz in January 1995. We hoped to
heal the pain, teach the truth and to prevent prejudice. I harmed
Dr. Münch by inviting him to Auschwitz and exposing him to a
reporter like Bruno Schirra who cannot accept that there was one
decent human being who was an SS doctor in Auschwitz.
With the help of my sister in Israel, I located 122 individuals who
were surviving Mengele twins. We, the surviving Mengele twins,
were the darlings of the media. That ‘glory’ did not last long. In
June 1985 a bunch of dry bones was dug up in Embu, Brazil. A
team of many forensic experts from the USA, Brazil, Germany and
Israel studied the badly crushed dry bones for a total of 14 days
and then issued a statement to the press that they were 99% sure
these were Josef Mengele’s bones. We survivors were not part of
this investigation and had no input, nor were our opinions sought.
In 1992 the final report of the Mengele investigation was issued by
the U.S. Justice Department. This is a 600 page report titled:
“In the Matter of Josef Mengele, a Report to
the Attorney General of the United states”
On page 169 it states: “It was learned that Karl-Heinz (Mengele’s
nephew and stepson) and Hans Sedelmeier (the Mengele family
attorney) met with Dr. Münch after the date of Mengele’s
purported death. They wanted to ascertain his opinion concerning
Mengele’s chances of acquittal if he were put on trial. Münch told
Sedelmeier and Karl-Heinz that he had no doubt that Mengele
would be found guilty. Not surprisingly, Dr. Münch assumed from
the conversation that Josef Mengele was alive and his whereabouts
were known to Sedelmeier and Karl-Heinz Mengele.
After reading this, I thought to myself – So the Mengele family
went to see Dr. Münch to ask him if Josef Mengele’s corpse would
be found guilty or innocent. Absurd! I determined I must verify
this by finding Dr. Münch and talking to him.
I asked Dr. Münch about Josef Mengele and the visit of Karl-Heinz
Mengele and Hans Sedelmeier. He said, They came to see me two
times to ask me if Josef Mengele would be found guilty. I
interrupted him and said Josef Mengele is already dead, wasn’t he?
No, Sedelmeier replied. He was alive and well in 1982 but he is
tired of hiding.
PAGE 13
The sad front cover of KTB #135
had that famous photo of OTTO
KRETSCHMER (122-+-1985),
the top submarine Skipper of any
navy in WW II. “Silent” OTTO
had just been killed in a terrible
accident aboard a cruise boat on
the Donau River near München.
He and Mrs. Kretschmer were
celebrating their 50th wedding
anniversary and on 3 August
1998 he fell down the stairs, hit
his head and went into a coma
from which he didn’t recover. He
died two days later on 5 August.
The making of the two Pearl Harbor scapegoats (Admiral Kimmel
and Major General Short) prepared by FRANK WEINGART
(842-1988) put a spotlight on how the two officers were set up to
take the heat for the ‘surprise’ attack by the Japanese at Pearl
Harbor. There was more on the actions – and demise, of U-162.
There was a trip report from our 1998 “Northern Patrol” with
photos, of course.
PETER’s PERISCOPE by PETER
HANSEN (251-LIFE-1987) covered Count
Claus Schenk von Stauffenberg (photo
right) and his failed coup attempt. His
brother, Count Berthold Schenk von
Stauffenberg was caught up in the web and
even though he had nothing to do with the
plot, he suffered the same fate at the end of
a strand of piano wire. PETER also
revealed the involvement of Britain’s MI-5
in this and other failed attempts on Hitler’s life – they supplied the
plastic explosives that were used.
The KTB Magazine at that time was 28 pages in length and done
on a computer.
Plastic Surgery
Clinic….in 1945
I guess we forgot to mention – when we were in the little town of
‘Stadt’, we found a large hotel that was built in 1945, the last year
of the war. However, this place was not built initially as a hotel. It
was built as a plastic surgery clinic in 1945 – the last year of the
war – in this little town – far away from just about everything.
It seemed like every time we found the answer to one riddle, five
more unsolved riddles popped up……...and we could see that there
was almost no end to the history we were uncovering.
You will continue to be amazed at what we learned. Do you want
to come with us next time? Keep reading………..
PAGE 14
Died……..or Escaped
(continued)
Before we continue here, let’s see if we have this correct. The
governments of the world, USA and Germany among them, had
declared Josef Mengele was dead prior to 1979 but this lady spoke
with Mengele’s lawyer and his stepson – and they both confirmed
that Mengele was alive in 1982 – some three years after he was
declared dead? Remember – it was also major world governments
that publically proclaimed that Hitler and Bormann were both dead
in Berlin in the days before the Red Army overran Berlin – but
privately, acknowledged that they did not die then or there. Okay,
let’s continue with what Eva Kor learned. She continues:
Ithought to myself;
‘Wow! That means Josef Mengele was alive in 1982’
If that is true, he could not be buried in Embu, Brazil, and those
bones that were buried in 1979 and dug up in 1985 could not be
his. I still wonder where Dr. Mengele is today and what happened
to our Auschwitz files.
NOTE from Peter xxxxx – Posner of the CIA said
Mengele was buried in Embu – case closed.
Appendix from the government report on Mengele 169
(He) refused to take part in the diabolical selection process at
Auschwitz, was acquitted of war crimes by the Government of
Poland in 1947. It was learned that Karl-Heinz Mengele
(Mengele’s nephew and stepson) and Hans Sedelmeier met with
Münch after the date of Mengele’s purported death. According to
Münch, Sedelmeier and Karl-Heinz wanted to obtain Münch’s
opinion concerning Mengele’s chances of acquittal if he were put
on trial. Munch told Sedelmeier and Karl-Heinz that he had no
doubt that Mengele would be found guilty.
Not surprisingly, Münch assumed from the conversation that Josef
Mengele was alive and his whereabouts were known to Sedelmeier
and Karl-Heinz Mengele.
In addition, Israeli investigators uncovered a letter dated 8 March
1979, approximately one month after Josef Mengele’s purported
death. This letter was typewritten by Almuth Mengele, Rolf’s
wife, to Josef Mengele on the occasion of what she thought to be
his 69th birthday. In the letter, she wished her father-in-law a
happy birthday and described new developments in the life of her
family. In the normal course of correspondence between the
Mengele family and the fugitive, this letter would have been sent
(directly or indirectly) to the Bosserts for delivery to Josef. Before
mailing the letter, son Rolf added a handwritten postscript to this
letter, which was addressed to the Bosserts. He noted that he had
learned of his father’s death.
Next, as is well known to the JFK Research community, Posner is
a creature of the CIA and IMO and that most other good JFK
Researchers spouts knowingly false US Intelligence and
Government lies on the events of Dallas 11/22/63. Like John
McCloy and Allen Dulles, Mr. Posner is a Wall Street lawyer.
When his book appeared on JFK, I didn’t have to open it to know
it was CIA disinformation, as I knew already of his misleading and
CIA-figleaf book on Mengele.
We can begin to see actual proof that much of what governments publish
publically is not always the honest history. More on this next month.
KTB #209
From VINCENT APOSTOLICO (5896-C-1999)
Early operations in the Mediterranean demonstrated that
engagements between surface vessels, despite being spectacular,
rarely provided definitive effects. Soon it was demonstrated that
control of the sea corresponded to dominance in the air. Therefore,
the Regia Aeronautica had to bear ever heavier responsibilities.
Since the beginning, aerial attack on ships was conducted by
bombers which, despite being highly accurate, lacked enough
destructive power thus demonstrating the disproportion between
the means and the results.
On 27 August 1940, Lieutenant Buscaglia conducted the first
Italian attack employing a torpedo, thus making operational the
most dangerous attack weapon against the Royal Navy.
The first experimental launches of airborne torpedoes dated back
to 1914. Nevertheless, Italy entered the war without a single
squadron of torpedo launchers. At the end of World War One,
attempts to employ aerial torpedoes were not successful due to
inadequate equipment, faulty techniques and limited support from
the military hierarchy, experiments continued. Several aircraft
were used from the Caproni Ca.33 to the Macchi M.24 and the
very latest S.55. Later on, experimentation continued on the Cant
Z.506 with the dual role of torpedo bomber and bomber, even
though the time of the flying boat had already reached its azimuth.
Fairey SWORDFISH…..the ‘Stringbag’
Meantime the ‘Reparto Sperimentake Aerosiluranti’ (Experimental
torpedo bomber group) assembled in Gorizia at the beginning of
1940 received the Savoia Marchetti SM.79 which, although not
originally designed as a torpedo bomber, was a strong, fast and
maneuverable aircraft, far superior to the British SWORDFISH.
During the entire conflict, the British ‘Gobbo Maledetto’ (Damn
Hunchback, so named for the unusual shape of the fuselage)
became the standard aircraft used by all torpedo bomber squadrons
representing an insidious & dangerous presence for Allied ships.
The Savoia Marchetti SM.79 was designed during the mid-1930’s
as a military version of the civilian transport SM.79P. This trimotor, with a mixed superstructure (wood and metal) won several
speed and endurance records thanks to its 750 hp Alfa Romeo 126
RC.34 engines.
Tri-motor CANT Z.506
Meantime, the war had already started and during the encounter off
Calabria, British torpedo bombers made their foray into the
Mediterranean aboard aircraft carriers. Despite lack of success, it
was possible to anticipate the potential of this terrible new weapon.
Confirmation of this potential was dramatically evident the night
of 11 November 1940 when British SWORDFISH launched from
the aircraft carrier HMS ILLUSTRIOUS inflicted a terrible strike
against the Italian Fleet in the harbor of Taranto, dramatically
altering the balance of power in the Mediterranean.
EDITOR NOTE – Just two dozen SWORDFISH
(photo top next column), known to their crews as
‘stringbags’ devastated the Italian Fleet at Taranto;
and showed the Japanese that such an attack was
entirely feasible.
PAGE 15
The military version was equipped with three 12.7mm and one
7.7mm machine guns. Ordnance included bombs loaded into an
internal bomb bay plus two torpedo supports under the wings. It
was first used in combat during the Spanish Civil War where it
demonstrated high maneuverability and speed even though it was
too light and at times, unstable. It was capable of continuing flying
with just two engines, capabilities which were of great use during
engine failures. Excellent also was the ability of the plane to float,
giving the crew time to bail out in case of a forced sea landing.
On 10 August 1940 after a summary preparation, the only five
SM.79 belonging to the ‘Reparto Sperimentake Aerosiluranti’ were
transferred to the airport of Ciampino, just outside Rome. From
here, they were then transferred to Al Adem, from where the first
mission against Alexandria took place. The attack, which planned
a simultaneous attack from two directions against units in port, was
not very successful mostly due to the shape of the harbor itself and
to adverse weather conditions.
In the following months, Italy created more units and refined its
weapons and techniques. Meantime, making up for all the time
wasted in the previous years during 1941 the Regia Aeronautica
KTB #209
Italian Torpedo Bombers
(continued)
began harvesting the first results, hitting 30 units and sinking 9.
Unfortunately, the price was very high and of the 260 aircraft used,
14 were shot down and 46 damaged. Post-war statistics showed
that on average, a crew was shot down after just three missions.
It is time to begin the 2008 Membership Contest!
And already we have several entrants – all are the Contest Leaders.
WILLIS CARTO (1059-1989) ………………………..…….. 1
C. W. LOHR (1247-1989)
JOHN CHATTERTON (1818-1991)
ABEL BASTI (7305-2008)
C. W. was out to a quick and early lead but CARTO, the publisher
of The Barnes Review and also the American Free Press, has
joined him as has CHATTERTON of ‘Deep Sea Detectives’ TV
show as well as author BASTI – what about you other Members?
You gonna’ give them a challenge? There is so much you can win
in this contest – stand on it! Sorry – I used to be a racing driver.
Here are the prizes for the
2008 Membership Contest
Everyone wins – for each new Member you recruit, we’ll deduct
$5 from your next year’s renewal dues.
If you bring at least five new Members aboard, your next year’s
dues are FREE. For each five new Members – another free year.
Noteworthy missions took place in 1942 with the massive attack
on a Malta bound convoy, the Second Battle of Sirte mid June and
mid August with the increased activity came an even more furious
reaction from anti-aircraft units.
Meantime, the Italian aeronautical industry was trying to improve
on the SM.79 by installing more powerful engines, updating
onboard equipment and by increasing autonomy through the
installation of fuel tanks in the bomb bay.
The limitations imposed by the original design of the aircraft for
civilian use were many, so in 1940 it was decided to begin working
on a successor, the Savoia Marchetti SM.84. The original design
was ingenious, utilizing some of the existing and highly tested
components already in use on the SM.79 and developing others. In
fact, the SM.84 would have the same wing on the SM.79 but more
powerful engines, the Piaggio P.XI RO.40, capable of 1,000 hp.
The fuselage was completely redesigned, introducing a split tail
thus offering more advanced defensive control. In addition, the
internal defense armament was replaced with four 12.7mm guns.
Unfortunately, the SM.84 did not have the flying characteristics of
its predecessor and it was prone, during takeoff, to go face down
and in general, it was hard to maneuver. Despite these faults, the
SM.84 was assigned to the torpedo launcher squadrons in January
1941. The 41st Stormo, so equipped, was transferred to the Aegean
where it was operational until 1942 with very few positive results.
GRAND PRIZE – FREE ‘PATROL’ !
During September 1941, the SM.84s of the 282nd Squadriglia
based in Sardinia were deployed against a convoy which had left
Gibraltar and were able to seriously damage the battleship LORD
NELSON, a cruiser and another unit. But this missed intervention
by the Regia Marina made the sacrifice superfluous. Later on, a
new version of the plane, the SM.84bis was released, but without
the expected results. So in 1942, this new model was used as a
torpedo bomber but soon after, removed from service. On 8
September 1943, thirty SM.84s were captured by the Germans and
mostly destroyed. The SM.79s survived the armistice and were
utilized by the German controlled ‘Repubblica Sociale Italiana’
until the end of the war.
___________________________
Whoever recruits the most new Members
(minimum of 20) in 2008 comes on any one of
our 2009 ‘Patrols’ absolutely FREE!
We continue with this article in KTB #210 next month and take up
the topic of the Italian torpedoes. Watch for it.
CHRIS BANDA (6733-2003) won the 2007
Contest and he is going on our “Southern
Patrol” absolutely free! You can win too!
Membership PRIDE! And some help.
Third Prize – Free Hand-Signed Photo
The Member who recruits the third most new Members (minimum
of 10) will have their choice of any of our hand-signed photos, and
some of them are extremely rare and quite valuable.
Second Prize – Free Hand-Signed Print
The Member who recruits the second most new Members (min. of
15) receives any of our hand-signed prints – their choice.
Please contact us if you need brochures etc. to help you tell others
about our great Sharkhunters Membership. Do you go to militaria
or gun shows? Hand out the brochures. Your friend reads your
KTB? Sign them up with their own Membership. The possibilities
are absolutely endless! Don’t wait – get in the race. As you see by
the 2007 Membership Contest results – Members DO win!
The green flag is up and there’s plenty of time for you. Jump in!
PAGE 16
CHESTER MERCER (5742-1999) needed another eKTB #208
sent, which we did immediately. His email that followed said:
“KTB #208 arrived as you said it would.
Thank you for your efforts…..you head a
great organization!!!!! I look forward to
meeting you someday.”
Members comments are always welcome.
KTB #209
thru PETER’s PERISCOPE
PETER HANSEN (251-LIFE-1987) spent time working for the Abwehr (German Secret Service) during WW II.
His information is known to a mere handful of people. He gives this secret information only to Sharkhunters.
Some Member History
And Shortages of Men
KARL WILHELM GRÜTZEMACHER (1367-+-1990) became
a Leutnant (Ing.) on 1 January 1943 and was promoted to
Oberleutnant (Ing.) on 1 October 1944, attached to the Class of
1940 although not originally part of the Class. He became L.I. on
U-427, commanded by Oberleutnant Graf (Count) Karl Gabriel
von Gudenus, Class of 1938.
U-427 was assigned to the Barents Sea Flotilla in Narvik and
surrendered there in May of 1945. I imagine GRÜTZEMACHER
may have been earlier a senior petty officer or petty officer for
either diesel or electric engines on U-47, who was later given a
commission as a so-called Volks Offizier once he participated in
additional training classes and passed the applicable examinations.
This was not an infrequent thing that such Obermaschinists or
Obersteuermann gained commissions. Some were activated,
others turned into wartime service officers.
But U-47 was not one of his assignments as L.I. As you may
already know, the U-Boat Service was never able to remedy the
sometimes acute shortage of Leading Engineers (L.I.) and capable
Engineering Officers to be assigned eventually as Directing
Engineers on U-Boats. An even greater scarcity existed what
concerned front experienced Engineering Officers! This problem
was NEVER solved, thus Engineering Officers were often shifted
around on short notice to fill open positions on emergency basis
but virtually all captains fought tooth and nail with the Personnel
Bureau to keep and retain such competent and front experienced
Engineering Officers and senior petty officers too for that matter.
During several periods of time, there existed likewise a shortage,
though less acute, of trained commanders but this an on and off
situation. However, from that May of 1943 onward, also known as
“Black May” or the “Stalingrad at Sea”, the shortage became
greater with FRONT EXPERIENCED COMMANDERS, as
increasingly more of the officers shipped to the commander’s
training courses and supplementary classes were men from the
surface navy, from land commands, former naval air force chaps
and officers who had been serving in staff positions mainly.
EDITOR NOTE – About a year ago, we ran a
series on the more than 100 U-Boat Skippers
who were initially fliers in the Kriegsmarine.
There were only numerically suitable replacements, NEVER on
the needs of experience & competency in operating front U-Boats.
Many of them no doubt good men, but because of lacking front
experience, they were doomed for practical purposes and had
barely even a chance to bring back a U-Boat from a single first
patrol…..just surviving, not to mention any sinkings of course.
KTB #209
Altogether 1,418 naval officers passed these various commander
training and refresher courses from 1935 to 1945. This number is
about equivalent to three entire naval academy prewar officer
classes incidentally. A total of 538 captains remained with their
sunken U-Boats or got killed while their boats were destroyed.
Nine captains died in various kinds of accidents, four committed
suicide at war’s end. Two were shot by navy peletons (Heinz
Hirsacker and Oskar Kusch). Two were relieved of command and
reduced to the ranks……..one of these was Walter Köhntopp from
U-995 and the other was Oberleutnant Franzke who had
commanded U-3 and was later killed on a minesweeper, while
Köhntopp survived his minesweeping assignment.
EDITOR NOTE – As of sometime in 2006, we were
informed that Walter Köhntopp was pushing to
have history revised in his favor.
Two more were summarily relieved from command as unsuitable
and transferred to shore assignments. One died on a Japanese
submarine and one more on a former Italian submarine. Wolfgang
Lüth was accidentally shot a week after capitulation by a guard at
night. Werner Henke was killed by guards as American POW at
Fort Meade and Heinz Eck was shot by the British.
EDITOR NOTE – It was Lüth himself who issued the
order to the sentries that anyone who did not return
the password the first time was to be shot. It was at
night, Lüth was deep in thought and didn’t hear the
challenge, so the sentry who was under command of
GERD THÄTER (194-+-1986) fired. Lüth was killed
instantly. An inquiry was held and found there was no
wrongdoing – it was an accident.
Henke’s death is officially listed as ‘killed while
escaping’ but it is hardly an escape attempt when a
POW calmly walks to the wire on a sunny day and
begins climbing. He had been tricked badly by (then)
Captain Dan Gallery when picked up at sea and it is
thought that he was severely distressed.
The story of Heinz Eck is a long one, but it boils
down to the Brits waiting until the war was over and
got their POWs back so there could be no retaliation
from Germany, then putting Eck on trial but telling him
if he swore at his trial that Großadmiral Dönitz ordered
all U-Boat Skippers to machine gun men in the water,
that Eck would walk out a free man. Eck realized that
this would doom Dönitz to the gallows and since there
was no such order, he was honorable and at the cost
of his own life, he said there was no such order.
Furthermore, one must realize that not each and everyone of these
1,418 officers actually were assigned as U-Boat captains, much
less front U-Boat commanders for various reasons and due to
different circumstances, apart from ability and competency
compared to passing examinations and training classes of course,
to evaluate these statistical figures and numbers properly!
PAGE 17
Peacetime Submarine Disasters
by CHESTER L. SOMMERS (5569-1998)
There were no submarines lost due to accidents in 1944 or 1945;
those were the height of the war years and most of the world’s
submarines were in the war so any losses there would be combat
losses and not accidental.
5 December 1946, the 256 ton French submarine ex U-2326 was
lost to unknown causes off Toulon, France to unknown causes.
The water depth is not known and the boat was not salvaged. The
entire crew of 26 men were lost. This boat was a German Type
XXIII that was surrendered in a British port in May 1945 and was
renamed HMS N.35 in the Royal Navy in 1945 then given to the
French in 1946.
27 June 1946, 1,290 ton Spanish submarine C-4 was accidentally
rammed while running submerged by the Spanish destroyer
LEPANTO eight miles off Soller in the Balearic Islands of Spain.
The boat went down in 1,000 feet of water and was not salved. All
46 men were lost. No boats were lost during 1947 and 1948.
Here is the running total of submarines lost in peacetime since the
beginning of submarine history.
England – 21
France – 15
USA – 14
Russia – 8
Japan – 7
Italy – 3
Chile – 1
Denmark – 1
Sweden – 3
Germany – 8
Netherlands – 3
Spain – 1
Meeting our Members
7051-2006
7052-2006
7053-2006
7054-2006
7055-2006
7056-2006
7057-2006
7058-2006
7059-2006
7060-2006
7061-2006
7062-2006
7063-2006
7064-2006
7065-2006
7066-2006
7067-2006
7068-2006
7069-2006
7070-2006
TOM MANNING
US
JAMES MOORE
US
GEORGE McAFEE
US
LYNDSEY HAMM
US
WILLIAM SAURER
US
His uncle is PAUL SAURER (296-1987)
MICHAEL WARD
US
MICHAEL TOMKOVITCH
US
JAMES DOUBLE
US
ROBERT BONSTEAD
US
WAYNE TECHET
US
DAVID FIELD
US
JOHN BAGBY
US
Former crewman aboard P.3 ORION
LEE WHEELER
US
TAD COWDEN
US
SHAWN McCLEARY
US
FRANCES CARDENAS
US
CHRIS CLIFFORD
US
RICHARD HLUBNY
US
RYAN SHAFER
US
REINER DÄHNERT
PORTUGUAL
Is your Membership Number above 7070? If it is, please send us a
short CV/biog about yourself. Let the Members know who you
are, what you do and what are your interests. Send a photo if you
like. We’ll scan it and return it to you undamaged. In any case,
please do not be a “one-liner”. Tell us about yourself.
PETER’s PERISCOPE
(continued from prev. page)
Naturally, those wounded and injured on operations but who later
on recovered are not included in these numbers but there were
quite a few such officers also; some returned after hospitalization
to U-Boat service; others were declared medically no longer fit for
U-Boat service and transferred to either training class jobs or
similar shore assignments if they were also no longer able to pass
medical examinations for surface navy assignments.
In this connection one must also remember that quite a few,
especially of the older Reichsmarine prewar officers who became
U-Boat commanders had to be reassigned after a limited number of
war patrols as those were simply too demanding for men over
thirty roughly. Many developed ulcers and similar stomach or
digestive tract problems because of the canned food and restricted
as well as repetitious diet that was provided– for lack of fresh food,
meat, vegetables and fruit etc.
To mention just a few things, often not realized or conveniently
forgotten these days, somebody with bleeding ulcers is not
generally a man able to concentrate painfully and strongly, to say
the least. Eating not much else but soup and scrambled egg dishes
from powdered eggs likewise, is not the most successful way to
treat such health problems. Additionally, many of these same
older officers also developed eye troubles and poor eyesight
problems on account of the strain and the climatical conditions. If
one can’t see clearly through a periscope, it is almost impossible to
command a U-Boat much less operate it in operational actions.
With reference to U-572 and Kapitänleutnant Heinrich ‘Heinz’
Hirsacker who had also been II. W. O. and I. W. O. on U-124
under WILHELM SCHULZ (162-+-1986) I should add that
Hirsacker sunk the following ships:
16 April 1942
DESERT LIGHT
2,368 GRT Panamanian
20 April 1942
EMIRE DRYDEN
7,164 GRT British
7 August 1942 DELFSHAVEN
5,281 GRT Dutch
‘Heinz’ Hirsacker commanded U-572 on six war patrols before he
was relieved and court martialed.
As you know, after the war the British and later also the Americans
set up and organized the various German Mine Sweeping Services.
Initially, the British simply took over still existing mine sweeping
flotillas and R-Boat flotillas under the command of Rear Admiral
Hans Bütow, later also Vice Admiral Friederich Rüge. In some
cases, the entire crews with officers were retained but in others, a
part preferred to get moved to POW camps rather than sweeping
mines, a rather ingrateful task.
The British filled up the empty spots with volunteers from various
POW camps under their direction. Sometime later similar
operations were organized by the American navy too. These
various operations lasted for more than ten years altogether; from
1945 to about 1956 when the rest was taken over and transferred
into the new Bundsmarine largely. At the height of these
operations, there was an average of 28,000 men engaged in these
Mine Sweeping Commands in different sea areas. With other
words, this was not some small and inconsequential set up
operationally. But almost nothing is published about this and only
very few people even know and remember these operations, as
minesweeping and mine clearing is by and large, a thankless, dirty
and rough work business!!
______________________________
(more PETER’s PERISCOPE in KTB #210 next month)
PAGE 18
KTB #209
U-250
Type:
Built by:
Launched:
Commissioned:
Feldpost Nr.:
Sunk:
Sunk by:
Location sunk:
Position sunk:
VII-C
Germania Werft (Kiel)
11 November 1943
12 December 1943
M54453
30 July 1944
Soviet submarine M-103 and possibly
assisted by sub chaser DS-910 and
Soviet aircraft
Koivisto Straits, Gulf of Finland
Unknown
(?
??? men lost)
Here are comments from Captain ROBERT THEW (333-+-1987)
who had served with ONI until retirement, then with the NSA:
In April 1942 she began operating in the arctic and in
early May she attacked convoy PQ.15 but missed an
escort. At the end of June she was deployed against
the expected convoy PQ.17 as part of the ‘Eisteufel’
(Ice Devil) Group and on the 10th after the convoy had
scattered, she sank one ship on 5,255 tons that had
been damaged earlier. In August she conducted ice
reconnaissance in the Kara Sea. In late September
she operated against Convoy QP.14 without success.
The only Skipper of U-250 was Kapitänleutnant Schmidt. After
training and shake-down operations in the Baltic, U-250 went into
the Gulf of Finland to attack Soviet shipping but was herself sunk.
Only six of the crew were rescued.
NOTE – There is some question whether M-103
was a submarine or a sub chaser.
U - 251
Type:
Built by:
Launched:
Commissioned:
Feldpost Nr.:
Sunk:
Sunk by:
Location sunk:
Position sunk:
VII-C
Bremer Vulkan (Vegesack)
26 July 1941
20 September 1941
M15758
19 April 1945
RAF aircraft from Squadrons 143, 235
and 248 assisted by Norwegian
aircraft of the 333 Squadron
So. of Gothenberg
56º 37’ N x 11º 51 E’
(3
39 men lost)
First C. O. of U-251 was Kapitänleutnant
(later Korvettenkapitän) Heinrich Timm
(photo left) from commissioning until turning
over command to Oberleutnant zur See Sack.
Command then passed to Oberleutnant zur
See Joachim Sauerbier who had served
aboard U-120 and U-56 but who was killed in
action aboard U-251.
U-251 was first attached to the 13th U-Boat
Flottille based in Trondheim as a frontboot.
She operated heavily in Arctic waters against Allied convoys to
Russia between April 1942 and June of 1943. She took part in the
famous battle against the ill-fated Convoy PQ.17.
KTB #209
Kapitänleutnant Timm (white cap) looks on as
his crew is given a sendoff on a new mission.
Ships Sunk by U-251 under Timm
03.05.42 JUTLAND
Brit stmr
6,153 GRT
10.05.42 EL CAPITAN
Pana stmr
5,255 GRT
(EL CAPITAN had been previously damaged by bombs
from JU 88 bombers of III./K.G. 30 on 6 July.)
______________________________
EDITOR NOTE – A Sharkhunters Member found
the wreck of U-251 some years ago, but keeps the
location secret.
Welcome BULGARIA!
When STEFAN STANCHEV (7341-2008)
came aboard as a new Member,
BULGARIA became the 76th nation in
which there are Sharkhunters Members.
There are now almost 7,400 Sharkhunters
Members in 76 countries including some countries that don’t even
exist any longer.
Which country will be the 77th nation in Membership?
Remember, the sun is always shining on Sharkhunters Members
somewhere in the world.
Sharkhunters in 76 Countries!
PAGE 19
bÇ XàxÜÇtÄ ctàÜÉÄ
We just learned that our good friend Major General PYOTR
BARABOLYA (1936-+-1991) of the Soviet Navy has
received his Final Orders and has begun his Eternal Patrol.
Old U-Boat Memories
This FT about U-45 of WWI, sent to us by HANS PUSTELNIK
(7269-2007), was his father Sepp Pustelnik who wrote the original
letter to Herr Schulte. It was translated by JASON BULKELEY
(7254-2007). We continue here from KTB #208.
____________________________
REPORT OF RADIOTELEGRAPH OPERATOR JOSEF
PUSTELNIK on the sinking of the S.[M.]S. U-Boat [U-] 45 and
the eventual fate of both rescued personnel
On 5 September 1917, the U-45 departed on a special mission from
Helgoland harbor to the English coast. The next day, 6 September,
the U-boat sent a telegram reporting all well on board. The voyage
continued through the North Sea up to the Orkney Islands. Shortly
before reaching them, upon reaching the Pentland Firth, the U-boat
submerged and resurfaced just on the other side of the crossing.
They stayed submerged from that point, continuing northerly
around Scotland, passing the island of Saint [K]ilda. From there,
they continued to the North Channel, which separates Ireland from
Scotland and forms the entrance to the Irish Sea.
In 1992 when our Sharkhunters “Russian Patrol” was in
Moscow, HARRY COOPER (1-LIFE-1983) visited with
PYOTR in a rest sanatorium. No it’s not a misprint – he was
a Major General in the Soviet Navy, but that’s another story.
Farewell PYOTR my friend – fair winds and smooth seas to you.
Other Actions
Japanese submarines
23 December 1943, the I.J.N. submarine Ro.111 under command
of Kapitänleutnant Naozo Nakamura, sank the 7,934 ton British
steamer SS PESHAWUR at 11º 11’ N x 80º 11’E.
13 March 1944, Ro.111 still under command of Kapitänleutnant
Nakamura, sank the 3,962 ton Indian steamer SS EL MADINA at
20 54’ N x 89 36’E.
These were the only actions initiated by Ro.111 or Nakamura
during World War II. Just three months later, on 11 June 1944,
Ro.111, still under command of Nakamura, was attacked and sunk
at 00º 26’N x 149º 16’E by the destroyer USS TAYLOR (DD 468).
Membership PRIDE!
Email from Lt. Col “MAD” MAX RIEKSE (7109-2006):
“Thanks for NOT being anti-German; just good
history, research and setting the record right is
great. Keep up the good work.”
On 11 September the sub reached Ballycastle Lighthouse and came
so near to land that the crew could have thrown a stone at the
lighthouse. Until then, no enemy ships were sighted, so the
commander, “Captain Sittenfeld,” decided to return back to the
North Channel, to begin a new foray into the Atlantic Ocean,
where traffic was heavier, promising a tidy haul. Around 11:00
pm, radio telegraph operator Pustelnik intercepted and deciphered
an enemy radio transmission, the contents of which are as follows:
“A convoy of six supply ships from America
coming. Await escort destroyer on quadrant [I]B 50
miles NE. of the Scottish coast.”
When the commander was handed this telegram, he immediately
decided to get ahead of the destroyers and destroy the convoy. So
he turned around again in the North Channel, passing the Irish Sea
and arriving at the agreed-upon checkpoint through the Saint
George Channel. That way, he could get ahead of the enemy
destroyers on the spot by 24 hours, and be ready to get to work
completely unhindered by them.
At around 9:00 am on the 12th, the commander, who was standing
watch at the tower, sighted an enemy sub far away. It wasn’t
possible to make out the exact type of ship, due to the extremely
turbulent sea, which was swelling from 11-12. He ordered his
radio telegraph operator to send pre-arranged recognition signals
with his equipment to ascertain the type and to be certain that it
was an enemy ship. The presumed enemy didn’t respond, so the
captain ordered his telegraph operators to repeat the attempt one
more time at 1000 hours. Once again, there was no response. At
that, the captain said “good, we’ll wait some more.” His telegraph
operator called again, unsolicited, at 1100 hours, without waiting
for his commander’s orders. He kept sending the signals in
question for more than 20 minutes, again without success. At
12:00 noon when his watch ended, the commander proceeded
below decks, ate his lunch in peace and then lay down to rest a
little. The acting commander, Lieutenant Commander at Sea
Schmidt, took over his watch . From then on, Lieutenant
Commander Schmidt was at the Tower, [in addition to] the three
men of the watch, an off-duty Chief Petty Officer, and for a short
while Pustelnik and Stoker Babbel, who would soon be off-duty.
(continued in KTB #210 next month)
KTB #209
PAGE 20
Fighter ACES
(begun in KTB #200)
We continue with the fighter ACES of the various air forces of the
war. You know that a fighter pilot with five or more aerial
victories is considered an ACE. For some reason, the list of Soviet
ACES does not begin at 5 victories either but rather in the teens.
We go up one level and now alphabetically list the fighter ACES
credited with 6 victories:
Captain Charles Adams
Lt. Col. John Alison
Captain Stanley Adams
1st Lt. Lester Arasmith
Rudolph Augarten
USAAF -2
1st Lt. Ellis Baker
Lt. (jg) James Bare
Lt. (jg) James Barnes
Lt. Col. Robert Baseler
Major Henry Bille
Major Lawrence Blumer
Lt. (jg) Robert Blyth
Lt. Cdr. Arthur Brassfield
USAAF
USAAF
USAAF
USAAF
Israel - 4
USAAF
USN
USN
USAAF
USAAF
USAAF
USN (6½victories)
USN
The USN WILDCAT was a hot fighter
Cdr. Charles Brewer
Lt. Johnnie Bridges
Lt. Col. John Bright
USAAF – 3
1st. Lt. Harley Brown
Major Harry Brown
Major Meade Brown
Lt. Cdr. Carland Brunmier
Major George Buck
Lt. (jg) William Burchkalter
Captain Robert Byrne
Lt. Matthew Byrnes
Major Raymond Callaway
Captain Richard Campbell
1st Lt. Richard Candelaria
Captain Raymond Care
Captain Kendall Carlson
Lt. (jg) Daniel Carmichael
Lt. (jg) Charles Carroll
Major James Carter
KTB #209
USN (6½victories)
USN
AVG – 3
USAAF
USAAF
USAAF
USN
USAAF
USN
USAAF
USN
USAAF
USAAF
USAAF
USAAF
USAAF
USN
USN
USAAF
Major Creighton Chandler
USMC
Lt. Col. Lewis Chick
USAAF
Lt. Col. Chow Chi-Kei
China
Ens. Robert Clark
USN
Lt. Col. Robert Coffey, Jr.
USAAF
Major J. D. Colinsworth
USAAF
Captain Roger Conant
USMC
Major Walter Cook
USAAF
Lt. William Copeland
USN
1st Lt. Ray Crawford
USAAF
Major Harry Crim
USAAF
Lt. Richard Cowger
USN
Lt. (jg) Melvin Cozzens
USN (6½victories)
Lt. Donald Cronin
USN
Sergeant Wenceslas Cukr
Czech
Captain Donald Cummings
USAAF (6½victories)
Captain Arthur Cundy
USAAF
Captain Edward Czarnecki
USAAF
Lt. Merl Davenport
USN
1st Lt. Barrie Davis
USAAF
1st Lt. Richard Deakins
USAAF
1st Lt. Cecil Dean
USAAF
Lt. Leslie Decew
USN
1st Lt. Edwin Degraffenreid
USAAF
Lt. Anthony Denman
USN
Captain Elliiott Dent
USAAF
1st Lt. Joseph Dillard
USMC
Captain William Dillard
USAAF
Captain Eugene Dillow
USMC
Major Jefferson Dorroh
USMC
1st Lt. Urban Drew
USAAF
URBAN “BEN” DREW (4717-1996) shot down the first
Me 262 in combat. He shot down the Squadron Leader and
his wingman - and sank the largest flying boat at the time.
Captain William Drier
USAAF
Captain Frank Drury
USMC
Lt. (jg) Paul Drury
USN (6½victories)
Captain Charles DuBois
USAAF
Total Number of ACES
Naturally, this is a totally Unofficial count, but so far we count:
FIVE aerial victories:
SIX victories:
U. S. Army Air Force – 264
38
20
U. S. Navy – 129
U. S. Marine Corps – 37
6
I.J.N. Air Force – 8
Flying Tigers – 6
½
Royal Canadian Air Force – 5
Chinese Air Force – 3
1
Royal Air Force – 2
Belgian Air Force – 2
Hungarian Air Force – 2
Czech Air Force – 1
1
Polish Air Force – 1
Soviet Air Force – 1
PAGE 21
By BILL ROONEY (2656-2001)
Members of Garth Doyle’s crew “Sir Tropfrepus” when in China,
got the idea of buying a pig from one of the farmers who could be
found on the roadways in Hsin Ching hauling this item of livestock
to the village in their wheelbarrows. Members of the crew
bargained with this farmer using, in addition to Chinese paper
money, a commodity much more valuable – cigarettes. The
transaction was completed and the pig hauled off to the plane. It
was decided to stash the pig, properly trussed up, in the rear
unpressurized section by the putt-putt (the APU or auxiliary power
unit). This particular porker weighed between 200 and 300
pounds. The crew used ropes to haul him through the rear access
door, which was seven to eight feet off the ground. Crewmembers
used the five or six rung ladder. Needless to say, the pig was
uncooperative and engaged in plenty of kicking and snorting.
After takeoff and reaching altitude, one of the crew observed the
critter through the window in the bulkhead door and noticed that it
wasn’t breathing in a healthy pig manner. Garth advised the crew
that they had a lot of yen and rupees invested in the pig in addition
to many packs of cigarettes, and they better get the pig inside the
pressurized area. Meanwhile, due to some mechanical malfunction,
flight Engineer Kloster reported difficulty in maintaining cabin
pressure at the 8,000 feet equivalent. Accordingly, crewmembers
were advised to don their oxygen masks – but what about the pig?
Doyle reminded his crew of their investment which he didn’t
intend to lose. Reluctantly, crewmembers had to share their
oxygen with the pig, switching a mask from crewmember to pig,
resulting in a joke that went
“One for me, one for the pig. One
for me, one for the pig!”
The crew used the phrase as their inside joke long after the event.
And what thanks did the crew of Sir Tropfrepus get for their
adventure, with probably the only pig to touch down in India? We
must remember that pigs are not known to hold back their bodily
functions, especially when under stress such as making a flight
over the Hump and being wrestled off the plane.
_____________________________
New Outhouse on the Rock
More aviation “insights” from BILL ROONEY (2656-2001)
The converted ‘Rock’ outhouse was a three or four holer placed
over a pit. Since the entire base was built on lava rock, any
outhouse pits were necessarily not very deep.
Very early on after the 45th Heavy Bomb Group was transferred to
the Rock, it was determined that the pit under one of the enlisted
men’s outhouses had fulfilled its purpose and a new pit had to be
created. Pits in lava rock were created, not dug. To accomplish
the creation of a new pit, Matt, Bennie and Pop volunteered to lead
the effort since they were supposedly ex-miners with some
experience in this sort of thing. Many other volunteers with little
or no experience in such matters also participated.
They got the necessary compressor, jackhammer and dynamite.
Matt Sarish said this:
“I didn’t quite agree with Pop Connors and Bennie that
we drill vertically into the rock for our charge. We
made one shot and only created fissures or red dust
while rocking the adjacent outhouse a bit. I suggested
for the next shot we drill at an angle and to increase
our formula of TNT by about three sticks, which I was
sure would be much more effective. We didn’t
appreciate just how effective! Indeed it blew a hole in
the rock to a satisfactory depth, but it also blew the
adjacent outhouses out of sight!”
___________________________
Veterans remember – we want ALL your stories of your time in
the war NO MATTER which branch of which military from
which nation – we want ALL your memories! Please send them
here and if you can enclose photographs too, all the better. We’ll
scan your photos then return them unharmed.
______________________________________
The “One for me, one for the pig” drill lasted for almost four
hours of the six hour long flight across the Hump. According to
Kloster, the pig kicked loose and had to be rounded up and trussed
down again.
Upon landing in Chakulia, they found some former farm boys in
the squadron to help unload the pig. However, the Flight Surgeon
determined that the pig was unfit for human consumption and
condemned it. However, these orders were circumvented and the
pig was eaten anyhow, but was served only to the officers
however, the Flight Engineer says it was served to all at the 4th of
July barbeque.
PAGE 22
Membership PRIDE!
From HAROLD HAUBRICH (4048-1994):
“I thoroughly enjoy your magazine. I read it all every time.”
Regarding JOHN WALLING (7092-2006) from his daughter:
“My father, John Walling, subscribes to our KTB and
thoroughly enjoys it! I wish he would have found your
site years earlier so I could have sent him on some of
your trips. Now, his health will not allow it. Thanks!
And especially thanks for the joy you’re bringing my
father with all of your emails and publications.”
KTB #209
As you see on the last page of this issue of this KTB, our January/February 2008 Expedition to Argentina and
Chile was so successful that we are going back in early 2009 and are already in the planning stages. And yes, we
need your help in the way of funding – TAX DEDUCTIBLE donations are requested. Page 44 has all details.
What was the purpose of this watchtower?
Who lived at this estate?
Do you recognize these large circular objects?
FREE – we will send a commemorative History Coffee Mug to all who donate - no matter the amount;
VERY FREE – We will send Print H (hand-signed by Rear Admiral Fluckey) to all who donate $500 or more.
Be part of this historic expedition by helping us with your TAX DEDUCTIBLE donations. Details on page 44.
______________________________________________________________________
Russia’s Nuclear Fleet
Captain ANATOLIY SMAL (2073-1991) informed us that a new
book is about to be released about the Russian nuclear Navy. It is
written by the last Supreme Commander of the Soviet Navy, Fleet
Admiral (five stars) VLADIMIR CHERNAVIN (2240-1992)
around the end of this year. We have no word yet if it will be
released in English at that time.
bÇ XàxÜÇtÄ ctàÜÉÄ
We just learned that Vice Admiral Komorav began his
Eternal Patrol some time ago. Komorov was the deputy in
the Soviet Navy behind CHERNAVIN. When HARRY
COOPER (1-LIFE-1983) was in Moscow in 1991,
Komorav made him welcome in the Admiralty.
When COOPER was about to leave the (then) Soviet Union,
Komorav came to COOPER’s Moscow apartment with a
fine gift…..it was a beautifully mounted AKULA Class
hunter killer submarine which at that time, was all but
unknown to any navies outside the Soviet Union.
Sail on in peace with fair winds and calm seas, Admiral
Komorav. And thanks for that beautiful gift. HARRY tells
us that is still sits proudly on his memory cabinet.
Pride on Reaching 400,000
CHERNAVIN (with Sharkhunters cap) left and SMAL (right)
This photo taken in Moscow during our 1992 “Patrol in Russia”.
KTB #209
DON NEAR (7317-2008) had this to say about Sharkhunters
reaching 400,000 ‘hits’ on our website:
“Congratulations! That is indeed a milestone and
I’m glad I’m now part of it. Keep up the good work.
It is sorely needed.”
PAGE 23
FREE CDs! Yes, FREE!
That’s right – each & every year that you renew your Membership,
you may select any one of these great CDs as your FREE GIFT.
ACD-2 Music of the U-Bootwaffe;
ACD-3 Music of the Wehrmacht, mostly U-Boot;
ACD-4 Italian naval music;
ACD-5 Music of the Luftwaffe I;
ACD-6 German music from the war years;
ACD-7 Russian naval and folk music;
ACD-8 Music of the Luftwaffe II;
ACD-9 Germany military music, mostly Kriegsmarine;
ACD-10 Very funny U.S. Air Force songs;
ACD-11 Japanese Navy music from World War II;
ACD-12 Interview with ERICH TOPP (118-+-1985)
ACD-13 Interview with BOB MAHER (221-1986);
ACD-14 Sea Chanteys – Lale Anderson and original Lili Marlen;
ACD-15 WASP Tales part I;
(the WASP were the Women’s
ACD-16 WASP tales part II;
Airforce Service Pilots)
ACD-17 Interview with OTTO GIESE (45-+-1984);
ACD-18 Interview with HORST DEGEN (116-+-1985) part I;
ACD-19 Interview with HORST DEGEN (116-+-1985) part II;
ACD-20 Drums and Trumpets, DDR Army Band;
ACD-21 Austrian Folk Music;
ACD-22 Marches, DDR Army Band.
ACD-23 Speeches, Music and BISMARCK
ACD-24 Dönitz speech and great music
This are all great CDs – music of the war years and before; music
from the Army Band of the DDR which no longer exists and many
interviews with veterans who are no longer with us and they are
yours FREE! Each year when you renew ON TIME, you will be
able to select any one of these (we will be adding more soon) CDs
as your free gift, and we will ship it out to you at no charge – we
even pay the shipping for your free CDs.
GREAT GIFTS!
On receiving his FREE gifts for renewing rapidly, DENNIS
STOCKS (4813-1996) sent this email:
“The CD and DVD as below arrived safely today.
Thanks again. These perks of Membership are
thoroughly enjoyed and I watch-listen to my collection
over and over. It’s an amazing experience to listen to
those who actually made history.
This is an
astonishing resource that should be protected. Your
efforts to collect and preserve this material deserve
the highest commendations.”
Members remember – if you send in your renewals with the
first reminder, you receive any of our CDs absolutely FREE.
And if you have been a Member for five or more years, you
may select any of our more than 160 DVDs ALSO
FREE….in ADDITION to your free CD.
If you are on the automatic renewal with your credit card on file,
you will never be late! So when you see on your statement that
your annual dues have been charged, just send us an email, a note
of just call here at HQ and tell us which you want. It IS that easy.
____________________________________
Horton on the Fly – in Brazil?
If you are on the automatic credit card renewal program, you’ll get
your free CD as well. When you notice the charge on your credit
card billing statement, just let us know by email, FAX or ‘snail
mail’ which CD you want as your free gift, & we ship it – FREE!
Can’t wait? Want them now? No problem! If you wish to buy
any of these CDs, they are only $15 (plus $3 shipping) each. Send
us your order with your check or credit card information and we’ll
get your CD(s) right out to you. You’ll love them! Guaranteed!
That’s right – if you don’t like your CD for any reason, return it for
a full refund. Heads you win – tails you can’t lose!
AND FREE DVDs – Yes, FREE!
If you have been aboard as a Member for FIVE CONSECUTIVE
YEARS, you also receive a FREE DVD if you renew in a timely
manner. Your FREE DVD is in addition to whatever CD you
choose as your free gift – and Sharkhunters even pays the postage.
Which DVD can you have? Any one you want from our file of
more than 160 films – it’s yours FREE with your FREE CD when
you renew your Membership dues in a timely manner. Check our
website for the complete listing of DVD selections.
AUTOMATIC Dues Renewal
When you see your automatic dues renewal charge on your
statement, let us know by email or snail mail which CD and DVD
you want, and we’ll ship it pronto.
PAGE 24
We came across this photo which IS SAID to be a German built
Horton Flying Wing bomber. We are also told that this photo was
taken many decades ago – over Brazil!
Is this a true photograph? Is it really a Horton Flying Wing
bomber? Is it really airborne over Brazil?
These are things we intend to find out on our return expedition.
Will you help us return? Read page 44 this issue carefully then
please send your TAX DEDUCTIBLE contribution.
As an aside – that Horton Flying Wing looks a lot like……well,
like the B-2 Stealth bomber of the U.S. Air Force, doesn’t it?
Think there is a reason for that? When we return to South America
in 2009, we will have more answers to many more riddles.
KTB #209
Intelligence Page
We promised our Members that this was the beginning of a
fantastic look into a history that has not been fully revealed as yet
and there is a lot more to be revealed – a WHOLE LOT MORE!
_____________________________
‘Black Boats’
We hope to have more to tell you about certain ‘Black Boats’
because as soon as this issue is finalized and taken to the print
shop, Sharkhunters President HARRY COOPER (1-LIFE-1983)
will be in Europe, speaking with a friend and Member who rode
these U-Boats that didn’t exist……………. The report will be in
KTB #210 and if it is what we think it will be, more history will be
rewritten. Watch for it.
We have already listed many of the officers of GRAF SPEE who
made it back to Germany to continue to serve in their armed forces
(Wehrmacht) or stayed in South America to work there.
Here are more GRAF SPEE Officers who returned
Günter Schiebusch was W.O. and returned to Germany in 1940 to
U-Boat Training. October 1941 to April 1942 he was commander
of U-252 then April to November 1942 he was Kommandant of the
5th U-Bootflottille. In 1944 he went to OKM Staff. He was
promoted to Korvettenkapitän in 1944.
EDITOR NOTE – The secret roster of
Kriegsmarine officers given to us by OTTO
KRETSCHMER
(122-+-1985)
showed
that
Schiebusch was still living in Germany in 1985.
Georg Ratsch returned to Germany in 1940. He was promoted to
Kapitänleutnant in 1944. He was also living in Germany in 1985.
Helmut Hiersemann was W. O. aboard GRAF SPEE and returned
to Germany in 1941. We do not know what he was doing in South
America for that missing year. Promoted Korvettenkapitän 1943.
Carl Klepp was Engineer aboard GRAF SPEE and he returned to
Germany in 1940. He was promoted to Kapitänleutnant (Engineer)
in 1943.
Paul Ascher was 1. A. O. aboard GRAF SPEE and he returned to
Germany quickly after the loss of the ship; he returned in 1939.
He was promoted to Kapitän zur See in 1941 – and posted aboard
BISMARCK. He was killed 27 May 1941.
How did these men get out of South America? What did those
who stayed behind in South America do? We’re looking into that.
KTB #209
Coincidence? Parallel?
In the book “Escape from the Bunker” which was pretty much the
work of DON ANGEL ALCAZAR de VELASCO (158-+-1985),
he tells of the Commander named ‘Jui’, which is not a very
German name and he also talks about a junior officer being
constantly disrespectful to the Commander. Does Jui = Jacobi?
In the 1994 interview with PAUL BOCHEN (5051-+-1996),
BOCHEN (who was crew on one of the ‘Black Boats’) said this:
“He could not recall a name – could be
Korvettenkapitän Jacobi? In his views, the I.W.O.
was a Gestapo man because he very loudly
berated the Kommandant.”
Is it possible that this was the same ‘Black Boat’ that took DON
ANGEL and Martin Bormann to Puerto Coig in Patagonia?
We still have ample stock of this book, and it will open your eyes
to the aftermath of the war.
The book is only $20
each and Sharkhunters
will pay the postage for
you in the USA. Outside
the USA, please add $5
postage.
We do not
charge for the postage –
the post office does, and
we merely collect it and
pay it to them.
In this book, DON
ANGEL tells of the time
he was summoned for a
special mission in 1953 to
meet with……..read the
book for that information.
However, DON ANGEL
thought that the plane
took him to Antarctica but
this was either an error on his part or more likely, deliberate Spook
misinformation. This would not be unusual for an agent who
wanted to tell a story but not divulge too much. We believe that he
landed on the place we call the ‘Estancia’ for many reasons, which
we will go into in later issues.
Get the book – it will open your eyes! Who was DON ANGEL
working for? Who did he meet with in this mysterious place? If
you accept the carefully scripted suicide in the bunker theory, then
keep your eyes closed and don’t order this book. But if you want
to really know what happened, this book is the beginning.
PAGE 25
Intelligence Page
(continued)
We reference the alleged sunken U-Boats (see front cover) and we
asked S.E.I.G. Agent SECOND SON for his thoughts. He stated:
For the printed paper KTB via the post
We are sorry and sad to report that Membership dues will increase
by $5 at all levels of Membership. As you know, we do our very
best to keep Membership dues as low as possible and any time we
are forced to raise them is a direct result of increased costs, usually
increased costs from the Post Office.
In this case, it is the constantly rising postage costs, but also thanks
to the greed of the oil companies, we have no choice. Sharkhunters
has an old (1987) Suburban truck that we use to bring the printing
from the print shop to the school for the KTB to be assembled then
to the Post Office for mailing to our Members. When we got this
old truck about five years ago, it cost only about thirty-five dollars
to fill the fuel tank. We just filled up again a few days ago – and it
cost more than one hundred dollars to fill the same tank with the
same amount of fuel! And so sadly, dues must increase to just
keep up with the increased costs.
On 1 January 2009, all levels of Membership will increase by $5.
NO DUES INCREASE
With the eKTB via the Internet
Sorry, we do not wish to confuse Members. On 1 January 2009
dues will increase by $5 only for Members who receive the
printed paper KTB Magazine through the Post Office.
There will be NO DUES INCREASE for Members who receive
their eKTB via the Internet. We promised that that there would
never be a dues increase for those receiving the eKTB via Internet
and that is true – there is NO DUES INCREASE for Members
who receive their eKTB via the Internet. Those dues remain at:
$50 per year – Seaman Level
$75 per year – Commander Level
$150 per year – Admiral Level
Dues for the eKTB no matter what country you live – they are all
the same and they will NEVER increase. If you are not yet
receiving your eKTB via the Internet, you might wish to think
about making the change. You will save a lot of money, your
eKTB will reach you at least one month sooner and it is in color.
All you have to do is send us an email and tell us to switch you to
the eKTB – it IS that simple! Please remember to include your
name (first and last) and we’ll take care of the change. Email us at:
[email protected]
Change to the eKTB now!
Get it instantly – save money – full color photos – why not?
PAGE 26
“I need to establish a good search method for the
submarines that are on the bottom of the sea covered
with sand. I need to know what technology and how
much money is necessary to find them.
The
submarines are 30 meters below the sea and 2
kilometers from the coast.”
This was dated 16 October 2007
____________________________
COOPER sent to S.E.I.G. Agent TIGER on 23 December 2007:
“My friend confirmed that his ‘Black Boat’ made three
patrols from Spain to the Sargasso Sea AFTER the
end of the war where they transferred civilians onto a
tramp steamer……but he cannot remember the
names of the civilians. He told me what kind of boat it
was and he told me which boat took Martin Bormann
to Argentina, but I will do more cross checking on this
part of the story before making a definite
announcement. I think that he will remember more
when I visit with him the next time. He is concerned
because twenty years ago, he was told that if he
spoke about these patrols, he would be killed. Now,
twenty years later, the men who made these threats
are probably dead and my friend, who is all the time
smoking cigarettes, is dying of cancer and so he has
nothing to fear. He will give me more information and
I think he may even remember the names of the
civilians when I see him next.”
______________________________
From S.E.I.G. Agent REMBRANT on 24 December 2007:
“Have you heard of Operation LAST CHANCE?
Maybe you will encounter some of the last old
hardcore SS? Some 18 members of the Waffen SS
live in (Stadt). A place you have to investigate of
course is the estate of (Estancia). Perhaps it is a
good idea to do Chile as well. You know Villa XX from
Schaffer and the hardcore Abwehr officers who are
running the wealthiest community in South America.
One of my loyal informers in Ecuador told me a
very rare story about Mengele. It seems that he IS
STILL ALIVE and living in the capital Quito protected
by neonazis and armed forces units!”
_____________________________
These are recent communications but we are also opening our old
files that have been kept secret for fifteen or twenty years. It must
be apparent already, that we are ripping away the well scripted
history that we were all taught in school. The history we all learned
in school is like a bowl of cold oatmeal – there is nothing there.
We are certain that by the time we are finished with the REAL
history of this portion of World War II as well as before and after,
your eyes will be opened. Keep reading.
KTB #209
Intelligence Page
(continued from previous page)
More from our Communications Files
As we were preparing for the January-February 2008 expedition to
Argentina, S.E.I.G. Agent TIGER told us:
“We will visit every Nazi related place – you will be
amazed how many you have here, we will visit
‘Estancia’, a Nazi colony where Hitler stayed some
years after the war not far from the city.
Also we will go to (Casa), a huge house built by
Perón’s right hand man on a far away shore of a huge
lake. XXXXX says that Hitler stayed in this house
until ‘Stadt’ turned into a tourist city in the 1950’s then
he moved to Cordóba (province).”
____________________________
From Agent REMBRANDT prior to our heading south:
“Maybe it is possible to track down some new
evidence about the whereabouts of SS Doctor Heim.”
_____________________________
Again from REMBRANDT:
“I have found something what looked like the secret
diaries of Admiral Byrd. I know that it is coming from a
doubtful source, perhaps you will notice after reading
the minutes of the Admiral, there are perhaps clues
for the ‘hidden site’ called by Dönitz ‘the Shangrila
for the Führer’. I like to know is it fiction or fact?
Perhaps you and your Sharkhunters have some great
ideas or other information.
The fun begins with the flight’s log of Admiral Byrd.
The hollow earth crap is just a trick to remove the
investigators from digging deeper than that.”
______________________________
EDITOR NOTE – We are in agreement with REMBRANDT;
this report allegedly written by Admiral Byrd during his time in
command of Operation HIGH JUMP is a little hard to believe.
There are many theories of why he had such a large battle group
including an aircraft carrier, a submarine, several warships and
some 5,000 men for what was reported to be a simple mapping
operation over Antarctica.
Many Members and some here at HQ believe there definitely
was more to the mission, but so far there is no firm proof of
anything else. Still, Germany sent a force to this same area in 1938
for an alleged mapping mission with a force that included at least
one large aircraft catapult ship with BV 138 flying boats aboard.
EDITOR NOTE (continued) – It is reported that these BV 138
flying boats were to drop stainless steel markers, rods of about 2
meters long, along what would be the border of ‘Neu
Schwabenland’, Germany’s claimed area in Antarctica. Again;
there is speculation, but no proof.
Still, one must wonder why Germany sent a task force to this
forgotten part of the world before the beginning of World War
Two…..and the US sent a very large task force to the same isolated
part of the world for the allegedly same reason shortly after the end
of the war. Food for thought…..
The BV 138 flying boat was built by the well known Blohm &
Voss shipyards in Hamburg, the same shipyard that built not only
the battleship BISMARCK but also a great many U-Boats. They
reportedly were both hated and loved by their aircrews. The main
drawback was the very limited visibility for the pilot when taking
off and landing. However, once airborne, the three diesel powered
engines could remain aloft for hours upon hours. Perhaps this was
a determining factor is the use of these flying boats for the mission
to map Antarctica in 1938 to mark the borders of what they
referred to as ‘Neu Schwabenland’.
_____________________________
From S.E.I.G. Agent PIZZARRO we received this:
“Yes, I have the story of Skipper Wermut U-530, but
U-530 has not guest on board.
Near Mar de la Plata, 30 miles south near Punta
Mogades Lighthouse was the Skipper Heinrich
Garbers with his vessel PASSIM, on shore 11 July
1944. And 80 miles inland, in a farm where a very
good German agent codenamed SARGO = Becker
with his group 12 and with radio station for the
PASSIM vessel. Vessel is the name for a sailing boat.
Operation name – WOLLIN I. PASSIM has 10.5 tons
cargo for SARGO and Argentina General Perón.
In December 1944, Sargo gave a very long radio
code to Berlin, to the RSAH for the next operation in
spring 1945. Name of the operation was Feuerland!”
_____________________________
FEUERLAND! We have heard so much about this operation, and
now we will be telling more and more about it.
(continued in KTB #210 next month)
KTB #209
PAGE 27
KTB #166 was published in
February 2003 and the front page
showed our pride at reaching our 20
years anniversary, and we thanked
all our Members for making
Sharkhunters such a success. Thanks
to the Members but especially,
thanks to the veterans, Sharkhunters
has become the official worldwide
publication of U-Boat history.
We were ending
the interview with
HELMUT SCHMOECKEL (1455-LIFE1990), Skipper of U-802. he also wrote a book
(available in German only) entitled ‘Humanity
on the High Seas’ in which he chronicled the
many times U-Boats stopped to give aid to
survivors of ships they had sunk.
We were into chapter 13 of the book “Spy for
Germany” written by ERICH GIMPEL
(884-LIFE-1988), which told of his life as a
German Agent. His mission to sabotage the
‘Manhattan Project’ and halt the American
atomic bomb project came to a bad end when
he was betrayed by fellow agent William
Colepaugh and was arrested by the FBI.
Former American spook RICHARD GAY
(6314-2001) was giving his insights into the
Operation ELSTER that brought ERICH and
Colepaugh to the United States.
Under the title GAS PRICES TOO HIGH we were running the
transcript of the Senate hearings into the so-called American oil
companies providing fuel to all sides during World War Two. At
that time, just five years ago, Americans were worried that
gasoline would go above $2 per gallon……and look at it now –
about to hit $4 per gallon! In our ‘Scuttlebutt from Santos’
JAMES SANTOS (4896-A/LIFE-1996) gave us an overview of
the early boats in WW II starting with the “S” boats and into the
early fleet boats.
Ritterkreuzträger
In the entire length of World War II from 1st
September 1939 through 8th of May 1945, only
145 Knights Cross medals were awarded to the
men of the U-Bootwaffe. Only about 1/3 of
one per cent received this high award; one man
out of 268 was so honored. That is about one
man from almost 6 boat crews; one man in
about 300 - A very high honor, indeed.
The 85th Knights Cross was awarded to Kapitänleutnant Harald
Gelhaus, Skipper of U-107 and U-143. The award was made 26
March 1943.
The 86th Knights Cross was awarded to Korvettenkapitän Karl
Nietzel, Skipper of U-510. The award was made 27 March 1943.
The 87th Knights Cross was awarded to Kapitänleutnant Günther
Seibicke, Skipper of U-436. The award was made 27 March 1943.
The 88th Knights Cross was awarded to Kapitänleutnant Ulrich
Folkers, Skipper of U-125. The award was made 27 March 1943.
The 89th Knights Cross was awarded to Kapitänleutnant Hans
Heidtmann, Skipper of U-559. Award was made 12 April 1943.
The 90th Knights Cross was awarded to Kapitänleutnant Helmut
Möhlmann, Skipper of U-571. The award was 16 April 1943.
The 91st Knights Cross was awarded to Kapitänleutnant Gunter
Jahn, Skipper of U-596. The award was made 30 April 1943.
The 92nd Knights Cross was awarded to Kapitänleutnant Wilhelm
Franken, Skipper of U-565. The award was made 30 April 1943.
The 93rd Knights Cross was awarded to Kapitänleutnant KLAUS
BARGSTEN (328-+-1987). He had been I.W.O. aboard U-99
under OTTO KRETSCHMER (122-+-1985) then became
Skipper of U-521. The award was made 30 April 1943.
In PETER’s PERISCOPE, former Spook PETER HANSEN (251LIFE-1987) goes deeper into the mystery of the missing boats and
talks about U-530 and U-977 in particular, and how they were able
to make it all the way to Mar de la Plate, Argentina.
‘Secrets of Feuerland’ was the title of a piece we were doing, sort
of an early look at what we are releasing now about the Argentina
connection to the war. There was more coded messaging.
We were also running “Life on Board of Submarines” by ERICH
TOPP (118-+-1985). The title is self-explanatory.
KTB #166 was 44 pages in length and typeset on a new generation
computer. The photos were nice, but nowhere near as crisp and
sharp as they are in today’s modern KTB.
_______________________________
Remember – your comments, questions and suggestions are always
welcome. As a Member of this organization, your input matters
and we give all of your thoughts careful consideration.
PAGE 28
BARGSTEN
Markworth
The 94th Knights Cross was awarded to Kapitänleutnant Günther
Heydemann, Skipper of U-575. The award was made 3 July 1943.
The 95th Knights Cross was awarded to Kapitänleutnant Friedrich
Markworth, Skipper of U-66. The award was made 8 July 1943.
This list of Knights Cross recipients continues in KTB #210.
KTB #209
The Silent Service
USS DRUM (SS 228)
Built by:
Design:
Keel laid:
Launched:
Sponsor:
Commissioned:
First Skipper:
Portsmouth Naval Shipyard
Government
11 September 1940
12 May 1941
Mrs. T. Holcomb
1 November 1941
LCDR Robert Rice
One of the older submarines, USS DRUM was in the war quickly.
In February of 1942, she operated off the dreaded Bungo Suido,
made famous by “NED” BEACH (1163-+-19989) in his book and
later movie “Run Silent! Run Deep!” starring Clark Gabel, Burt
Lancaster and many other well known actors.
Under LCDR Rice, USS DRUM was off Osaka in April 1942 and
into May. She made six attacks with the resultant loss of four
Japanese ships. Five months later, USS DRUM was back in the
same waters and sank three more Japanese ships.
During the runup to the Battle of Midway, USS DRUM was on her
way eastbound, coming out of Japanese waters headed for home.
She, along with 5 other American submarines similarly deployed,
were given all available data on the impending battle and ordered
to intercept any Japanese ships retreating from Midway. During
the blockade of the Japanese stronghold at Truk, there was USS
DRUM again as part of the picket line. She attacked three large
ships and assumed damage to each, but there was no confirmation.
This was a real war horse, and in October 1942, USS DRUM was
again off the Japanese home islands and sank three more ships.
In December 1942, USS DRUM was under a new Skipper, LCDR
B. F. McMahon and relegated to mine laying. She was back where
she began, laying a mine barrage in the Bungo Suido between
Shikoku and Kyushu.
USS DRUM was hit and damaged on 22 November 1943. the
official U. S. Navy report is as follows:
“Depth charged by two Japanese PC’s while at about
300 foot depth. Conning tower after bulkhead plating
and door frame cracked in way of upper door hinge.
Leakage through crack was minor, however, being
only 2 or 3 gpm at deep submergence. MBT No. 7
vent riser leaked at flange. Maneuvering room hard
patch leaked over control cubicle. Torpedo impulse
air system forward leaked slightly. No. 2 periscope
optics were deranged. Ship terminated patrol.”
In October 1944, USS DRUM, now under command of CDR. R.
H. Rindskopf, was one of three American submarines in a ‘wolf
pack’ code named ‘Bannister’s Beagles’ patrolling the ‘Convoy
College’ area during which time she sank three more ships.
KTB #209
Battle Summary of USS DRUM
Prepared by Captain ROBERT THEW (333-+-1987):
1st War Patrol (R. H. Rice) 14 April through 12 June 1942; sank
2 May 1942 MIZUHO
seaplane tender 12,150 GRT
9 May 1942 unknown
freighter
4,000 GRT
13 May 1942 SHONAN MARU freighter
5,264 GRT
25 May 1942 KITAKATA MARU freighter
2,380 GRT
2nd War Patrol (R. H. Rice) 10 July through 2 Sept. 1942; sank
No attacks
3rd War Patrol (R. H. Rice) 23 Sept. through 9 Nov. 1942; sank
8 Oct 1942 HAGUE MARU freighter/passenger 5,641 GRT
9 Oct 1942 HACHIMANZAN
MARU
freighter
2,461 GRT
20 Oct 1942 RYUNMAN MARU freighter
5,106 GRT
4th War Patrol (B. F. McMahon) 29 Nov. 1942 - 24 Jan. 1943; sank
No attacks
5th War Patrol (McMahon) 24 March through 13 May 1943; sank
9 April 1943 OYAMA MARU
freighter
3,809 GRT
18 April 1943 NISSHUN MARU freighter
6,380 GRT
6th War Patrol (McMahon) 7 June through 26 July 1943; sank
17 June 1943 MYOKO MARU
freighter/pass
5,087 GRT
7th War Patrol (McMahon) 16 August thru 6 October 1943; sank
8 Sep 1943 HAKUTETSU MARU freighter
1,334 GRT
8th War Patrol (D. F. Williamson) 2 Nov. - 5 Dec. 1943; sank
17 Nov 1943 HIE MARU
ex-supply
11,621 GRT
9th War Patrol (Williamson) 9 April through 31 May 1944; sank
No attacks
10th War Patrol (M. H. Rindskopf) 24 June - 14 August 1944; sank
One sampan and took two prisoners
11th War Patrol (Rindskopf) 9 Sept. through 8 Nov. 1944; sank
24 Oct SHIKISAN MARU
freighter/pass
4,725 GRT
26 Oct TAISHO MARU
freighter
6,886 GRT
12th War Patrol (F. M. Eddy) 7 Dec. 1944 - 17 Jan. 1945; sank
No attacks
13th War Patrol (Eddy) 11 February through 2 April 1945; sank
No attacks
USS DRUM was awarded 12 Battle Stars; was decommissioned 16
February 1946; reserve training ship until 30 June 1968. She is
now a Memorial ship in Mobile, Alabama.
PAGE 29
FREE CDs! Yes, FREE!
That’s right – each & every year that you renew your Membership,
you may select any one of these great CDs as your FREE GIFT.
ACD-2 Music of the U-Bootwaffe;
ACD-3 Music of the Wehrmacht, mostly U-Boot;
ACD-4 Italian naval music;
ACD-5 Music of the Luftwaffe I;
ACD-6 German music from the war years;
ACD-7 Russian naval and folk music;
ACD-8 Music of the Luftwaffe II;
ACD-9 Germany military music, mostly Kriegsmarine;
ACD-10 Very funny U.S. Air Force songs;
ACD-11 Japanese Navy music from World War II;
ACD-12 Interview with ERICH TOPP (118-+-1985)
ACD-13 Interview with BOB MAHER (221-1986);
ACD-14 Sea Chanteys – Lale Anderson and original Lili Marlen;
ACD-15 WASP Tales part I;
ACD-16 WASP tales part II;
(the WASP were the Women’s Airforce Service Pilots)
ACD-17 Interview with OTTO GIESE (45-+-1984);
ACD-18 Interview with HORST DEGEN (116-+-1985) part I;
ACD-19 Interview with HORST DEGEN (116-+-1985) part II;
ACD-20 Drums and Trumpets, DDR Army Band;
ACD-21 Austrian Folk Music;
ACD-22 Marches, DDR Army Band.
ACD-23 Speeches, Music, BISMARCK
ACD-24 Dönitz surrender speech and great music
This are all great CDs – music of the war years and before; music
from the Army Band of the DDR which no longer exists and many
interviews with veterans who are no longer with us and they are
yours FREE! Each year when you renew ON TIME, you will be
able to select any one of these (we will be adding more soon) CDs
as your free gift, and we will ship it out to you at no charge – we
even pay the shipping for your free CDs.
If you are on the automatic credit card renewal program, you’ll get
your free CD as well. When you notice the charge on your credit
card billing statement, just let us know by email, FAX or ‘snail
mail’ which CD you want as your free gift, & we ship it – FREE!
AUTOMATIC DUES RENEWAL
The Automatic Dues Renewal Program, which has been in effect
since the early part of 2002, is well received by our Members. It
saves the time and headaches of having to fill out a form each year,
sticking it into the envelope, licking the flap – hunting for a stamp.
YOU GET A FREE CD!
For our Members with credit card numbers on file – there is
nothing for you to do. When your dues are due, they are just
charged to your account and your Membership is renewed for
another year – it is THAT simple! When you see the charge
appear on your statement, send us an email, a FAX or call to let us
know which FREE audio CD you want for your renewal, and it
will be sent to you immediately. Which audio CD do you want?
Look our website for the list. They sell for $15 each plus shipping,
but one is yours FREE when you renew your Membership.
MAYBE A FREE DVD TOO!
If you have been a Member for five or more consecutive years, you
may also select any of the great Sharkhunters videotapes or DVDs
IN ADDITION TO the audio CD. Let us know your selection &
the DVD or videotape too will be sent, also FREE.
Members love this program. Do we have your credit card data? If
not, just send it here and you are on the list for simple automatic
renewal. Cancel anytime you wish – but this certainly is easy!
WARNING!
WARNING!
This very possibly is the last year that our “Southern Patrol”
will have our group staying at the Hotel zum Türken! In a
conversation
with
our
dear
friend
INGRID
SCHARFENBERG (3308-A/LIFE-1993), the owner of the
hotel, we are told that her health is failing and she doubts
that the hotel will be open any more after the end of 2008.
Can’t wait? Want them now? No problem! If you wish to buy
any of these CDs, they are only $15 (plus $3 shipping) each. Send
us your order with your check or credit card information and we’ll
get your CD(s) right out to you. You’ll love them! Guaranteed!
That’s right – if you don’t like your CD for any reason, return it for
a full refund. Heads you win – tails you can’t lose!
AND FREE DVDs – Yes, FREE!
If you have been aboard as a Member for FIVE CONSECUTIVE
YEARS, you also receive a FREE DVD if you renew in a timely
manner. Your FREE DVD is in addition to whatever CD you
choose as your free gift – and Sharkhunters even pays the postage.
Which DVD can you have? Any one you want from our file
of more than 160 films – it’s yours FREE with your FREE CD
when you renew your Membership dues in a timely manner.
Check our website for the complete listing of DVD selections.
AUTOMATIC Dues Renewal
When you see your automatic dues renewal charge on your
statement, let us know by email or snail mail which CD and DVD
you want, and we’ll ship it pronto.
PAGE 30
We will still have our “Southern Patrol” year after year, but if
the Hotel zum Türken closes in 2008, we will not stay there
again OR visit the bunkers and tunnels that radiate out from
the basement of the hotel.
We ask you to please keep Frau SCHARFENBERG in
your prayers. She is a fine lady and a good friend.
KTB #209
FANTASTIC Southern Patrol!
Saturday 13 September through Saturday 27 September – 15 DAYS
We’re going places in 2008, meeting people like never before
Our very special hotel on the Obersalzberg is a quaint three
centuries old Bavarian gasthaus, filled with history, owned by our
good friend INGRID SCHARFENBERG (3308-A/LIFE-1993).
During World War II, this was the HQ for Hitler’s personal guard
when he was on the mountain and was 100 meters from his home.
When you walk the courtyard of the hotel, in the drive or next door
where Hitler’s home stood – you are walking in the footsteps of
history. When you turn in for the night, you’ll wonder who slept
in this room 65 or 70 years ago. Who took their schnapps in the
dayroom downstairs 7 decades past? Is your imagination up to it?
Bunkers, Tunnels running beneath the homes.
In the cellar of our
hotel is the entrance
to the underground
bunker system that
honeycombed
the
mountain for miles.
Hitler,
Göring,
Bormann, the guards
all had their bunker
systems and we are
right there!
München – Where it all Began
We tour the many famous places in München by bus and on foot,
and we have our lunch in the Hofbraühaus where the famous “beer
hall putsch” started in 1923. The Swastika is still in the ceiling!
Feldherrnhalle
Buildings of the Reich
Feldherrnhalle (photo above left) was the intended goal of
the 9 November 1923 “Putsch” but it was just a few meters
to the left in this photo where the armed confrontation took
place – you just have to be there to feel it! We see other
buildings of the Reich, standing today. Plenty of photo-ops!
Ulrichbergfest!
The “Memorial on Ulrich’s Mountain” might be a good
translation and it is here, atop one of the highest mountains in the
Tyrol of southern Austria it takes place the third Sunday of
September each year. Inside the ruined cathedral are memorial
plaques to so many of the divisions, brigades etc. of the fallen
soldiers. A huge cross stands near the cathedral.
_____________________________
The Eagle’s Nest!
This was the rest house that Martin Bormann had built for Hitler’s
50th birthday. We will be there – in the elevator inlaid with highly
burnished copper to the massive fireplace of Italian marble sent by
Mussolini to the room where Eva Braun took tea with her friends.
The ladies are selling “Schnaps” on the mountain (photo left
above) and the money goes to the veterans. What is
‘Schnaps’? Ask a moonshiner about ‘white lightning’! The
photo right is the veterans in the ‘Honors’ section, and our
Sharkhunters group is seated right with them – up front!
Elevator Entrance
View from the top
From the deck at the Eagle’s Nest high atop Kehlstein
Mountain, we can see all the way to the famed Salzburg Castle.
KTB #209
The ceremonies, the dozens & dozens of veterans with their
flags, the Austrian Army band – and when they play “der
Gut Komerad” (the German version of Taps) tears will fill
your eyes and you’ll get a lump in your throat.
PAGE 31
More Information on this Fantastic “Patrol”
Our time on the mountain is priceless, but the time is not finished.
We have our lunch with hundreds of veterans (photos below) on
the mountain meadow just below the area of the ceremony. The
brats and the beer are excellent! Bring the camera.
Our time with these wonderful veterans isn’t finished yet. Not one
but TWO evenings we are guests of honor (photos below) with
hundreds of veterans from the Gebirgsjäger; the Falschirmjäger,
the Waffen SS and other divisions. You will meet them!
Naturally, there is MUCH more – too much to list it all.
_____________________________
Nürnberg
The Name Says It All!
We visit the famous places of the beginning of the Reich and we
will learn why Nürnberg was chosen – the Zeppelinfeld (photo
below) where the speeches were made – we stand on the same
podium and we are in the OFF LIMITS ‘Gold Room’ where
Hitler held his receptions before his speeches AND we’re INSIDE
his private office! Bring the cameras.
The Congreßhall (photo above) was built like the Coliseum in
Rome, but far larger. It too, is OFF LIMITS but as we know, the
term ‘Eingang Verboten!’ really means ‘Sharkhunters welcome!’
We are IN Room 600
of the ‘Palace of
Justice’ where the
Nürnberg ‘War Crime
Tribunals’ were held.
This is a normally
operating courtroom,
but we have it to
ourselves for an hour or
so. Photos? Of course!
You’ll walk where so
many famous people have
walked! Can you handle
it? Due to new demand,
we have reinstated our visit
to Oktoberfest AND we
enjoy an evening dinner
cruise on the Adriatic in
Opatija, Croatia, a favorite
place of the Hapsburgs.
HIGH POINTS of this “Patrol” include:
• Dinner with the veterans in a magnificent medieval castle;
• Shooting competition high in the Alps;
• Dinners with vets of many branches of the Wehrmacht;
• The magnificent ULRICHBERGFEST Memorial;
• Lunch with veterans on the mountain;
• Stay in the hotel that housed Hitler’s personal guard;
• Visit to the beautiful Eagle’s Nest;
• We go INTO the bunkers under Hitler’s guard HQ;
• We tour the famous buildings in München;
• The Deutsches Museum;
• Visit the famous places in Nürnberg;
• Dinner cruise on the Adriatic;
• OKTOBERFEST!
Your low Sharkhunters “Patrol” price of only $2,976 includes all
the above plus all hotels (double occupancy), all transportation on
our deluxe motorcoach, all breakfasts, entry to all places listed, all
meetings with the veterans. Add $600 if you wish a single room.
We visit this historic place – and you will stand right on the spot
where the leaders of the Reich stood to make their speeches. You
will be INSIDE this historic place – but no speeches, please.
PAGE 32
www.sharkhunters.com for more details.
Sharkhunters
P.O. Box 1539 Hernando, FL 34442
(352) 637-2917
KTB #209
During the ‘COLD WAR’, close encounters sometimes became
deadly. In June 1970, the attack submarine USS TAUTOG (SSN
639) was shadowing a Soviet nuclear missile submarine in the
northern Pacific. The Russian commander became suspicious and
made a looping turn to check for a possible training American.
USS SCORPION heading out to sea
_____________________________
In 1986, USS AUGUSTA (SSN
710) ran into a Soviet nuclear
submarine in the North Atlantic.
AUGUST seen here, is running
surfaced during another mission.
They were testing a new type of
sonar system aboard AUGUSTA
when the incident took place.
____________________________
USS TAUTOG (SSN 639) heading out to sea
On 11 February 1992, USS BATON ROUGE (SSN 689) was
cruising off Russia’s Kola Inlet when she collided with the Soviet
fast attack submarine BARRACUDA. Neither boat was lost.
EDITOR NOTE – This maneuver was unofficially
known as a “Crazy Ivan”.
One TAUTOG crewman remembered it this way,
“All of a sudden Ivan was coming screaming at us!”
Below - USS TAUTOG practicing an emergency blow
The Soviet boat’s
propellers struck the
American submarine
as she streaked by
TAUTOG’s
sail.
TAUTOG had a thick
hull and withstood the
impact,
but
the
Russian sub wasn’t so
lucky.
Apparently
the collision ruptured
the propeller shaft seals and with the pressure of the deep
submergence, water gushed into the boat at a fearsome rate. Sonar
operators aboard TAUTOG could hear the sounds of the Soviet
submarine breaking up and sinking.
_____________________________
USS SCORPION (SSN 589) was lost
near the Azores in May of 1968.
Rumors persist that she was lost as a
result of a similar commission with a
Soviet submarine that was following
her. She is on the bottom at 10,000 feet
in this photo.
KTB #209
_____________________________
James Crenshaw rode USS JOHN MARSHALL (SSBN 611) said,
“We knew Soviets were out there, probably sometimes right
beside us as we patrolled the vast areas of the Pacific.”
Next month – ‘Special Ops’ warfare.
PAGE 33
More information about U-250
Thanks to CHUCK MYLES (1068-1989) we learn:
This boat was sunk 30 July 1944 in the Gulf of Finland by depth
charges from the Soviet sub chasers DA-910 and M-103 and
bombed by several Soviet aircraft in position 60º 28’N x 28º 25’E
in the Koivisto Straits after an attack on the 54 ton Soviet patrol
MO-105, which was sunk. Forty-six of the crew of U-250 were
killed. The commander, Kapitänleutnant Werner-Karl Schmidt ad
five others were taken prisoner by the Soviets. He was released
from captivity in March 1949.
U-250 was raised by the Soviets in early September 1944, moved
to Kronstadt on 15 September 1944, repaired then commissioned
into the Soviet Navy as TS-14. The boat was later broken up.
The Russians found secret documents, an Enigma M4 machine as
well as a Zaukönig acoustic torpedo. They refused a British
technical team permission to examine the boat, the equipment or
the torpedo.
What is the new information is that the Kriegsmarine did not want
this boat raised, so S-Boats dropped mines around the watery grave
of U-250 lying off Viborg to stop the Russians from raising U-250.
The S-Boats were from 5. S-Flottille, which had lost all but one
boat in the Channel and was now being reconstituted practically
from scratch.
As Großadmiral Karl Dönitz was pressing for results, the three
serviceable boats of 5. S-Flottille (Kapitänleutnant Holzapfel) set
out at once for Reval in company with the depot ship HERMANN
VON WISSMANN, arriving on 15 July 1944 and from there,
proceeding to the Kotka Skerries where 6. S-Flottille had lain in
the spring. Other boats followed once serviceable and so by
August, the Flottille stood at eight boats as ordered, although the
depot ship was west of Helsinki for fear of air attack. To
compensate for this, a provisional land base was set up and from
here the Flottille sailed a few minor operations, searched for
survivors of the three German torpedo boats sunk in their own
minefield while laying mines, and they dropped mines around the
watery grave of U-250 off Viborg to prevent the raising of the
submarine.
Shortly after laying these mines, S-80 hit a mine and sank with five
crewmen. This was on 8 August 1944. T-22, T-30 and T-32 of the
3. S-Boat Training Flottille sank. T-23 escaped undamaged.
_____________________________
More information about U-74
Thanks to CHUCK MYLES (1068-1989) we learn:
As a rule, Telex was used in the Mediterranean for messages
between the flotilla staffs and Naval High Command in Rome. As
there was no fixed command center and the Flotilla Commander
led from a boat, there was little important information useable by
Ultra. The British received indirect information regarding the first
operations of 3rd U-Bootflottille operations when Ultra decoded
messages sent to U-74 on 21, 22 and 23 December 1941, advising
of submarine operations off Malta. In the Black Sea and Baltic,
Ultra was not significant.
Z.B. 1417/23/12-U-74 again informed that ‘our own MTBs will be
operating during the night 23-24/12 in Square 3491 (east of Malta)
and to the southward of that position’.
PAGE 34
Return Expedition
To South America
As you read on page 23 and again on page 44, there will be another
Sharkhunters Expedition to South America in 2009; most probably
the month of January and possibly over into February. This will
not be a soft Sharkhunters “Patrol” with a deluxe motorcoach
taking the participants from place to place – this will be another
fact finding expedition similar to the one just accomplished during
which we visit sites of interests to historians of the Third Reich
activities during and after the end of the war.
We do need your help with your TAX DEDUCTIBLE donations
as you saw on pages 23 and 44. We listed the gifts that we would
send to donors – but let us add another gift here.
Everyone who donates a minimum of $100 will
receive a copy of the expedition report AND a CD
of all the photos we will take on the expedition.
Thanks in advance for your support with this expedition.
COPYRIGHT Reminder
As there is great FIRST PERSON history on
the pages of our KTB Magazine as well as
many well-researched articles on the history
of the U-Bootwaffe, it is all copyrighted.
Please remember that each and every one of
our KTB Magazines is copyrighted and
everything in each and every issue is also
copyrighted and protected.
Nothing may be reprinted, copied or
disseminated in any way without written
permission from Sharkhunters.
Same for Photographs
Our photographs are also copyrighted and you will notice
that we are now forced to put our website address on all our
photos. For some reason, many of our photographs are
popping up on that website that the veterans & serious
researchers call uboat-dot-NOT and the owner of the
website doesn’t know how that is happening. However,
when we spot our photos on that website, he is quick to
remove them but we wonder how many more are on the site
and more to the point – how did they get onto that website
when they’re clearly Sharkhunters property. HHhhhmmmm.
KTB #209
First Time Ever – Bunkers in the East!
Saturday 27 Sept. thru Friday 10 Oct. 2008
From Berlin east to Warsaw, Following this Historic Course
This is an original and very special “Bunker Patrol”
specifically designed for our Sharkhunters. For years,
our Members have been demanding a “Bunker Patrol”
deep into areas of Poland once controlled by the Reich.
Our “Bunker Patrol” begins with a tour of Spandau.
Heading east, we tour the
massive fortification “Oder
Warthe Bogen” similar to the
Siegfried Line with forts,
bunkers, gun emplacements
and connecting tunnels.
We visit Fort #VII (Colomb) and the town of Poznan.
After visiting this historic place, we move on to Torun
and visit the cathedral of Gneses as well as the house of
Copernicus. After dinner, we enjoy a pleasant stroll
along the Vistula (Weichsel) promenade in Torun.
In Berlin we tour the mansion, the place of the so-called
“Wannsee-Conference” (photo above) and we also
visit Karlshorst, the mansion in which Jodl signed the
surrender. It is just as it was on the day of this signing.
Above and below – some of the sights in Poznan
An day is devoted to the Headquarters of the OKW
(Military High Command) and their bunkers, tunnels
and other fortifications outside Berlin, seen below.
We travel the old city section of Poznan, also Fort #2
then in the famous city of Gdansk (Danzig) we visit the
historic railway bridge near Tezew. We visit the bunker
complex at Hela Peninsula and visit Westerplatte where
the old German battleship SCHLESWIG-HOLSTEIN
began World War II by firing into the fortification.
Hitler’s assassination was planned here.
KTB #209
We’re 40 meters deep
PAGE 35
More Fantastic Bunkers – including WOLFSSCHANZE!
We’re also treated to visit aboard
currently operational submarines
of the Polish Navy – a Russian
built KILO and a German built
KOBBEN. We also visit aboard
a Polish destroyer that saw combat action in WW II, the
THUNDER (seen here in the war). We meet with
Polish veterans as well as officers and men currently
serving in the Polish Navy.
Destroyer THUNDER
KILO
PLEASE NOTE – On this “Bunker Patrol”
supper as well as breakfast is included.
Did you know that Heinrich Himmler had a hardened
bunker site not far from Wolfsschanze? It wouldn’t be
a REAL Sharkhunters “Patrol” if we missed that, so we
visit the field HQ of Himmler near Pozezdrze.
KOBBEN
We visit the massive fortress Marienburg (Malbork) the
biggest brick castle in all Europe. Then to Rastenburg!
Do you want a better photo of the bunker complex?
You can take the photo yourself on this “Patrol”.
We tour the bunker area Mauerwald and enjoy a dinner
cruise on the Mauersee aboard a beautiful cruise ship.
We visit the citadel at Modlin – a massive structure!
WARSAW! We tour the military museum, the Warsaw
Museum, Museum of 1944 Polish Uprising and much
history. During our final evening we enjoy farewell
dinner with Polish dancing and folkloric group.
We spend an entire day at WOLFSSCHANZE! It was
here that von Stauffenberg placed the bomb that was
intended to kill Hitler. Photos above and below.
HIGH POINTS of this “Patrol” include:
• Visits into Spandau, the ‘Wannsee’ Mansion and OKW;
• All hotels including all breakfasts and all suppers;
• Transportation aboard our deluxe motorcoach;
• Visits into the fortifications and bunkers listed;
• The Polish warships and visit with the veterans;
• WOLFSSCHANZE! A huge piece of living history!
• Himmler’s bunker HQ complex.
Your low Sharkhunters price of only $2,987 includes
all of the above plus hotels (double occupancy),
transportation, breakfasts, suppers, meetings etc. Add
$600 if you wish a single room.
www.sharkhunters.com for more details
Sharkhunters
PAGE 36
P. O. Box 1539 Hernando, FL 34442
(866) 258-2188 TOLL FREE
KTB #209
Submarine Stories from SubVet ROBERT “DEX” ARMSTRONG (6909-2004)
Marl "Tinker" Garlock
He became Lil' Abner from then on. The next morning, Lil'Abner
shows up at morning chow. The cook yells out,
"Watcha havin, Abner?"
I am an odd man to memorialize Tink Garlock, a shipmate who
died aboard REQUIN. I do not have the eloquent vocabulary or
the ability to craft the phrasing required to do proper honor to a
fallen mate. Wish I did… If anyone rates such a homily, it's Tink.
This one is rough. We were alley rats together and well after his
death I came to know and love his family - his brother, his sister
and his lovely mother.
"Watcha got?"
"Pretty much anything you want, but if you eat
turtle eggs and hummin' bird wings, then go to
Annapolis and eat forward. You take what y'want,
but y'eat what you take…"
"Give me a dozen eggs scrambled, four toast, six
link sausage, shitload of bacon and black coffee."
"Hey kid, never bullshit a cook. If you're serious,
you got it. You pull my leg and I'll bounce you off
the inside of the pressure hull."
"I AM serious. You gonna’ stand there all day
runnin' yur mouth, or are you gonna’ earn what
they pay you and fix me some breakfast?"
Tink ate one dozen eggs and everything that went with it.
"Hey kid, you got a gahdam tapeworm?"
USS REQUIN around the end of the war
"Garlock… Is it true that your mother couldn't
afford to feed you anymore, so she smashed your
plate and tossed your butt out the door?"
His name was Marl Garlock. He came from McConnellsburg,
Pennsylvania where they called him "Tinker" or "Tink"… We
called him "Lil' Abner."
The day he arrived he dropped down the after battery hatch,
dumped his gear and came forward to the crews mess where we
were taking a small mid-morning Spanish recess, swapping lies
with coffee. He had just cleared Great Lakes.
He was a tall lad. They ran out of dungaree trousers his length and
issued him trou that hit him three inches above his ankles. They
used to say that God never intended to create mice…..they were
elephants before they entered the Navy supply system.
So there was this new guy; freshly minted sub school grad via the
T-division on the Orion; standing there in GP boots (general
purpose high tops) and high-water pants.
"Hey kid, tide's out… You can roll 'em down."
"Hey Lil' Abner, what happened? Did Dogpatch
burn down?"
USS REQUIN dockside in Pittsburg
Tink could take it and deal it out. Within a week he had
degenerated into a full-fledged after battery rat; talked about
hunting all the time. Closest most of us had come to hunting was
doin' in rats with a pellet gun while they were doing their
'Rockettes' imitation across our mooring lines.
"Hey Abner, you'n Daisy Mae lookin' fer a home?"
KTB #209
PAGE 37
Remembering HANS-GEORG HESS
We received a letter from TILMAN HESS (5817-LIFE-1999),
son of our dear departed friend HANS-GEORG (125-+-1985)
who began his “Eternal Patrol”. TILMAN wrote:
“Your letter from 1 April 2008 was such a fantastic
honor for Hans-Georg, and I/we are very thankful on
behalf of him to say thank you, thank you, thank you.
Hans-Georg believed in God and we know him close
to Him now. You can imagine that I miss him as well.”
______________________________
Great Sharkhunters Prints
New Member JANE RITTER (7334--2008) ordered some of our
beautiful art prints that were hand-signed by HANS-GEORG
HESS (125-+-1985) because we will donate a full 25% of the
purchase price of these prints to the U-Boot-Ehrenmal in his name
on all such orders we receive up to 31 July this year. She wrote:
“The beautiful prints arrived today!! Many thanks for
sending them so quickly.”
EDITOR NOTE – These ARE beautiful prints and
as stated, 25% of all money we receive from sales
of these specific prints by 31 July will be donated
to the U-Boot-Ehrenmal in the name of HANSGEORG HESS (125-+-1985). Details are on page
41 of last month’s issue, KTB #208 and on the
next page of this issue. Check it out.
_____________________________
BACK ISSUES AVAILABLE!
We no longer keep any back issues here. It had gotten out of hand
so badly that entire storerooms were filled with back issues, so we
do not keep them any longer. But the ‘Master Copies’ are still
kept here and so we can offer back issues at these prices:
•
•
•
If you receive the eKTB and lose one of the issues you
received via the Internet, replacement eKTB is FREE;
If you wish any other back issues that are stored on our
hard drive (from KTB #182 to current) we will send it via
the Internet and the cost is only $5 per issue;
If you wish ANY back issues printed on paper from the
masters we have here at HQ, the cost is $10 each and
Sharkhunters will pay the postage in the USA. Outside
the USA, please add $2 for postage. It isn’t us – it’s the
post office who charges…..we merely collect the postage.
Back Issues come quickly, according to LAWRENCE
NOTHDURFT (5510-A/LIFE-1998) who emailed:
“Just a short note to let you know that I have received
the hard copies of KTB #206 and #207. Much thanks
for your prompt response. You guys always come
through. You have better customer service than Wal
Mart and are much more efficient than the
government. Once again, thanks.”
Need back issues? Just let us know and we’ll send them right out
to you in the manner you request.
PAGE 38
The Sad Story of “Tinker” Continues - Page 27
Lil' Abner was neck-deep in 90% of the stupidity cooked up in the
alley, but since he can no longer defend himself, I leave him out of
the stories. That way, when I buy the farm and get to where either
God or the devil billets boat sailors, Tink won't punch my lights out
and will have saved me one of those racks where you don't hot
sack… Like in God's goatlocker (When you die, everyone makes
Master Chief - that's why they call it Heaven).
Lil' Abner went down in the pump room to wipe down the
diamond plate deck plates and equipment. He opened and lifted
out a plate so the belowdecks watch could see the bilge level and
pump when necessary. At some point, he stretched out on the deck
plates. Belowdecks watch and trim manifold operator thought he
was catching siesta Zs.
What had happened was that Tink Garlock was wiping down with
a solvent that came in a can with no warning that it was toxic and
shouldn't be used in confined spaces. Someone said that it was
intended to clean airplanes and that anywhere you could put an
airplane was not a confined space. Argument useless at this point
since Tink was overcome and he died in the pump room.
His brother, Bob Garlock took this tragic, senseless loss and
fashioned it into a living tribute to Tink. Bob Garlock began the
REQUIN reunion. He started rounding up sailors who served on
REQUIN from '45 to '70. The list grows larger each year as does
the reunion. Without Bob Garlock, there would be no reunion. It's
always in Pittsburgh because that's where the boat is.
At the first reunion, we took a boat ride down the Ohio and back.
It was a beautiful fall evening. Snipes gathered at the fantail to
suck their lungs full of diesel exhaust and play the 'Do you
remember that silly bastard off the USS So-in-so' game. Tim
Conaty, a third class quartermaster, was forward. The skipper, Ed
Frothingham yelled,
"Conaty, can you fix our position?"
"Aye sir… If my calculations are correct, we are either
approaching La Harve or entering Tokyo."
Then someone yelled, "Jeezus, isn't this perfect weather?"
And someone, can't remember who, hollered back,
"What did you expect? We've got Lil' Abner standing
watch on the weather!"
He was ship's company… Always will be.
_____________________________
EDITOR NOTE – Anyone who has served in the
military in any branch of service for any country has
probably lost a friend or two during their hitch, even
when there is no combat involved. The military is a
highly professional organization with serious
responsibilities and sometimes working with high
technical and rather dangerous equipment. It is
always hard to lose a buddy, especially in a noncombat situation…..but it happens, and we always
remember those who don’t return.
Did you know it was Sharkhunters who saved USS REQUIN from
the cutting torch? More on that later.
KTB #209
In Memory of HANS-GEORG HESS (125-+-1985)
As you know, we donate 10% of all our print sales to the Deutsch
U-Boot-Ehrenmal (the German Submariner’s Memorial) BUT as a
tribute to this fine man, we will donate not 10% but 25% and not
just prints but for everything on this page. That’s right – 25% of
all the money that comes in from sales of these items through the
end of July this year will be donated to the U-Boot-Ehrenmal.
Hand-Signed
Limited-Edition Fine Art Prints
YOUNGEST COMMANDER
Three months past his 21st birthday,
Oberleutnant zur See der Reserve
HANS-GEORG HESS took command
of U-995 and became the youngest
combat submarine commander of
World War II and possibly of all time.
Hess was a brave, fearless commander
and soon earned the Knights Cross and
he skippered his boat for five
successful war patrols at a time when 9
out of 10 U-Boats didn’t return from
their first war patrol.
Now you may have a hand-signed print (only 1,000 made) of
Captain Hess. The actual size of this rare print is 11” x 14”
Order Print B Only $60
(plus $10 shipping)
_____________________________
Hand-Signed
Limited-Edition Fine Art Prints
CONVOY in SIGHT
This beautiful black and white
print is signed by 18 veterans of
the War at Sea…..15 Skippers, 8
Knights Cross holders and one
with the Knights Cross with Oak
Leaf and Crossed Swords. Your
print is hand-signed by:
Hans-Georg Hess, Knights Cross
Horst v. Schroeter, Knights Cross
Helmut Witte, Knights Cross
Jürgen Oesten, Knights Cross
Paul Brasack, Knights Cross
Alfred Eick, Knights Cross
Kurt Diggins, C. O. of U-458
Siegfried Koitschka, Knights Cross
Erich Topp (Knights Cross, Oak Leaf and Crossed Swords;
Günther Heinrich, Skipper of U-960
Gerd Thäter, Skipper of U-466
Helmut Schmoeckel, Skipper of U-802
Hermann Hoffmann, Skipper of U-172
Herbert Werner, Skipper of U-953, author ‘Iron Coffins’
Matthias Brünig, Skipper of U-106
Volkmar König, midshipman on U-99
Gerhard Richter, radioman aboard U-81
Peter Hansen, U-Bootfahrer and Abwehr agent
THÄTER and HESS
Only 500 of these prints have been made and all are hand-signed
by these men of history, eight of whom have already begun their
‘Eternal Patrol’. This is a great historical print!
Kapitänleutnant GERD THÄTER
made the trip through the ‘Gates
of Hell’ (Gibraltar) not once but
twice! He was Skipper of U-466
and his I.W.O. HANS-GEORG
HESS proved to be a superb XO
and he later got command of his
own Type VII-C boat.
Order Print AJ Only $250
(plus $10 shipping)
_____________________________
Yesterday’s Enemies are Today’s Friends
This is the motto of Sharkhunters and it is the title of this print.
These men were very close up to
the day that THÄTER began his
“Eternal Patrol”. They each hand-signed the 1,000 black and
white prints. This is a genuine MIKE WOOTEN print.
Order Print AK Only $100
(plus $10 shipping)
___________________________
All Prints are Numbered and Registered
All prints from Sharkhunters are numbered and ownership is
registered here on our master computer. This ensures that you and
only you have that specific print and you further enjoy the security
of knowing that your ownership of your own print is kept on file
here at Sharkhunters Headquarters.
REMEMBER – 25% of all money that comes in from items on
this page until 31 July will be donated to the U-Boot-Ehrenmal.
KTB #209
This print is hand-signed by 3 German and 3 American skippers.
GERMAN SKIPPERS
Erich Topp
Rolf Thomsen
Hans-Georg Hess
AMERICAN SKIPPERS
Gene Fluckey
Slade Cutter
Edward L. Beach
All of these fine warriors have departed on their ‘Eternal Patrol’.
Order Print AL Only $125
(plus $10 shipping)
PAGE 39
Sharkhunters Historic Coffee Mugs
Make a Mug of WHO?
We are frequently asked why we don’t offer a coffee mug with the
photo of this Skipper or that pilot etc and usually we DO have that
veteran featured on a coffee mug. Here is the list of who we have
already set up and ready to ship:
NOTE: On these, the Luftwaffe Pilot’s Badge is on one side
and the veteran’s photo is on the other. They include:
E-1
Eaglehunters Crest
E-2
Günther Rall
E-3
Adolf Galland
E-4
Wolfgang Späte *
E-5
Benno Hermann
E-6
Hans-Ekkehard Bob
E-7
Erich Hartmann
E-8
Artur Pipan
E-9
Erich Biene
E-10
Viktor Petermann
E-11
Gerhard Studemann
E-12
Hermann Buchner
E-13
Gerhard Krems
E-14
Willi Dipberger
E-15
Frank Neubert
E-16
Franz Kieslich
E-17
Georg von Zirk
E-18
Hans Wohlbier
E-19
Günther Bierbauer
E-20
Hans Dally
E-21
Siegfried Fischer
E-22
Oscar Boesch
E-23
Franz Grap
E-24
Herbert Ihlefeld
E-25
Erhard Jähnert
E-26
Hans-Ulrich Rudel **
E-27
Günther Kempin
E-28
Heinrich Meyering
E-29
Horst Petzschler
E-30
Herbert Rauh
E-31
Werner Roell
* - the reverse is the photo of the KOMET rocket plane he flew.
** - the reverse is the photo of his STUKA.
Japan’s Escort Carriers
by RAUL COLON (7194-2007)
Japan is universally recognized as a major carrier power during
World War II when the Imperial Japanese Navy possessed the
most powerful carrier force in the world. It was with this force,
coupled with well designed aircraft and excellent combat pilots;
that Japan was able to roam free on the vast Pacific Ocean during
the first months of the war. The force continued to be the
backbone of the entire fleet well into late 1942 when attrition,
mainly experience aviators, began taking its toll. By late 1943 the
once vaunted Japanese carrier force was a shell of its former self.
Now relegated to decoy and even suicide missions, the carrier
force was powerless to stop the United States Navy’s drive towards
the Japanese home islands.
But this sad end should not overshadow the nation’s ability to
produce some of the finest carriers ever developed. Japan’s fleet
carrier program has been the subject of many books, articles and
papers. Their design, development and deployment had been well
covered, but not so the Japanese escort carrier force. Japan’s
escort carrier fleet program began in the shadows of the
Washington Naval Treaty of 1922 which regulate the type of ship
and total tonnage of each major naval power. Almost immediately
each of the signatories tried to circumvent the Treaty’s limits in
tonnage and capital ship designs.
In Japan, a covert program began in earnest to convert passenger
liners into aircraft carriers. Most of the liners that underwent the
conversion program entered the Japanese fleet as escort carriers
instead of capital, fleet flattops. Imperial Japan intended these
converted liners to work side-by-side with the Combine Fleet.
Unfortunately, they possessed a low speed capability (between 20
and 24 knots), lacked a true catapult system and the necessary
storage capability to complement the main fleet elements. It is
because the above described limitations, the primarily mission
profile for these “converted liners” was that of ferrying aircraft
across the vastness of the Pacific. It was not until late in the war
that Japan’s escort carries were organized into a collective combat
unit, the Grand Escort Command, with the assignment task of
protecting the merchant and convoy shipping.
(this will continue in KTB #210 next month)
With the exception of E-17 (von Zirk) all these pilots were
decorated with the Knights Cross or higher.
U-Boat Losses by Flotilla
Our Sharkhunters Historic Coffee Mugs are $15 each (plus $5
shipping. And we can usually ship within one week of receipt of
order. It is complicated to fire these mugs so we do it once a week.
by CHUCK MYLES (1068-1989)
In KTB #210 next month, we will list the U-Boat Skippers that we
feature on our Sharkhunters Historic Coffee Mugs. As with all
Sharkhunters Gift Items – your satisfaction is guaranteed or your
purchase price is quickly refunded.
Membership PRIDE!
MARTIN FERNANDEZ (6522-2002), currently serving in the
U.S. Army overseas, emailed this:
“Knowing the truth is awesome!! Here’s to
another great year!!!”
PAGE 40
The 4. U-Bootflottille (4th Submarine
Flotilla) based in Stetin was a training flotilla
from May 1941 through May 1945. Since
this was a training flotilla, their losses were
nowhere near as great as those of the Front
Flotillas. However, they lost 18 U-Boats out
of a total of 283 – 6.4% in total. Flotilla
Commanders were:
• Kapitänleutnant Werner Jacobsen
May through July 1941;
• Kapitänleutnant Frauenheim (pictured here) July and
August 1941;
• Fregettenkapitän Heinz Fischer from August 1941 to the
end of the war.
(this feature will continue in KTB #210 next month)
KTB #209
Submarine Stories from JAMES SANTOS (4896-A/LIFE1996)
Albert (Albie) Niess
from Russ von Moppes
In June of '48, as an 18 year old FN striker, I was standing on the
deck of the USS NEREUS as one of 40 others awaiting
assignment to submarines. The Duty Officer read off four names:
Zech; Woods; Woodruff and Van Moppes, and told us to report to
VOLADOR and POMODON. The remaining 36 men were
assigned messcooking aboard NEREUS. The duty officer's name
was Ziezenkowski, and he was no doubt tired of all those
assignment lists which continually led off with names beginning
with the letter 'A'.
Assigned to POMODON and to the after torpedo room for
berthing, I met TM2 Albie Niess. With Albie, if it didn't move it
had better shine, and if it moved it had better be clean and squared
away or it was sent to the after battery to bunk. In reality, TM1
Pennington was in charge of the room, but you would never have
known it.
Leaving POMODON and Albie Niess in Yokosuka in '51 as a
squared away EM2, I attended IC School then on to Instructors
School; NTC; Nuclear Power School; and OTC. As a newly
commissioned Ensign, I reported aboard the RASHER in 1958 as
the Commissary Officer. Several of the current RASHER roster
were aboard, including the CO, Cal Turk; Reed Grady, XO; Don
Walsh; Thom Warburton; Larry Shumaker, and Gib Carter. LCdr.
Grady was relieved by Fred Fagin and I had been promoted to 1st
Lt., Weapons Officer. Fred asked if I could find a COB for Rasher
and I immediately thought of Albie. We found him and the rest
was magic.
Albie knew every white hat, their strengths and weaknesses, and
how to get the most from every one of them. A model for the
wardroom, he was in great part responsible for RASHER winning
the Division and Squadron 'E' during that period, as well as for a
very successful WestPac cruise.
I have had many blessings and a wonderful life that had it's origins
in the mentorship of TMC Albert (Albie) Niess. If there be a 'fish'
in heaven, it be a hot, straight and normal run under his guidance.
_____________________________
Albie and Butch
from Dave Hackett
For whatever it's worth, I would like to pass on something about
two real submarine Chief Petty Officers, Albie Niess & Butch
Koenig. In 1960 I was 24 years old going on 15, and had a
problem of NOT showing up on my duty weekends. One day the
XO told me he had enough of my s_ _ _, and that I could explain it
to the CO over the long green table.
Later, while cleaning up in the forward battery well, Albie came
down wearing dress blues. I said,
"Albie, you're going to destroy your uniform.
The battery acid will eat holes in it."
KTB #209
He said, "Don't worry about my uniform. You worry
about getting your act together. You're going on
five days basket leave and get your yourself
together, come back and be a sub sailor!"
I told him the XO was taking me to mast and he said he would
speak to the XO.
EDITOR NOTE – For those not familiar, the
‘Captain’s Mast’ is the way the Navy refers to an
Article 15 hearing of the Uniform Code of Military
Justice (UCMJ) in which the unit commander has
the authority to hear minor charges against an
individual and can impose minor penalties. Don’t
ask how this Editor knows…..
When I came out of the well, the XO saw me, gave me a dirty look
and told me to see the yeoman for my leave papers. I went on
leave and kept thinking about Albie crawling around the battery
well in his dress canvas. NO WAY was I going back and screw
over someone who went out of his way to help me. I know that is
what got me started growing up. Butch was my Chief and he and
Albie decided that maybe, just maybe, I might make a submarine
sailor someday. I hope I made it!
I have served in a lot of boats since then with various duties: PO,
CPO, and COB. I have had many Chiefs and COBs, but NONE
the equal of Chief Petty Officer Albie Niess and Chief Petty
Officer Butch Koenig.
(there will be more Scuttlebutt in KTB #210 next month)
12 May 2008!
That is when Members who receive the electronic
eKTB were reading this issue – IN FULL COLOR!
When was the printed paper KTB delivered the post?
SAVE MONEY! ALL Members - in the USA or outside the
USA…..anywhere in the world receiving the eKTB pay
• only $50 per year at Seaman level;
• just $75 per year at Commander level;
• and $150 per year at Admiral level.
These dues will NOT INCREASE! No matter what happens to
the cost of postage, it does not affect those receiving the eKTB so
the dues will not increase.
It is easy to change from the printed paper KTB to the instant
electronic eKTB. Just send an email to us and tell us that you
want the eKTB. It IS that easy! [email protected] is the
email address – some out of the dark ages – and save money!
PAGE 41
Secret Chinese Submarine Base
How Sharkhunters Helped Save USS REQUIN
One of our S.E.I.G. Agents has sent us this information, taken from
the "Daily Telegraph" in England, said to be the best selling
quality newspaper in Britain. In this article, with accompanying
photo from the 'Daily Telegraph', it states that China has built a
major underground nuclear submarine base that could challenge
American power in the region.
When we moved from a Chicago suburb to Tampa, Florida in 1988
USS REQUIN was in the Hillsborough River. She had been open
to visitors as a memorial boat but the Navy Cadets who had been
operating and maintaining the boat did not renew the contract and
the boat was just locked up and languishing at the river’s edge.
The story is backed up by this photo from this Agent who, as yet,
does not have a S.E.I.G. code name. Secret submarine bases
hewed out of solid mountains is nothing new. The Soviet Navy
did the same in the Black Sea at the Ukrainian port city of
Balaklava, better known from
"The Charge of the Light
Brigade" by Alfred Lord
Tennyson. We were there with
our 1995 "Patrol in Russia and
Ukraine" and again to the same
places in 1996. We walked far
out on a point of land where we
saw lookout towers built
centuries ago by the Phoenicians
but manned by Russian security
forces in 1995 and 1996 - and we
could look back at the sheer
cliffs on both sides of the
entrance to the harbor. In the
vertical cliffs on one side of the
harbor, the massive iron doors of
the entrance into the secret
Russian submarine base were
easily seen.
Hiding submarine bases inside mountains is not a new idea, but
with the massive influx of money to China from their trade goods
sold in just about every major nation in the world, the Chinese
military is moving forward a great speed to build a huge military
force and is rapidly becoming a full-fledged blue water navy. It
would be foolish to take them lightly.
While it once was a good idea to hide submarine bases inside
mountains - with the advent of the always present "eye in the sky"
of the satellites, is it really a good idea still? Once inside, the
submarines are invisible to the satellites - but they have to surface
to come into the mountain bases and at that time, they are visible to
the satellites.
_____________________________
Update from another Member
Another Member who is still unnamed tells us that when she was
in ONI (Naval Intelligence) in the 1990’s, the U.S. Government
knew about this base. Any additional info from Members?
PAGE 42
We approached the city to operate the boat and to make our HQ on
board, but Mayor Sandy Freedman decided that we must be a
bunch of Nazis even though many U.S. Navy veterans contacted
her and tried to explain that we’re a history organization and with
no political direction at all. In our plan, we would operate the boat
as a Memorial, have submarine veterans as well as U.S. Navy high
school NROTC cadets act as tour guides and maintain the boat.
After the bills would be paid, the remainder would be split three
ways between Sharkhunters, the city of Tampa and the NROTC
cadets. She wouldn’t even meet with us and turned a deaf ear.
She turned the boat over to a local Boy Scout leader which, on the
surface, didn’t seem to be a bad idea - they are an American group.
However, this Scout leader did not have the boat open to visitors at
all and just used the boat for his Boy Scout meetings.
Well, actually he WAS using the boat for more than Boy Scout
meetings – he was doing things to & with his Scouts that definitely
not in the Boy Scout manual! The Tampa Police stormed aboard
USS REQUIN (SS-481), caught the Scout leader in the Captain’s
cabin with one of his Scouts. The evening news and the local
newspapers featured photos of this guy being led off the boat in
handcuffs – a terrible thing for an American submarine!
Enter Captain BOB O’NEILL (904-1993), USN Retired. There is
something terrifying about a US Navy four-stripe captain in dress
whites when he’s angry. With HARRY COOPER (1-LIFE-1983)
in tow, BOB stormed the Mayor’s office but she was chicken and
so sent one of her flunkies to talk with BOB. The flunky said that
they would be happy to give Sharkhunters the same contract to run
the boat that they gave to the Scout leader. BOB read it said that
only an idiot would agree to what the mayor was demanding, so it
did not go to Sharkhunters. But the story doesn’t end there.
That nitwit mayor was rumored looking for a wrecking company to
break up USS REQUIN in the river! We ran a blistering editorial
in our KTB Magazine which was republished in POLARIS, the
magazine of the World War II SubVets, and there was so much
pressure on Mayor Sandy that the idea of scrapping out the boat
was shot down. Someone picked up the ball and contacted the
Carnegie Museum in Pittsburg and they took the boat. She is well
maintained there and is a fitting tribute to the men of the Silent
Service – saved from the incompetent Tampa Mayor.
PS: Sandy Freedman’s husband was going to be given a nice job
by Bill Clinton but turned out that he had dirty hands…..something
about a bank known as BCCI, money laundering, drugs, etc………
Don’t you just love a story with a happy ending?
KTB #209
For Sale – Museum Quality U-Boat Caps
White Top U-Boat Captain’s Caps…...$150
Soldbuchs……………………………..$ 20
Brass Kriegsmarine Buckles………….$ 30
Museum quality Cap Tallies………….$ 15
Gold WW II U-Boat Badges…………$ 25
(In blue cases)
Kriegsmarine Grid Maps……………..$ 45
WW I German Navy Battle Flags……$ 75
(23” x 16½” inches, cotton/linen)
These are superior quality remakes of the
World War II Captain’s White Top U-Boat
caps. These have the smaller gold braid
trim on the bills as correct for the rank of
Kaleu (Kapitänleutnant) as seen in ‘Das
Boot’. Our caps are very well made – heavy
white cotton canvas tops; real black leather
straps around the front, gold embroidered
wreath and cockade with the gold embroidered eagle and swastika on top portion, gold Kriegsmarine buttons on
each side, brown leather sweatbands with proper stamp and the underside of the bill is leather. Gold antiquated
eagle and Hackenkreuz can be furnished upon request.
7/12
The caps are absolutely stunning quality, made
especially for our company. They can also be put with
a World War II display. We have furnished them to
military museums not only in the United States but also
in Canada, Australia and Austria. Our caps are so well
made they can be worn! If you are the proud owner of
a boat, you could be your own Commander! The
quality is such that the caps should last you a lifetime,
worn with or without the upper insignia (your decision).
EDITOR NOTE – We have one of these
caps for display.
They are indeed,
outstanding. They are good looking and
of a very high quality.
They are just a super, super Kriegsmarine cap. We
know you’ll be pleased. I am retired military. More
than 2,900 customers have purchased from us and as
stated previously, we have furnished U-Boat Skippers
caps to military museums
CAP TALLIES – at present, we have in stock the
following museum quality collector grade cap tallies:
• Kriegsmarine
• BISMARCK
• GRAF SPEE
They are made exactly like ‘originals’ selling for
hundreds of dollars.
KTB #209
Shipping on our caps and all other items in the USA is
$7.50 via Priority Mail and use delivery confirmation.
Cap tallies, belt buckles, World War I flags and grid
maps are shipped rolled.
Satisfaction Guaranteed!
We have always offered 100% satisfaction in anything
we sell, and we take PayPal, checks or money orders.
To Place Your Order
Joe Fischer
Wild Geese Farms Military Antiques
1055 Aire Court
Murfreesboro, TN 37128
Telephone (615) 895-5754
EDITOR NOTE – DO NOT ORDER
from Sharkhunters. You must order
directly through Wild Geese Farms.
PAGE 43
You KNEW we were going back! Our recent expedition to Argentina and Chile was primarily to meet
face to face the friends with whom we have been corresponding, and to see if there really was
substance to these rumors. There is great substance, and many more riddles that must be solved so
we’re planning a return expedition to this area with Geiger counters, metal detectors, experts in various
fields and we will spend more time on site, doing more research in Argentina and Chile and filming it all.
We need your help! All this takes money, so we would like you to send what you can to help with our
return expedition – and your donations are tax deductible, so please think big - it is sorely needed!
You may send your check or send a note to charge your donation to your credit card. Make your check
or charge to Sharkhunters International Submarine Research Institute (S.I.S.R.I. if you don’t like to write
so much) and send it here. This is a legally constituted 501 (c) (3) tax exempt organization and you may
deduct your donations from your taxes. Check with your tax preparer on this. Thanks in advance.
YOU can help uncover honest history - send your donation today and be part of it!
In KTB #210 next month, we’ll ask for volunteers to be with us and we will tell the criteria.
PAGE 44
KTB #209

The Official History Publication of the U

Transcription

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