Ritterkreuz mit Eichenlaub

The 12th U-Bootwaffe Officer to win the OAK LEAF CLUSTER to his KNIGHTS CROSS was Kapitanleutnant Rolf Mutzelburg, Skipper of U-203. The award was made 15 July, 1942.

Mutzelburg, seen here in his White Top on the bridge of U-203, died in a freak accident. On 11 September, just two months after receiving his OAK LEAF CLUSTER, the boat was in safe waters so Mutzelburg allowed his men to go swimming and while diving off his tower, Mutzelburg struck his head on the saddletanks and broke his neck.

Robert Whitehead

From a booklet printed by Electric Boat, sent by JERRY LEE EDWARDS (2241-1992), we read that the self-propelling torpedo, major offensive weapon of the submarine, was invented in 1866 by Robert Whitehead.

DICK and DOOF

From the list of U-Boat slang compiled by MIKE KOSS (299-1987), we find that DICK and DOOF were the nicknames given to the two diesel engines of the U-Boats. On many boats, the diesel engines as well as each of the torpedo tubes, were also given special names by the crews.

Far East Boats

From the information received from WERNER K. HOFFMANN (327-LIFE-1987) we learn that U-843 made the trip to one of the German/Japanese submarine bases in Penang, Singapore or Djakarta in 1944, and she carried 17 torpedoes and ship supplies.

Oh Boat Joe and the Oh-One-Oh

Here is the answer to that trivia question we hit you with in KTB #105 last month. Who WAS OH BOAT JOE OF THE OH-ONE-OH? Here is the answer right from OH BOAT JOE himself, CAPTAIN JOE ENRIGHT (2142-1992):

"When I had command of O-10 in New London in 1942, our mission was to train submarine students. Our diving areas were in Long Island Sound. We were based at the Submarine Base about five miles up the Thames River from the Sound. We frequently had fog. On such mornings it was better to stay in port, if the visibility prevented diving, to let the students get 'on shore' instructions.

Mrs. (Virginia) Enright and I had a delightful home on the shore of the sound. We were less than 1/2 mile to the shoreline and could see a large section (including our diving areas) of the water.

Each Skipper, there were 10-12 of us, decided to get underway if he thought diving was feasible or to stay in port. There was considerable commercial and pleasure boating to avoid.

Our Division Commander was Captain Charles Erick - a friendly, pleasant man. One day he asked me 'Joe, how do you know if visibility is satisfactory or not this far from our operating area? Many times you stay in port when the others go out and within an hour or so, they are back to the pier exclaiming that it's too foggy to safely dive. Seldom do you make a false start.'

I told him that if I am undecided, I'll phone Virginia and ask her if she can see Little Gull Light in our diving area. If she says yes, we go. If she can't, we stay.

He responded 'I'll name her LOOKOUT LIL of Little Gull Light and you I'll call OH BOAT JOE of the OH-ONE-OH.'

It is good to hear from you and I wish you much luck with the KTB Magazine and in the many other aspects of SHARKHUNTERS."

This is great history and appreciate this personal memory of the War years. Anyone who has ever met CAPTAIN JOE knows him to be a real gentleman. He left a very BIG mark on the history of World War II later on, as Skipper of USS ARCHER-FISH (SS 311) when he sank the giant I.J.N. carrier SHINANO. It was the biggest ship ever sunk by any submarine ever; most tonnage ever sunk with one spread of torpedoes and according to CAPTAIN JOE's math, if SHINANO had been fully fitted out for battle with a full load of fuel, planes, AvGAS, personnel, food etc then she would have been the biggest ship ever sunk in ANY manner.

S-37 Sinks Japanese Destroyer Natsushio

Before we get into this month's Q & A, we would like to print a comment (possible correction) by FRANK RACZ (1471-1990) who writes that our answer to Question #13 was not correct, that S-44 sinking the Japanese destroyer KAKO on 10 August, 1942 was not the first such action; that it was S-37 under Lt. James Dempsey sinking the I.J.N. destroyer NATSUSHIO on 8 August.

Now, on to this month's Q & A.

Answers to last month's questions are:

16. The first I.J.N. submarine sunk in World War II by aircraft fire was I-70 on 10 Dec., 1941 by planes of CV-6 off USS ENTERPRISE.

17. The two US NAVY subs that sank Soviet ships in error during WWII were USS SAWFISH sank KOLA and ILMEN in February 1942; and USS SANDLANCE sank the BELLA RUSSA in May 1942; each time the ship was mistaken for a Japanese MARU.

18. It was USS GUARDFISH that incorrectly identified the US NAVY salvage ship USS EXTRACTOR as a Japanese MARU and sank her on 23 January, 1945.

19. The only American submarine commander who was relieved of his command of a Japanese submarine was Hiram Cassedy. He had been assigned to accept the surrender at sea of one of the three giant I-Boats that were designed and built to attack and incapacitate the Panama Canal and he violated strict orders not to take souvenirs by passing out Japanese swords. It was Admiral "Bull" Halsey who removed him from command.

20. For those two or three Members who did not figure out what was the distinction held by ROYAL NAVY Captain Donald MacIntyre; he was Skipper of HMS WALKER and he sank U-99 under command of OTTO KRETSCHMER (122-LIFE-1985), the top submarine Commander of World War II. The two men became friends after the War, and MacIntyre returned OTTO's binoculars to him some years ago.

I know you are really thinking now, so here are a few tough questions to keep you busy until KTB #106 gives the answers.

21. Of the American services, all of them, what group suffered the highest losses?

22. What passenger liner was featured in the movie 'ARISE MY LOVE' and was sunk by U-Boat in World War II? Can you remember what U-Boat sank her?

23. What American ship sank five enemy submarines in eight days? It was actually six submarines in a total of twelve days.....

24. What was the first American submarine sunk in the Atlantic?

25. Can you name the U-Boat Skipper who sank the ATHENIA? His boat?

Modern Day German Submarines

Did you know that the Federal German NAVY has one U-Bootflotille in the modern fleet? This U-Bootflotille is based at Kiel and consists of the the submarine training school, 1st U-Bootgeschwader at Kiel and the 3rd U-Bootgeschwader at Eckernforde - all under the command of KAPITAN zur SEE KURT PFENNIG (2390-1992).

Why no 2nd U-Bootgeschwader? It is tradition in the German NAVY that the odd-numbered squadrons are on the Baltic and the even-numbered squadrons are on the North Sea. There are no German submarines based on the North Sea, and so no 2nd U-Bootgeschwader.