Sharkhunters Everywhere

I think we should make this a regular part of our KTB Magazine so if any SHARKHUNTERS Members bump into each other; any place, any time, and way - please send us a note and let us know the details. We'll put it in here.

BILL BALL (1891-S/LIFE-1991) was here with his wife Judy, and her mother in their new BIG motorhome. If you see a 38 foot BOUNDER going down the highway at something like 90 mph, just wave - that's BIG BILL.

MIKE GRAY (3158-1993) saw a car with a SHARKHUNTERS bumper sticker on it and tried to catch up with it, but that driver did not stop. Could it be that MIKE is a police officer and the other Member possibly thought he was in trouble?????

I took my family on vacation to Key Largo between Christmas and New Year, when our children are out of school, and we stopped to visit with CAPTAIN SPENCER SLATE (1567-1990), owner of ATLANTIS SCUBA DIVE SHOP there, one of the biggest and most reputable dive operations in the Keys.

He remembered when our SHARKHUNTERS group was in Key Largo for the 1st Annual SHARKHUNTERS Convention. We went out on his glass-bottom boat to view the wreck of SS BENWOOD which ran onto a reef, trying to stay too close to shore and away from the U-Boat lanes.

He turned over the controls of his boat to OBLT zur See HANS-GEORG HESS (125-LIFE-1985) while FKPT GERD THÄTER (197-LIFE-1986) had the lookout for airplanes. We had a great time in Key Largo - and we are going to do it again!

February of 1997 will be the 10th Anniversary of our very first Convention, and we will be going back to Key Largo again. Watch your mail for all dates - but don't watch too closely.....1997 is still a long way off.

The 300th Anniversary of the Russian Navy

The 300th of anything only comes one time, then it is gone into history forever. So it will be with the 300th Anniversary of the Russian Navy and all the history, ceremony and memories that go with it.

By this time, you have received the flier for our history-making SHARKHUNTERS/EAGLEHUNTERS visit to Russia for the celebration of this historic occasion. We will not be spectators for this piece of history - we will be PARTICIPANTS!

We will be in the parade; will meet with the Soviet submarine veterans of WW II; with the Soviet Air Force veterans of the War; with the CinC of the current Russian Navy ADMIRAL VALENTIN SELIVANOV (2545-1992) and his staff - and we will meet with FLEET ADMIRAL VLADIMIR CHERNAVIN (2240-1992), the last Commander of the combined Soviet Navy.

Hess Recovering

Our very good friend, OBLT. HANS-GEORG HESS (125-LIFE-1985), Commander of U-995 and the youngest combat Skipper of World War II, recently was in the hospital for a major operation. We do not know the precise nature of this operation, but in the recent FAX from Germany, we are told they opened him 'from belly to thighs'. We are most pleased to report that HESS is in good condition and recovering.

Translator Needed

Our German translator, RENEE von WÖRDE (887-1988) has done a superb job for us and we sincerely appreciate all her help, but she has recently become consumed in her teaching, her pursuit of her doctoral degree, and many other responsibilities so she is unable to help with translating the documents we need translated.

Who will volunteer? There is no pay, but your name will be in each issue of our KTB Magazine - and you will read of the top secret Intelligence items we are uncovering before anyone else.

We also need a translator of Russian - who will volunteer?

Please contact HQ if you wish to volunteer. Thanks in advance.

U-534

Many members have called, asking what is the status with U-534, the TYPE IX-C boat that was raised by LARS PEDERSEN (3782-1993) and AGE JENSEN (3783-1993) a little more than a year ago. In an exchange of FAX messages, I asked LARS this very question.

Sorry folks - LARS tells us that he is secrecy-bound, but that he will have a super story for us around the middle of summer. Keep reading your KTB Magazine - you'll read it here.

Help!

HARRY COOPER (1-LIFE-1993) needs a signature of LEON deGRELLE. If any Member has one that they would consider selling, please contact me here at HQ. Thanks in advance.

Wild Bill

Wild Bill was the nickname of LCDR William H. Hazard, the Skipper who put USS BLENNY (SS 324) into commission and who was Skipper of BLENNY for the first four war patrols.

This was also the nickname of LCDR William N. Deragon, Skipper of USS PIPEFISH (SS 388).

For KTB #111 next month, who was Loupy Lou?

The Rainbow Division

Remember, our Member GERRY RICHTER (214-LIFE-1985) would like to contact anyone who served with this US ARMY outfit south of Salzburg, Austria in Spring of 1945. Please contact this HQ if you were with the RAINBOW Div.

Über Dem Nassen Abgrund

Is the title of a new book, published about a year ago, written by WILHELM SCHULZ (162-+-1986), Skipper of U-64 and U-124; before his death. We do not yet know how to order this book, written only in German, but we will endeavor to find out and will let you know.

Additional Erroneous Sinkings?

Some months ago, we asked for information on Russian ships sunk by American sub in error. FRANK WEINGART (842-1988) reminds us that information is available in the excellent book SILENT VICTORY by Joan and CLAY BLAIR (500-1988) that says two other submarines made this error.

USS SPADEFISH (SS 411) sank the 11,000 ton freighter TRANSBALT; and USS PERMIT (SS 178) sank a trawler - both were Soviet ships sunk in error.

Quick QUIZ

This is only for your information, and it is not necessary to send in an answer - but do you know;
1. Who was the first SHARKHUNTER on the South Pole?
2. Who was the oldest German on the South Pole?

Answers in KTB #111 next month.

Visitors Welcome!

ED JARSEN (3840-1994) was visiting his sister and her husband in a nearby town, and they all came to visit at the RESEARCH CENTER. ED was in the MERCHANT MARINE during the War and although he crewed no tankers, he did not catch any German 'EELS' from the U-Boats that did attack his convoys.

If your travels bring you to this area, please stop in for a visit.

Did You Save Your Envelope?

We started a new idea with KTB #109; the envelope in which it was mailed had a line drawing and specifications of a German TYPE I-A U-Boat. On the envelope in which this issue of our KTB is mailed, you will note a line drawing and specs of another submarine. It is our plan to continue this practice and put a different submarine on each envelope. Each month the envelope will be different, and we have no plans to repeat this procedure, so when each month's issue of our KTB Magazine is mailed, that envelope will never again be printed.

Who knows - perhaps these envelopes will be desired by collectors some day in the future. Did you save your envelope?

Uncle Sam Got Us

For the past many months, we've put a note in our KTB Magazine that our annual Membership dues would have to go up in 1995 if the postal rates were raised - again. As you know, postal rates did go up once again, beginning on 1 January this year.

Our SHARKHUNTERS Membership dues have not increased since 1989 - that is SEVEN years without an increase even though our costs have gone up and UP and UP!

The two biggest costs we have with SHARKHUNTERS is printing and postage. Since our KTB Magazine is three times bigger than it was in 1989, the printing costs have risen by 300%; yet our annual dues did not rise to reflect this increase.

Since 1989, there have been many increases in the cost of the postage - MORE THAN 300% - and our annual dues still did not go up one nickel over those seven years.

In 1993, SHARKHUNTERS had a net loss of more than $4,000 and we know there will be another loss posted for 1994. Does that mean that SHARKHUNTERS will cease to exist? Absolutely not! But it does mean that we are forced to bump up our annual dues just a bit to make sure there is black ink on the ledger at the end of 1995 rather than red ink.

I hope you understand and agree to this necessary step. As a comparison, I receive fliers for other organization's memberships and magazines, and SHARKHUNTERS is still the most value for the money spent. These other organizations charge between $75 to $200 per year for the same type of benefits we all receive with our great SHARKHUNTERS. Thanks for understanding.

Round the World Joe

JOE BURGES (605-A/LIFE-1988) is the former Brit who joined the US Navy and rode American submarines in the Pacific during the War and now that he is retired, he spends great amounts of time traveling all over the world.

JOE will be with us on our SHARKHUNTERS historic trip to Russia in July - but he will not be going EAST as we are, but instead is going WESTWARD.

JOE was with us in China in 1992, the first time a group like ours was allowed into this country, and he made many friends there. He is invited back for the wedding of one of his friends in Beijing and when the wedding is finished, JOE will continued in a westward direction, on the TRANS-SIBERIAN RAILWAY into Russia where he will join our group for the two weeks we are there.

When he returnes with us, again heading west, JOE will have completed his THIRD circumnavigation of the globe.

In addition to JOE, there will be other Members coming from other countries for this most historic trip - will YOU be with us?