Please remember about two years ago, we reported on a group of WW II veterans who served aboard the same TIN CAN in the closing months of the War. This group, led by a man named Bill Anderson claimed at that time that they had sunk a German U-Boat off San Francisco Bay. They KNEW they had sunk this U-Boat, and they KNEW this boat was full of NAZI gold - and anyone who wanted to share in this treasure could send a mere $20,000 to Bill and his group for a share.

We wrote to all these veterans, I think there were seven in this group, and told them that there was absolutely NO POSSIBILITY that there was a German U-Boat off the San Francisco coast EVER during the War. Anderson wrote back and claimed they had proof. I told him that all his proof was worthless because no German sub ever patrolled off the California coast.

After a while, Anderson and his group dropped out of the public eye and we not seen on the news. We figured he had realized that he was chasing something that did not exist and found a new hobby.

Why was it that only German U-Boats carried all that gold - and on every patrol! Why didn't American submarines carry gold? Or Royal Navy boats? What foolishness!

No; Anderson and is group came back into the public eye, and on the news again, about six months ago when the CNN owned by former SHARKHUNTERS Member TED TURNER (145-1985) aired an interview with Anderson. In this interview, Anderson claimed again that there was a German U-Boat which they had sunk off San Francisco Bay - in only 120 feet of water - and it was full of gold. Why were German U-Boats always full of gold? I think all the submarine veterans of other navies should be pretty jealous because their subs didn't carry any gold, why should the German U-Boats have all that gold to just carry around the world's oceans. Doesn't seem fair, does it, that the German U-Boats got to carry all that gold when nobody else's submarines could.....

I wrote to TED TURNER right away and let him know this situation; and suggested that CNN drop this story before they looked foolish. CNN dropped the story immediately.

Now Anderson and his group are back on television AGAIN; this time (early January, 1995) on 'UNSOLVED MYSTERIES' but now they are singing a different tune. Two years ago, they wanted to salvage all the gold off the German U-Boat they sank near the end of World War II; six months ago, they wanted to identify the German U-Boat they sank for historical reasons - now, for reasons only God can figure - they have decided that this was not a German U-Boat at all but an American submarine they sank in error! In the interviews with 'UNSOLVED MYSTERIES' the guys had tears in their eyes as they told of their sadness on learning that they sank one of our own boats - and that they are frustrated that the United States Government and the US NAVY are conspiring in a giant cover-up to keep Anderson and his group from learning what American boat they sank in error, and to keep the American public from learning that this TIN CAN sank an American submarine in error at the end of the War.

GOOD GOD - did they sink a German U-Boat full of gold; or an American submarine that nobody has yet noticed was missing; or did they just kill a hell of a lot of fish in San Francisco bay? I telephoned 'UNSOLVED MYSTERIES' and told them this story, and assured them that if the US NAVY had lost a submarine, they surely would have told someone. They really didn't seem to care about accuracy; only (it seemed) to pull in an audience.

So what will it be the next time Anderson and his group tell their story? Could be the ships of Christopher Columbus - full of gold, of course. Maybe it is the FLYING DUTCHMAN? Nope, it is probably HMS BOUNTY with Fletcher Christian at the helm!

Whatever the new story put forth by this group, we will keep you informed here in our KTB Magazine. Who knows, the next time we hear of this group it might be in the supermarket tabloids!

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