In KTB #110 last month, we read of an interesting bit of history in which C.O.B. KEN HENRY (1468-1990) asked about the story that U-35 of World War I really DID bring back a pair of camels from North Africa as a gift for the Kaiser - and he really wondered how anyone could get a camel down the hatch of any submarine. Here is the answer, thanks to HERMANN KUMPF (3508-1994); crew on U-159 under KPLT HELMUT WITTE (4238-1995). He sent us an actual account by K.K. Lothar von Arnauld de la Periere, the MOST SUCCESSFUL submarine Skipper OF ALL TIME, where de la Periere tells of this 'action' by Commander Kukat on UB-50 actually. de la Periere wrote:

"The strangest case of animals aboard a submarine was that of Commander Kukat's boat, which had two camels. Kukat was one of the commanders who took U-Boats to the North African coast to help in a native revolution that was being stirred up against the Italians in Tripoli. He carried a consignment of gold to one of the principal revolting Arab shieks. The shiek, in grateful return, presented him with two young camels. Kukat put the camels in the mine room, and took them across the Mediterranean back to Pola, where he placed them in the local zoological park."

There it is from the man who sank HALF A MILLION TONS of shipping and nearly 200 ships - a feat which will probably never again be equaled in the history of submarine warfare. I guess a young camel would be about the size of a Great Dane dog and so could fit through the hatch. HERMANN; vielen dank for this story.