Gerhard Nolde

Where is U-Boat Skipper Gerhard Nolde? He was last seen on 20 April, 1945 at Hitler's Birthday Party. Let us know - it is most important for research in progress for our INTELLIGENCE PAGE by CORDEZ.

RITTERKREUZ mit EICHENLAUB

The 18th winner of the OAK LEAF CLUSTER to the KNIGHTS CROSS was KPLT FRIEDRICH GUGGENBERGER (269-+-1987), Skipper of U-81. The award was made 8 January, 1943. It was U-81 under GUGGENBERGER that sank HMS ARK ROYAL.

He was born on 6 March in 1915 in München (Munich); was in Crew (Class of) 34; his highest rank was Kapitänleutnant; he was Skipper of U-81 and then U-513; he was one of the U-Bootfahrer who tunneled out of the POW camp at Papago Park, Arizona; he ended his days in May of 1988 in Garmisch.

Far-East Boats

From the information sent from WERNER K. HOFFMANN (327-LIFE-1987) we learn that U-1062 carried a load of torpedoes to the Far East. This was the first mission of this rare TYPE VII-F boat & she was sunk with all hands on her return voyage SW of the Cape Verde Islands by the destroyer escort USS FESSENDEN.

5th LARGEST

From data sent by CAPTAIN ROBERT THEW (333-+-1987) we learn that the 5th largest ship ever sunk by submarine was the 29,150 ton Royal Navy battleship HMS ROYAL OAK. Who doesn't know that U-47 under Günther Prien (pictured here) slipped into the Fleet Anchorage at Scapa Flow on the night of 14 October, 1939? In an issue of LIFE Magazine the following week, there is a photo of Prien sitting in a chair with his wife standing over his shoulder. Prien is speaking into a telephone and the caption reads:

"Hello Mother; I just sunk a battleship."

Günther Prien had only seventeen more months to live.....

For KTB #113 next month, what was the 4th largest ship ever sunk by submarine?

Little Known Submarine Facts

This quiz began in KTB #102 and is intended for your enjoyment only & to improve your knowledge of submarine and naval history. Please do not send your answers here - KTB #113 has the answers

46 Italy had signed the armistice with the Allies on 8 September, 1943 and the battleship ROMA was sunk on 9 September by German aircraft so she could not be used against the Kriegsmarine or the remaining German merchant fleet.

47 & 48 More then 1,100 US Navy sailors lost their lives on USS ARIZONA in the Pearl Harbor attack, the least loss of life occurred on the battleship USS MARYLAND where only four died.

49 The two Royal Navy battleships sunk at Alexandria by the Italians on 19 December, 1942 were HMS ELIZABETH and HMS VALIANT.

50 The 17th most successful US Navy submarine Skipper was Henry C. Munson, Skipper of USS CREVALLE (SS 291) & USS RASHER (SS 269) with 13 ships on 9 war patrols

For KTB #113 next month, do you know:

51. What was the last major USN ship damaged in WW II action?
52. On board what ship was the Japanese surrender signed?
53. Admiral Sir Bertram Ramsay was the Allied Expeditionary Force Naval Commander; how did he die?
54. What was the first US Navy battleships launched after the European War began?
55. Who was the 16th most successful USN submarine Skipper?

The answers will be in KTB #113 in another month - see if you can figure them out before you get that issue. Good luck.

STUKA PILOT

EAGLEHUNTERS Member RON BOERST (EH 246-1995) would like information on a relative of his named Alvin Boerst who was a STUKA pilot with the IMMELMANN Squadron (I./St.G.2) up to the time of his death in 1944. Who can help RON locate information about his relative? Thanks in advance.