(continued from KTB #113)

The early morning hour found the convoy 100 miles south east of New York, in rough seas and bad weather. Edwin P. Hoyt explains what happened in his book 'U-BOATS OFFSHORE'. He found that the ANTHONY WAYNE, the lead ship in the sixth column, suffered a steering problem - - sabotage! This resulted in a complete circle turn which threatened the second ship in line, the MT. EVANS.

The MT. EVANS steered hard a-port and was struck a glancing blow by the ANTHONY WAYNE. The WAYNE sheered away, falling out of line, while missing other ships in the columns.

The MT. EVANS found herself directly in the path of the C.J. BARKDULL in the next column. The big freighter had avoided the WAYNE only to collide with the C. J. BARKDULL.

The two ships collided with such force that the MT. EVANS bow was stove in and she went dead in the water. The Captain of the MT. EVANS considered abandoning ship and may have sounded the ship's whistle.

Was this the 'MAN LIFEBOATS' signal heard by the Master of the JULIA LUCKENBACH?

During this time, the SS MT. EVANS was in contact with the bridge of the BARKDULL. The BARKDULL reported it was in satisfactory condition and could go on, while the MT. EVANS collected an escort and limped back to New York Harbor. SS C. J. BARKDULL was last seen to slip out of line, straggle, and was soon lost in the darkness.

By this time, Captain Swanner, Master of the C. J. BARKDULL would have opened his 'secret orders' (special routing instructions and orders only to be opened when far out to sea). The ship was aware of its secret destination and took this time to leave the convoy. With 'bonus money' to be made and orders being orders, the Skipper had no intention of returning to port. Perhaps, even the Naval Armed Guard was voted a share, as was sometimes the case. Most were probably too seasick to care at this point in the trip.

My uncle, Seaman First Class Edwin C. Burlew was a twenty year old member of the C. J. BARKDULL's Navy Armed Guard. This was his first trip on a merchantman and he gave his life on this fateful voyage. It bears mentioning that his name (and possibly other AG's as well) is listed in Britain's HOMAGE TO THE 28,000 AMERICAN DEAD. This Role of Honor reposes in the AMERICAN MEMORIAL CHAPEL of St. Paul's in London. General Eisenhower supplied the names of Americans of all services who lost their lives based upon Britain or indirect support during the War. This fact also gives witness to the C. J. BARKDULL's purpose and mission.

January 10, 1043 would find the battered tanker and her water soaked crew entering German GRID SQUARE AL 17 after almost thirty days of pounding seas and enduring the worst storms on the Atlantic in one hundred years, the ship continued - - more sunk than afloat. The strategy of zig-zag courses and using the bad weather, which was hopefully keeping the U-Boats underseas. was apparently working. Master Swanner was keenly aware that he was still in 'Torpedo Alley'. He was looking for an eastbound convoy to join up with towards a safe westerly approach to his destination. Still in very rough seas, the crew anticipated just a few more days to an even safer haven - - the familiar oil docks at Avonmouth.

GRID SQUARE AL 17 also had another determined captain and crew in the person of U-632 under command of Kapitänleutnant Hans-Eberhard Karpf. He was from Saarbrucken, had served on the GNEISENAU and later in the U-Bootwaffe under Werner Winter on U-103. The U-632, a TYPE VII-C, was built by Blohm & Voss and was launched on May 27, 1942. Kplt Karpf was on his first war patrol with U-632. The U-Boat had departed Hamburg, Germany December 24, 1942.

HARRY's NOTE - INGE MOLZAHN (363-1987) is the daughter of Kplt. Karpf. Perhaps she can shed light on this story.

On January 1, 1943, U-632 began operating with the FALKE GROUP and took its place in the patrol line. January 10, Karpf located a target moving ahead. He set up and attacked at 1550 German central time. Prof. Jürgen Rohwer indicates that U-632 fired a three-torpedo spread at a ship Karpf identified by TYPE IE ABBEYDALE. Due to rough seas and poor visibility, he heard one hit without detonation! Then, firing his stern tube, heard a hit with detonation. Karpf reported the ship (estimated at 15,000 tons) as damaged. A detailed study of the war diary of U-632 would explain more about this action.

Rohwer determined this ship to be the tanker SS C. J. BARKDULL and Karpf is given credit for the sinking. One can only speculate what happened during those last moments aboard the BARKDULL. My theory is, the single torpedo exploded against an already weakened hull or keel and the ship's back was broken. The tanker likely sank so fast that no boats or rafts could be launched and all fifty-eight members of the crew and Armed Guard rode her down. No trace was ever reported.

The U-632 was lost on her second war patrol after departing Brest, France on March 15, 1943. Forty-eight men and Kplt Hans Karpf were lost on April 6. There were no survivors! Her last reported position was 57.40N and 20.00W. Ironically, the BARKDULL was sunk at about 57.00N and 25.00W. Both vessels and crews lie buried under the Atlantic, close together.

My research continues on a novel entitled GUARDS, SHEEP and WOLVES which will tell the BARKDULL story. The Armed Guard and Merchant Sailors, as well as the story from the other side of the periscope, will be considered. It is to the memory of both crews, Kplt Karpf and my uncle that I dedicate my efforts.

While this writing does not solve the C.J. BARKDULL mystery, it is an appeal to anyone related to the crews of either vessel that may have information, to contact me through SHARKHUNTERS. I am hopeful the German U-Boat veterans in particular will search their records to see if any U-Bootfahrer survived the first patrol of U-632. If still living, perhaps they would contact me through SHARKHUNTERS. Only through research can the truth be found.

Research Notes and C. J. Barkdull

By Harry Cooper

There are two items I'd like to point out as pertains to research on any item of history, and to the BARKDULL story in particular.

The first is fairly simple - always get more than one source for your data to make sure you have a balance and a higher probability of accuracy in your data. When one of the sources is Hoyt, most serious researchers always get two or more additional sources.

The second item deals with this story. CAPT. ROBERT THEW (333-+-1987) was in the 'spook' community most of his Navy career and he retired as a high-level officer at the National Security Agency, the NSA. BOB was a thorough and dedicated researcher, not given to rash conclusions or erroneous statements. When he departed on his Eternal Patrol some years ago, all his research material was donated to our RESEARCH CENTER by his son, GREG THEW (1661-1990) according to BOB's wishes. Here is one of his entries regarding U-632.

"She helped form the FALKE GROUP in the central North Atlantic on 1 January 1943 but her only success was sinking one straggler of 6,773 tons." Was this straggler the missing tanker, the C.J. BARKDULL? What do you think?

Incidentally, BOB's father was Skipper of the old NAUTILUS (SS 168), he roamed Australia with Adm. Lockwood looking for potential sub bases, and it was BOB's father who designed the TWIN DOLPHINS for our SILENT SERVICE.