10 YEARS AGO in our KTB

In KTB #23 we mentioned a made-for-TV movie entitled ‘KOJAK, THE BELARUS FILES’ which starred Telly Savalas. This movie was made from the book ‘THE BELARUS SECRET’ which was written by JOHN LOFTUS (40-1984). JOHN did extensive research into the way that various Intelligence agencies protected, paid & otherwise used former members of the Gestapo, the SS, the SD and other German agencies for years after the end of WW II.

KIRK KREUTZIG (2-1983) & HUGH DOWNS (141-1985) were getting closer and closer to an underwater feature for the TV show 20/20. This special was to be based partially on the research we did regarding various islands in the Bahamas; Erroll Flynn’s connection with the ABWEHR; how deeply General Motors was involved in the war effort for Germany; Standard Oil of New Jersey (today known as EXXON) selling fuel to all participants of the war all through the war etc.

We published the short poem written by Jochen Mohr during the time his U-124 (the EDELWEISSBOOT) participated in Operation ‘PAUKENSCHLAG’ (DRUMBEAT) off the US coast:

‘The new moon night is black as ink,
Off Hatteras, the tankers sink,
While sadly Roosevelt counts the score,
Some fifty thousand tons - by Mohr.’

We announced that postage rates in the US had increased (again!) by 10% but that SHARKHUNTERS would not pass this on to our Members. Dues ten years ago were $25 per year; the KTB was only 6 pages and done on an old typewriter. All that information would take just one page of today’s computer-set KTB Magazine; postage has increased by more than 300%; printing costs by more than 400% - but our Membership dues have increased only 44% but the Magazine and its content have increased by about 3,000%. A pretty good deal, wouldn’t you say?

5 YEARS AGO in our KTB

In KTB #69 we sadly reported the passing of ‘AGENT 333’, CAPTAIN BOB THEW (333-1987). With axes & chain saws, we began to clear the land for the SHARKHUNTERS RESEARCH CENTER. We ran several articles, including “U-BOAT DEVELOPMENT IN THE FACE OF DISARMAMENT” by CHARLES GUNDERSEN (205-C-1986); “NEW TECHNOLOGIES FOR THE U-WAFFE” by SIGMUND KLAUSSNER (211-1986); “I-8 & SHINJI UCHINO” from the logbook of I-8. There was a report that U-32 had just been located a few hundred yards off the end of a pier at Sunderland, England. TOM KOLODNER (660-1988) was trying to sell his one-man submarine that had been in the James Bond movie ‘THE SPY WHO LOVED ME’. Our first SCUBA diving trip was announced.

One of the most unusual things shown in KTB #69 was the early boat U-37 with a TYPE XXI conning tower. This new tower was put onto U-37 in 1944; we assume as an experiment prior to the mass-production of the TYPE XXI ‘ELECTRO-BOOTS’

When this issue was published, there were SHARKHUNTERS Members in 25 countries; today there are 54 countries. KTB #69 was only 24 pages long and done on an old typewriter. The whole issue of KTB #69 would require only about 6 pages of today’s 36 page computer typeset KTB Magazine.