Why the GRU and Stalin himself, did not believe the warnings that Germany would soon attack the Soviet Union

“Just received factual information why the Russian GRU and Stalin did not believe the 1941 warnings that Germany would attack Sowjet Russia and the amazing reasons why they ignored all warnings from many sources - including Richard Sorge in Tokyo! I have been trusted with this information, as I am considered no gossipy cocktail party type and it is absolutely stunning. As they say, facts are so often stranger and hairier than the most jazzed-up fiction can ever be!

To obviate any possible misunderstandings regarding K.M. activities in and around Spain, all those mentioned and put into books and other articles or different publications cover the open activities of the fleet only, including the official patrols under control, commission, directions and the rescue operations of civilians at the start of the Spanish Civil War - but mumm remained the word on the covert operations from ‘URSULA’ to the Group ‘NORTHSEA’ - another misnomer actually.

REGARDING U-288

U-288 was launched on April 15th 1943 and commissioned by Oblt. Willi Meyer, Class of X/37 (37-B) on June 26th 1943. U-288 departed on its first and only war patrol from Kiel on March 23rd 1944, did not even call on any Norwegian base and was ordered directly into the Barents Sea to attack one of the Murmansk-Archangels supply convoys that was reaching the Bear Island line where U-288 was sunk by aircraft from the convoy carriers TRACKER and ACTIVITY with all hands lost April 3rd, 1944.”

HARRY’S NOTE - why this is of interest is that there has recently been an article making the rounds of the second-rate magazines here in the US (and perhaps elsewhere) in which someone has claimed to have been an officer on U-288 for five war patrols. The record clearly indicates that this boat was lost with all hands on its first war patrol so something is wrong somewhere.

REGARDING WOLFGANG LÜTH

“I would like to comment first on the ‘Memorial Boulder’ placed on the grounds of the Naval Academy (Marine Schule) Mürwik for Wolfgang Lüth. This was done many years after the event with funds raised by a small committee. However, the stone does NOT mark the spot where Lüth was shot by a sailor on guard duty, Matrose Matthias Gottlob, who belonged to the tripulation of the TYPE XXI boat U-2519 which had been commanded by PETER-ERICH ‘ALI’ CREMER (114-+-1985), where the crew had been reassigned to guard duty at the Dönitz headquarters and Naval Academy grounds because there was no fuel for U-2519.

Lüth, somewhat of a martinet in such matters as standing guard, had the reputation of testing their alertness and quick response at night by both attempting to surprise them ‘sleeping’ or goofing off, or playing tricks and practical jokes on them. With the confusion that prevailed in Flensburg during the very week after the capitulation, he had specifically admonished the Watch Company of Dönitz to be super-alert and not to take chances on anything. In fact, when on the evening of May 13th, the new guards took over for the night watch assignment, they were furnished with live ammunition despite the fact that Germany had capitulated a week earlier, and they were told to shoot on sight!

Sailor Gottlob started his guard turn at midnight and was scheduled to walk along the fences and hedges of the ball park and sports-exercise areas. It was a very windy and dark night, and Gottlob stated during the court martial examination that he called ‘HALT - WHO WALKS THERE?’ three times but did not get a reply or acknowledgment. As he had been precisely instructed to shoot on sight in fact without calling even a warning in advance. This upon the specific request of Wolfgang Lüth. Gottlob felt he had no choice but to fire his gun but he claimed he aimed low at the moving shadow amongst bushes and trees that he just saw vaguely.

Obviously his aim was off the mark and Lüth dropped to the ground in his dark grey leather coat and dark blue uniform, still wearing all his decorations on May 14th, 1945. Dönitz arranged for the last official State Funeral of the Thousand Year Reich, to which British as well as Americans agreed. The Russians had not yet arrived in Flensburg and would have unquestionably objected.

But the spot where this occurred is about 900 yards away, where later on the mentioned ‘Memorial Boulder’ was placed, as changes in real estate development had altered the landscape layout and made this necessary.”