We recently got a letter from REINHARD HARDEGEN (102-LIFE-1985) in response to something we had published in an earlier issue of our KTB Magazine. As Members know, Captain HARDEGEN opened the attack against shipping in American waters in Operation PAUKENSCHLAG (DRUMBEAT) and he is the only Skipper of that operation still living. In his letter, Captain HARDEGEN writes:

“I made the most successful patrol in WW II without supply with real 57,321 tons sunk and one ship of 7,057 tons damaged (LIEBRE). In KTB 111, pages 16/17 you wrote that the two tankers ESSO BATON ROUGE and OKLAHOMA were damaged and they were beached etc. This is wrong. They were sunk in shallow waters and only the top of the masts looked out of the water. Later on they were lifted to the surface and repaired. This is a big difference. Sinking in shallow waters is much more dangerous than in open sea because I couldn’t dive for escape. The depth was due to my KTB 13 m!”

(HARRY’S NOTE - his KTB is the logbook of the boat; and 13 m or 13 meters is something like 40 feet and he is correct, no place to dive. In 40 feet of water, a submarine sitting on the bottom would still have a lot of steel sticking up out of the water. HARDEGEN had no depth to dive at all.) His letter continues

“After this patrol Dönitz wrote in his comments in my KTB: ‘einen hervorragenden Erfolg erzielt, der bisherohne Torpedoergänzung - einmalig ist.’

This was after the patrols of U-37 and U-107. I write this only to you, that you have the truth in your files. I don’t know why in many records one can read other things. Sometimes the 2 tankers were dropped totally. Herzog ranked me as Nr. 20 with 23 ships. I had 26 sunk and 3 ships damaged with 25,041 tons. This means a rank a little higher.”

Many thanks to Captain HARDEGEN for these corrections and new facts. ALL veterans of the War at Sea must remember; it is only through YOU that we can maintain the honest and accurate history of your boat and of your submarine service, no matter what flag flew over your boat.

Captain HARDEGEN is very aware of this fact, and he frequently sends updates, additional information and even some corrections. He knows the value of this history and he does his part to keep our SHARKHUNTERS accurate. We greatly appreciate this effort from him and from every veteran who will send his/her story; updated information or corrections. Nobody knows YOUR story like you do, and only you can keep the history of your boat and your submarine service accurate. If your boat was worth serving aboard; if your shipmates were worth your friendship; aren’t their memories worth saving? Don’t let them down.