ANSWERS

To ROGER BESAW (4229-1995), we can add some insight to your question whether the Skipper of a BIBER was an officer or a non-com. Perhaps an officer may have Skippered one of these small boats, but our good friend GERHARD RICHTER (214-LIFE-1986) became a BIBER Skipper late in the war. He was Oberfunkmaat (Petty Officer, Radio) on U-81 when they sank the Royal Navy aircraft carrier HMS ARK ROYAL. GERRY did not become an officer at any time during the war, so he was a non-com Skipper of a BIBER.

USS ENGLAND (DE 635) was one of the most successful escorts of the war and as we know, she was not named for the country. We receive the following from BILL BAUR (293-1987) who spent a good part of the war riding destroyer escorts; and from another destroyer escort veteran, DON GLASSER (1150-1989) who makes DESA run so well:

“John Charles England, born in Harris, Mo 11 December 1920; enlisted in the Naval Reserve 6 September 1940 and was commissioned Ensign 6 June, 1941. On 3 September, 1941 he reported for duty aboard USS OKLAHOMA (BB 37) and was killed in action during the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor 7 December, 1941.”

This ship achieved a record that was never topped and in the view of modern-day warfare, probably never will be equaled or surpassed. In just eight days on one patrol, USS ENGLAND attacked and sank 5 Japanese submarines. Upon replenishing her supply of depth charges, she went back out and assisted in sinking one more. USS ENGLAND received the PRESIDENTIAL UNIT CITATION and TEN BATTLE STARS.

I have a very small personal memory of USS ENGLAND in that my mother’s cousin was one of the 37 men who were killed aboard when a KAMIKAZE struck the ship on 9 May, 1945.

U-183

To our Member seeking information on the Navigator of U-183, Karl Wisniewski - we have received information from HORST SCHMEISER (3093-1993) that Wisniewski died in 1990.

Maryland

J. WANDRES (550-1988) sends this for PAUL CHANDLER (4221-1995) regarding the barge known as the MARYLAND:

“I don’t have the exact location, but a barge called the MARYLAND was sunk on June 24, 1909. It was enroute from Thompson’s Point to Hoboken, carrying a load of iron ore valued at $3,335. There is also a footnote that mentioned ‘Sandy Hook’.”

Small Arms

SMALL ARMS on U-Boats; NORMAN FIELD (4642-1996) has this additional for MAJ. MICHAEL STACK (4259-1995):

”All boats carried a variety of small arms weapons, however there was no set quantities laid down for each type of boat. A rough guide for boats stationed in Germany would be:
6 Mausers
7 Rifles
1 single-barreled signal pistol
1 double-barreled signal pistol
Demolition charges

Boats serving abroad (operating out of foreign bases) would have these quantities increased, depending on where they were serving and what was their mission.”

QUESTIONS

WINFRIED vd BOOGAARD (4476-1995) would like to know how diesel engine maintenance was performed on the U-Boats during the war. He said that he was awed by the cramped space in the engine room when he visited U-995 and he wonders how they worked on the exhaust side of the engine or replaced cylinder heads

STEVE PHILLIPS (4457-1995) is researching U-1063, lost in the English Channel 15 April, 1945. He would like to contact any of the 18 survivors. Anyone know where to locate them?

DAVID CRIST (3664-1994) is researching U-860, which was sunk 15 June, 1944 by aircraft from USS SOLOMONS. He would like to contact any of the 20 survivors. Help anyone?

BILL BRANDT (919-1989) asks how often did Italian submarines join German U-Boats in wolfpacks?

PAUL COLLINS (4815-1996) wants to know if Kapitänleutnant Hans Witt is still alive? U-129 under Witt sank SS PANAM, and PAUL’s uncle was Radio Officer on that ship. He survived and is still living in Canada, and would like to contact Captain Witt.

BILL PLEXICO (4037-1994) writes - ‘as we all know, all submarines have flooding ports on the underside of the hulls to permit entry of water for negative buoyancy. When and under what circumstances were these ports closed? Were they closed at all?’

LOUIS LAMBOLEY (4730-1996) served aboard the carrier USS AMERICA on her maiden voyage. He has this question:

‘While on duty one evening, I was made aware that one of the carriers in the distance was on fire. We ran up to the hangar deck and you could see a fire on the fantail of what some said was the flight deck of USS RANGER. Everyone assumed that one of the jets had crashed on landing. I would like to know what happened, and what carrier it really was. This took place sometime between January and June of 1968.’

ROGER BESAW (4229-1995) asks - ‘What sort of trailer was used to transport the BIBER? What was the prime mover? Where can technical documentation be obtained?’

Were there any U-Boats Skippers who left the Luftwaffe to serve with the U-Bootwaffe?