USS INDEPENDENCE

Our newest EAGLEHUNTERS Member, CDR EDDIE DANIEL, tells us that CV-62 will be decommissioned in 1998 and will be replaced in Japan by USS KITTY HAWK.

USS INDEPENDENCE (CV-62)

EDDIE is in AirOps and I remembered a tour I took on board the ‘BIG I’ way back in 1962 when I picked up an old high school friend from that ship and gave him a ride back to Chicago. I mentioned to EDDIE that I had been up in AirOps back then - and EDDIE told me that he was only six years old at the time. Am I getting older, or is everyone else getting younger?

Welcome aboard EDDIE, and thanks for the head’s up.

BOOK BANNED

We got a call in September from OBLT. HERBERT WERNER (18-C-1983), author of the outstanding book IRON COFFINS.

HERBERT tells us that the new book written by GREGORY DOUGLAS (4253-1995) about Gestapo Chief Heinrich Müller has been banned in Germany. In this book, supposedly taken from official U.S. files, Müller escaped to the USA and cooperated in the cold war against the Soviet Union, DOUGLAS reports conversations by Müller in which he details how Martin Bormann; and also Adolf Hitler - got out of Europe.

DOUGLAS has moved halfway across the USA to an undisclosed location with no telephone in an attempt to become ‘invisible’. His book has been banned in Germany and people are looking for him. Now perhaps you understand the additional, stronger ‘disclaimer’ we put with the story by DON ANGEL.

SHARKHUNTERS TRACKED HIM DOWN AGAIN

RADM EUGENE FLUCKEY (2169-C-1992) was Skipper of USS BARB (SS-220), was the most highly decorated American submariner ever in history, and is the most highly decorated veteran of any American forces still living today. Here he is holding his superb book ‘THUNDER BELOW!’

When BILL OLSEN (243101992) introduced himself as a fellow SHARKHUNTERS Member and took this photo, GENE said: “SHARKHUNTERS always tracks me down.”

SHARKHUNTERS WEB SITES

Well, SHARKHUNTERS does not yet have a WEB site but many Members have opened WEB sites on their own which relate to our SHARKHUNTERS. First was GUDMUNDUR HELGASSON (3566-1994); then JEFF KINGSTON (4340-1995); then BILL MOMSEN(1380-1990) and most recently is NORM HARMS (2215-A/LIFE-1992).

These Members have formed their own WEB page and have put information about our SHARKHUNTERS on there. Many thanks to the four Members mentioned here, and to all those who will soon get SHARKHUNTERS up on their WEB page too.

We Are on TV - Again

In September, BILL LIND (4990-1996) featured Japanese submarines on his television show ‘MODERN WARFARE’ and BILL used clips from the film ‘GOCHIN!’ which we got from YOYA KAWAMURA (1739-LIFE-1991). Good show, BILL.

This is an excellent videotape and it shows what life was like in a Japanese submarine - somewhat from the perspective of a recruiter. You may own a copy of this videotape - check out TAPE H-26 in your 1996 catalog. This tape is jammed with excitement.

BASE 51 Has New Skipper

MIKE WEBER (3239-1993) has just become the Skipper at BASE 51 of Sub Vets Inc. Good Luck MIKE - Green Board!

YESTERDAY’S ENEMIES, TODAY’S FRIENDS

HARRISON OCHS (1391-1989) is the ‘Spark Plug’ who puts together reunions of the guys who served on the 165 foot US Coast Guard cutters and for the recent gathering, he asked me if we could help provide a guest speaker who was in the U-BootWaffe. So we drafted - - - I mean GERHARD RICHTER (214-LIFE-1987) ‘volunteered’. I felt that GERRY would be an excellent speaker for this gathering because he was in the war almost from beginning to end and he saw a lot of combat action. He was the radioman on U-81 when they sank the aircraft carrier HMS ARK ROYAL and damaged the battleship HMS MALAYA.

As GERRY said in his remarks, the Coast Guard veterans could put a face on the former enemy - it was not just a big steel tube; there were men inside and they were not different from each other at all; just on different sides.

Everyone who met GERRY and his wife, Herta immediately liked them and so we have the other part of our motto; they are today's friends.

165 Foot Coast Guard Cutters

As you read above, HARRY OCHS (1391-1989) puts together bi-annual gatherings of Coasties who served in the 165 footers. If you served aboard one of these ships, let us know and we’ll put you in touch with HARRISON so you can attend the next one. You’ll have a great time there - they are well planned and well organized.

To Russia - with Love?

No, actually with rubles - tons of them. The administration of the city of Moscow will spend in excess of (the equivalent of) TWO BILLION DOLLARS to upgrade the city and to provide bands from around the world, orchestras, performers, dancers etc. for the celebration of the 850th anniversary of the founding of the city.

SHARKHUNTERS will be there for this historic event as well as the 90th Anniversary of the Russian Air Force, just as we were in Russia for the 300th Anniversary of the Russian Navy. Plan to be with us - we have a great time, and we are actually part of history.

Do you like to wear uniforms? How about the uniform of a French cavalryman under Napoleon? Or a foot soldier of the Czar? There will be a re-enactment of the Battle of Borodino while we are there and our Members may participate if they wish.

Vielen Dank, ERICH TOPP

CARL JEPPESEN (4547-1995) is thankful to ERICH TOPP (118-LIFE-1985) that he was born. He wrote the following letter:

“Being a Member and after reading ‘OPERATION DRUMBEAT’ I decided to write to SHARKHUNTERS for my father. My father was a Seaman 1st Class and he reported to the bridge on watch at 0400 hours on 31 October 1941 aboard USS NIBLACK. Also Seaman 1st Class Robert Diamante on starboard with Ensign Fox when the explosion shook the NIBLACK from the torpedo hitting USS REUBEN JAMES at 0530 hours.

The NIBLACK was escorting a U.S. Marine occupation force to Reykjavik, Iceland when the REUBEN JAMES was torpedoed and sunk. The U-Boat’s ‘eel’ tore REUBEN JAMES apart, blowing up her ammunition magazines below deck sending a series of explosions into the sky. The REUBEN JAMES depth charges exploded also when the stern went down. This could possibly be what ERICH TOPP meant by a second explosion. The NIBLACK picked up survivors, using their cargo nets and helping also to tie lines around existing survivors covered with oil. The NIBLACK saved 35 men and the HILARY P. JONES saved 10 men. Over one hundred men were lost. The Captain of the NIBLACK was Captain Durgan at that time.

After reading ERICH TOPP’s story in the last KTB Magazine, thank you ERICH for letting NIBLACK pick up survivors - or I would not be here!

Ironically - my mother’s family is from Berlin and my grandpa served on the battleship SCHLESIEN; and my father served on USS NIBLACK. That only goes to show us how stupid are the wars that politicians make. Thank you again ERICH.”

WHARF BUSTER’

That is what some are calling USS CABOT, as she sits sadly at her dock in New Orleans. Members of Legion Post 377 are doing their best to sell this priceless piece of US Navy history to an Asian scrap yard. Efforts are underway to save the ‘IRON LADY’ from the breaker’s torch but the longer she sits in New Orleans, the more likely it is that she will be lost.

Some are complaining that USS CABOT is breaking pieces off the concrete wharf to which she is tied, but that is no real problem. That dock was already condemned long before the ‘IRON LADY’ came to town, so if pieces of concrete are breaking off, it is due to the sad state this wharf was in for many years, not because of anything with the carrier.

It is obvious, very obvious, that Legion Post #377 does not want to save the ship and really wants to sell her for scrap but it also appears that the local governments and the local residents have lost interest in having USS CABOT in their area.

USS THRESHER

Professional model builder JOHN RUCKS (338-1987) has got a contract to make a model of USS THRESHER for Pinewood Studios in England who are making a documentary for television.