WELCOME BOB

This is the time of year that we announce our newly appointed SHARKHUNTERS ADVISORY BOARD Members and we are very pleased to announce the appointment of BOB PANAZZE (457-1988) to serve until the year 2005.

BOB has been a Member since I walked into his insurance office in 1988 to get auto insurance and it turned out he was tremendously interested in the history of the U-Bootwaffe - so he became a SHARKHUNTERS Member on the spot.

BOB has been a totally strong and supportive Member ever since. He and his wife Jan have become good friends and BOB and I have even gone hunting a time or two. Whatever SHARKHUNTERS needs (such as an alternate place to hold a Christmas Gathering for our Members) BOB is always there.

Welcome BOB; we are glad to have you on the BOARD.

WELCOME PETER

When we appoint a new Member to the ADVISORY BOARD, we appoint two for each year, due to the size our SHARKHUNTERS has reached. We are very pleased to announce the appointment of CAPTAIN PETER CHELEMEDOS (3619-1994) to serve until the year 2005.

PETER was a merchant Skipper during the war and he had one ship shot out from under him by a Japanese submarine in the Pacific and another by a German U-Boat in the Atlantic.

PETER has become quite involved in SHARKHUNTERS in the short time he has been on board. We met him and his wife when they came to this area some months ago. Also, when a German Member was visiting in the city where PETER lives, he became our SHARKHUNTERS ‘Good-Will’ Ambassador and the two former enemies became good friends in the process.

Welcome PETER; we are glad to have you on the BOARD.

SHARKHUNTERS in 63 COUNTRIES!

When ALFONSO VARGAS CALVO (5076-1996) came aboard, the country of COSTA RICA became the 63rd country in which there are SHARKHUNTERS Members.

WELCOME ABOARD to ALFONSO & COSTA RICA!

Since there are 157 countries in the world, and there are SHARKHUNTERS Members in 63 countries - then more than 40% of the world is represented in SHARKHUNTERS.

CHRISTMAS CARDS

First - to all our Members who sent Christmas cards here, I want to thank you for myself, for the staff, and for my family. The cards were all beautiful, and they were all warmly received.

Second - I must apologize deeply and sincerely; I did not send ANY Christmas Cards out to ANYONE this year - not even to my wife. I am hearing about that. It was just SO busy around HQ here there was no time. I promise we’ll do better next year. Thanks for understanding; HAPPY HOLIDAYS from SHARKHUNTERS

PANZERHUNTERS???

Several Members have been ‘twisting my arm’ so to speak, to form an organization like SHARKHUNTERS and EAGLEHUNTERS but for the PANZERS. Obviously, there are many questions:

1. How many current SHARKHUNTERS Members are interested in this part of history? Drop us a note.
2. Who can tell us how to contact the PANZER veterans?
3. Is there an organization of PANZER veterans?

Any additional comments, questions, suggestions regarding the forming of PANZERHUNTERS; please send them here. Thanks.

WELCOME #5100

When HAROLD von BRAUNHUT (5100-1996) came on board; our Membership roster reached 5,100 Members. We have not yet reached our 14th Anniversary, but the roster keeps getting bigger and bigger; thanks to our Members who help in many ways. There really is no end in sight to our growth.

MANUALS NEEDED

We are trying to build a library of World War II training manuals, repair manuals, operational manuals - manuals of ALL types from ALL services of ALL countries. That is a tall order I realize, but please look into your old footlockers, in the basement, out in the garage, in the old dresser - anywhere these manuals might be hiding. When you find them, please send them here for our reference library of World War II technology. Thanks in advance.

SHARKHUNTERS in 63 COUNTRIES!

When ALFONSO VARGAS CALVO (5076-1996) came on board, the country of COSTA RICA became the 63rd Country in which there are SHARKHUNTERS Members! WELCOME to ALFONSO and COSTA RICA!

MEMBERSHIP CONTEST

We are almost at the end of our 1996 Membership Contest and while it looks like another runaway year for GUDMUNDUR, no one has amassed enough new Members to win the Bahamas Cruise we offered as GRAND PRIZE for the Member who recruited the most new Members this year, with a minimum of 30.

GUDMUNDUR HELGASSON (3566-1994)...........................17

JOE BURGES (605-A/LIFE-1988)............................................6

JACK GOODIER (127-1990)....................................................3

JOHN TAYLOR (19-1983)........................................................2
RADM EUGENE FLUCKEY (2169-C-1992)

FKPT GERHARD THÄTER (194-LIFE-1986)........................1
WILLIAM LEHMBECK (295-1990)
DON DeTURK (683-1994)
FRANK WEINGART (842-1988)
RITA CLARE (1571-A-1990)
HANS SCHMIDT (1721-1990)
GREGG SCOTT (2012-A-1991)
CAPTAIN RUSS WITTENBERG (2118-1992)
WILLIAM NARGAN (2904-1994)
RICK SAVEL (3423-1994)
WALTER KRAUS (3426-1994)
SIEGMUND FEUERSANGER (4074-1994)
ROGER BESAW (4229-1995)

The final results will appear in KTB #125, the January issue. We will begin another MEMBERSHIP CONTEST on 1 January 1997 for the year. Good Luck to all Members.

The Most Authoritative

After reading all this new information on the scuttled U-Boat on the coast of Argentina and all the different twists to the story, it is easy to understand why the BBC, the most respected news organization in the world, considers SHARKHUNTERS to be the most authoritative in the world on the history and actions of the U-Boot Waffe in World War II. Thanks to all our Members - and especially thanks to all our S.E.I.G. Agents around the world.

Membership Cards

We all have a SHARKHUNTERS Membership card - at least, we got one when we joined. If yours is like mine; it is pretty ragged after being so long in the wallet. We have just purchased a machine that will laminate your card into plastic, so it will last much longer. We’ll do all the work at no charge to you; so please read carefully.

IF YOUR MEMBERSHIP NUMBER ENDS WITH 1983 or 1984 (check the envelope your KTB Magazine arrives in for this number), then this is what you do:

1. Send your Membership card here;
2. Enclose a note to tell us if you want your old card laminated or if you want a new Membership card;
3. Enclose a stamped, self-addressed envelope so we may return your Membership card to you.

LIFE Members do not need to do anything - we are ordering some really sharp cards for you and when they come in, we will let you know how to proceed.

COMPUTER FUND

Our COMPUTER FUND began when Dr. WARREN BROWN (265-A-1987) convinced us that SHARKHUNTERS needed to come into the 20th Century. DOC even made the first donation to this fund. Our first computer was an old IBM PC-XT and it helped to some degree. We got this old unit from DOC.

We have moved ahead quickly and are now into the 20th century and getting ready for the transition into the 21st. We now have several IBM 486 units and have just gotten a PENTIUM processor. This high-tech hardware moves SHARKHUNTERS along nicely, but we still owe on this new unit. As of a month ago, we still owed approximately $3,300. Thanks to the newest help -

RICHARD MAGEE (4656-1996) ......................................$ 10
GEORGE LINZMEYER (4555-LIFE-1995) ....................$ 10
EDDIE PHILLIPS (220-A/LIFE-1986) .............................$ 50
MANFRED ROEDER (1517-1990) ..................................$1,500
KPLT HANS HILBIG (186-LIFE-1986) C.O. of U-1230 ..$ 70
GÜNTER DIETRICH (339-LIFE-1989) ...........................$ 50
Maj. RICHARD SMITH (1213-LIFE-1989) ..................,,..$ 50

These Members have helped drop the balance we owe down to $1,522. Many thanks to these Members and all who have helped. If YOU want to help with our COMPUTER FUND, please send your gifts here - much appreciated!

Television GEORGE

GEORGE E. Q. JOHNSON (1846-1991) served on the Patrol Craft during the War and later on become an attorney. We have just learned that he will be part of the program ‘BIOGRAPHY OF ELLIOT NESS’ on 22 January, 1997 on the A & E channel in the USA. He also was interviewed in the ‘BIOGRAPHY OF AL CAPONE’ and that will be run sometime in 1997 on A & E. And in 1997, the BBC will present a three-hour special on the ‘PROHIBITION ERA’ and his interview will run again.

Thanks for the ‘heads up’ GEORGE. We’ll be watching.

RED MERCURY

New Member HARRISON CHEN would like to know if any other Members know anything about this unusual element. If so, please contact us here at HQ and we’ll pass things along.

SHARKHUNTERS in 64 COUNTRIES!

When APOSTOLOS EVANGELOPOULOS (5101-1996) came on board, the country of GREECE became the 64th country in which there are SHARKHUNTERS Members.

I remember that, at one time there was a saying that ‘the sun never sets on the British Empire’. That is no longer the case, but I think it is safe to say that the sun never sets on the realm of our SHARKHUNTERS Members.

To APOSTOLOS and GREECE - WELCOME ABOARD!

HOT NEWS!

We have read some really hot and interesting news on the pages of KTB #124; news that will re-write some pages of history, and it all breaks first here in our KTB Magazine. it is unfortunate that Members must wait a month for the KTB Magazine to come out to get this news - but some Members get this news immediately.

They get a NEWS BULLETIN from SHARKHUNTERS by First Class Mail (or Air Mail overseas) immediately whenever news of this magnitude comes into this office. For instance, we got the call on 21 November about the scuttled German U-Boat on the coast of Argentina and these Members received their notification of this breaking story two days later. How did these Members get such ‘Red Carpet’ treatment?

If a Member upgrades their Membership to ADMIRAL level, the KTB Magazine is sent First Class mail rather than third class AND all News Bulletins are sent immediately to these Members.

If a Member becomes a SUSTAINING MEMBER (check the HONORS PAGE; page 40 for information how to become one of our Sustaining Members) then the KTB Magazine is sent by First Class mail rather than third class - and these News Bulletins are also sent immediately by First Class mail; Air Mail overseas.

We hope to see you as a SUSTAINING MEMBER, or that you upgrade your Membership to ADMIRAL. There are many more advantages to these options.