Another group of SHARKHUNTERS Members will celebrate their 15 years of Membership. These are the Members who came aboard in 1986. We appreciate the loyalty of:

KAY COOPER - she married me; she has to stay a Member;

ELENORE SCHULZ - her husband WILHELM SCHULZ, Skipper of U-124, was our Member from 1986 but Frau Schulz continues his Membership - a LIFE Member.

STEVE WAPEN

MARC COHEN - US Navy Seabee veteran, vigorous recruiter for our SHARKHUNTERS - is a LIFE Member.

MIKE HOWELL - our Kiwi Fire Captain - a LIFE Member;

THEO FREUNDORFER - German Navy Cadet when the war Ended - and is a LIFE Member.

EDDIE RUMPF - researcher of the Eismeer boats;

RADM MAX JUSTO GUEDES - curator of the Brazilian Navy archives - a captain when he joined SHARKHUNTERS;

GEORG LASSEN - Skipper of U-160, KNIGHTS CROSS;

HANS HILBIG - Skipper of U-1230 who placed two agents ashore in the USA at Maine;

GERD THÄTER - Skipper of U-466 and U-3506, went through Gibraltar twice, and his Type XXI boat is still in the Lost Bunker. He is a LIFE Member.

WOLDEMAR TRIEBEL - ‘Bobby’ was I.W.O. on U-978 and he helps us prepare our ‘Patrols’ in northern Germany.

DICK COLE - he did all our book reviews.

CHARLES GUNDERSEN - he writes many technical articles for our KTB Magazine.

GÜNTHER HOLLDORFF - trainee as Engineering Officer.

MARIANNE GRAP - her husband WILHELM, in the crew of U-506, was our Member from 1986 and he was a very strong voice for SHARKHUNTERS in Hamburg. His wife continues his Membership. She is a LIFE Member.

GERHARD RICHTER - ‘Gerry’ was a radioman on U-81 when they sank the Royal Navy aircraft carrier HMS ARK ROYAL. He is a LIFE Member.

EDDIE PHILLIPS - professional diver, LIFE Admiral Member

HEINZ HOCH - U-Bootfahrer

SIEGFRIED KOITSCHKA - he fired the torpedo that sank USS REUBEN JAMES a month before the US was in the war, then was Skipper of U-616 and earned the KNIGHTS CROSS - a LIFE Member.

ALFRED RUDOLF - U-bootfahrer on several boats.

More 15 Year Members

Actually, these Members signed on in 1986 but sadly, they have all departed on their Eternal Patrol. We must remember them in this section. They include:

WILHELM SCHULZ - Winner of the KNIGHTS CROSS and Skipper of U-64 and U-124, the Edelweiss boot and he was Flotillenchef (commander) of the 6th U-bootflottille and the 8th U-bootflottille. Skippers who trained aboard U-124 under his skills include REINHARD HARDEGEN (102-LIFE-1985) & Joachin Mohr. From all accounts, he was well loved by his crew and his contemporaries.

JOCHEN AHME - Editor of Schaltung Küste, the newsletter of the German U-boat Veterans Association. A fine man.

HARRY SCHONAU - One-man torpedoes

MEL FISHER - World famous treasure hunter.

FRANZ SCHATTAUER - U-boat veteran HERBERT SCHULTZE - Skipper of U-48 and Flotillenchef of the 3rd U-bootflottille. Winner of the KNIGHTS CROSS with OAK LEAF.

HANNO KRIEG - I.W.O. of U-81 then Skipper of that boat, later an officer with the K-Verband (one man torpedoes, 1 & 2 man U-boats & explosive speedboats.

PAUL JUST - Skipper of U-546. He became good friends with the radioman on the American DE he sank and spent winters at the home of his former enemy. (photo - right)

OTTO DIETZ - Pharmacists Mate on U-180 when they took the Indian National leader Subhas Chandras Bose to the meeting with the Japanese I-boat in the Indian Ocean. Living the good life too much (drinking), OTTO was sent to a punishment battalion on the Russian Front, which almost always meant a quick death. He was shot by a Russian sniper but lived and got posted to a hospital in Germany as an orderly. Harold Lange, former I.W.O. on U-180, was visiting one of the nurses on his way to take command of U-505 and when he spotted OTTO working there, he took him along to be on the crew of U-505. OTTO was a great guy.

WILHELM GRAP - Crewman on U-506, WILLI told us about the time that boat went up the Mississippi River and also the time they assisted U-156 in the rescue of the personnel from the LACONIA. He gave us plenty of photos of that time. WILLI was a great help to us for our Patrols in Germany, and a good friend.

WALTER JANEK - One of only three survivors of U-67.

These are our Members who signed on in 1986 but who have sadly, left us for their Eternal Patrol.