Did You Know.....
From Oberleutnant ERNST SCHMIDT (10-+-1983)

Oberleutnant zur See Karl Donitz as C.O. of UB-68 on October 4, 1918 in the Mediterranean, while attacking a British convoy, was sunk and taken prisoner of war in Malta? He built in 1935 the new German U-boat arm for the rebuilt Navy, became Grandadmiral and succeeded Hitler in the last month of WW II.

German U-boats in WW II sunk 2,979 merchant ships, a total of over 14.36 million tons - and 184 Allied naval vessels?

The Germans built 1,162 U-boats in WW II of which 863 were operational and lost 784 boats through various causes?

Little Known Submarine Facts

This quiz is for your enjoyment and it is meant to improve your knowledge of submarine and naval history. Please DO NOT call or write here with answers - they will be in KTB #154 next month. 221.

Operation PAUKENSCHLAG was the opening of the U-boat war against the United States. This operation was to have six boats in it, timed to coincide with the new moon off the American east coast. The name means `Drumbeat' but a special kind of drumbeat. It referred to the rolling of the kettledrums, such as one would hear in a Wagnerian march. The first on the scene was Kplt REINHARD HARDEGEN (102­LIFE-1985), Skipper of U-123. For this, he is known as the `Drumbeater' and he is also the only Skipper surviving from `Drumbeat'. Shame on you if you missed this one.

222. Operation NEPTUNE was the code name for the naval portion of the D-Day invasion.

223. The single most destructive bombing mission in all of World War II took place over 9 and 10 March 1945 when 334 8-29 SUPERFORTRESS bombers bombed Tokyo and left 1.25 million people homeless. This raid caused far more damage than the atomic bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

224. The German U-boats sank more than 2,800 Allied ships in WW II but at a cost of more than 630 U-boats and about 32,000 U-bootfahrer out of about 39,000.

225. The Polish Navy surrendered on 1 October 1939, but some ships and submarines made it to England and operated with the Royal Navy.

Now for KTB #154 next month, see if you know these answers.

226. Where did the idea of partitioning post-war Germany originate; when and by whom?

227. Why was the sinking of the I.J.N. submarine Ro-501 by an American destroyer so unique?

228. Who was `Duckpin'?

229. What was the first Axis vessel boarded and captured by the US Navy during WW II? Don't miss this one!

230. Who made the statement: "At the moment the situation in Italy is such that not a single Luftwaffe aircraft dares show itself."?

Remember - please do not send in any answers. They will be in KTB #154 next month, but try to solve these riddles by then.