An Old German Flag
PAULINE CANDELARIA (6247-2001) writes: "I found an old German flag in an old trunk and can't identify it. It has a dark blue iron cross bordered in white on a red background. In the center is a dark blue swastika on a white background. The swastika is contained in a large circle. This flag is well worn, but looks to be in fairly good condition. It's linen - not cotton." Ideas anyone? Who can tell us about this flag?U-Boats in Ireland
A short while ago, we asked if there was any concrete proof that any German U-boats actually visited the Republic of Ireland. KIEREN McGOVERN (5382-1997) wrote this to us: "I enclose a few cuttings - especially an article for the Irish Times dated 27 April 1983. The reference to U-35 coming into Dingle Bay has some basis in fact - I asked about it myself about 15 years ago and met people who said they remembered it. I'm afraid the recent article from Ireland's Own concerning the Callan U-boat scare is in the leprechaun category. `The Emergency' is what we in neutral Ireland called WW IL" Thanks for the info KIEREN. If anyone else has more information on German U-boats in Ireland during WW II, please send it here.Ferdinand Rolf Egon Hirtler
This German veteran served as an AA gunner aboard PRINZ EUGEN is now deceased. His son and new Member, CHRIS HIRTLER, would like to know about his father's wartime history. If any Member knows anything of this man's military service, please let us know and we'll pass it on to his son Chris.U-558 and KRETCH
DOUGLAS ADAMS (5002-1996) would like to know about the time his ship was shelled off Vancouver Island on 13 May either 1940 or 1941. He said that the U-boat fired ten rounds over the course of about 4 1/2 hours. DOUG thinks this was U-558, & he said that 6 pages were missing from the KTB (logbook) of this boat. What can anyone tell us about U-558 and 13 May of either 1940 or 1941?The Raiders
More from WALTER GODHINO (5514-1998) on these ships: PINGUIN - also known as Schiff (ship) 33. She was the former SS KANDELFELS of 7,766 tons and she could reach 17 knots with the 6,400hp M.A.N. diesels (two per shaft). She was 485'h feet in length, 61'/a feet in beam and drew 31 feet. With her on board fuel, she could cover 60,000 miles at 10 knots. She mounted six 5.9 inch guns, a single 75mm gun, two 37mm automatic guns and two 20mm automatic guns plus four torpedo tubes (carried 400 torpedoes) and twenty mines. Her crew strength varied, but was usually 420 men. She initially carried 2 Heinkel He 114 scout planes which were later replaced by a single Arado 196. During her time in the war, PINGUIN sank or captured 28 ships, including 16 prizes, with a total of 136,551 gross tons plus another 18,068 tons of shipping sunk by her mines. Total was 158,256 tons. Her cruise totaled 328 days, from 15 June 1940 until she was sunk by HMS CORNWALL on 8 May 1941.Agents Landed at Scituate?
JIM ROSE (78-1984) wrote with this question. His letter read: "Does any German U-boat veteran know of a landing of intelligence agents at Scituate, Mass during WW II? At least six residents of the town who don't know each other claim it happened. They told me the landing party (which was captured) was a demolition team attempting to destroy the radio tower broadcasting `Radio Free Europe'. - The residents said the incident was hushed to limit any alarm in the area (like U-87 dropping mines in Boston Harbor and possibly damaging a patrol vessel as reported in KTB #142)." Information anyone? This would make a great story it if is true.Back to KTB # 153 Table of Contents
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© Copyright 2001 by Harry Cooper, Sharkhunters International, Inc.
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