15 YEARS AGO in our KTB

In KTB #21, we were still trying to select the official design for our SHARKHUNTERS. We exposed another U-boat fraud -- a fellow in southern California by the name of Heinz Houben who claimed that he was an officer on various U-boats.....but each U-boat he claimed he was on had been sunk with all hands lost. He then claimed to have been Commander of a Type XXI boat on patrol in the South Atlantic when the war ended, but there were no Type XXI boats on combat patrol and the U-number he claimed was his boat was not a Type XXI but a Type XXIII coastal boat.....and it was still under construction in the yards when the war ended. We also exposed another guy who wanted to do a lot of movies about the U-boats, claiming that movie star Aldo Ray was his personal friend and would do the voice-overs. Aldo Ray never heard of Robert LeMaire and neither had anyone else in the movie industry.

We reported the passing of Fritz Poske, Commander of U-504. Former Member DAVID SIMPSON (15-1983) was missing and we were trying to locate him. Some years later, we learned why he was being difficult to locate. We almost lost the "old curmudgeon" DICK FREITAG (30-1984) to a massive heart attack -- so severe that a priest was giving him his last rites when he awoke.

We reported the passing of AXEL OLAF LOEWE (39-+-1984), Skipper of U-505 on her first two patrols and a very nice man. STEVE TOMAN (70-1984) returned from his attempt to dive the American submarine 5-37 on the California coast, but he didn't have enough time and money to remain on site long enough. JAK MALLMANN SHOWELL (73-1984) gave us some additional data on U-40, which had recently been located. An Australian navy veteran had been asking a lot of questions about U-700 and her crew, and he actually appeared to have some knowledge about this boat himself - until we informed him U-700 had never been built. KTB #21 was only 6 pages long and done on that old manual typewriter. It would comprise about two pages of today's computer set and professionally printed KTB Magazine.

10 YEARS AGO in our KTB

In KTB #60 we were running an interview with ERICH TOPP (118-LIFE-1985) and also one by BOB MAHER (221-1986) on their individual memories and experiences during the Battle of the Atlantic. These were exciting stories! We ran a piece by VICTOR TURON (28-1984) about U-boat victories against aircraft. We mentioned that JIM VIZIGIAN (29-1984) was looking for information on the four unusual German U-boats that surrendered at Portsmouth (NH) Navy Yard at the end of the war. At the time of KTB #60, there were SHARK-HUNTERS Members in only 23 countries. We were (and still are) looking for information on an American vessel, the FIFE that had originally been called the CAJUN. This boat had been seized by the U. S. for allegedly running fuel out to German U-boats in the Gulf of Mexico. FRED C. JOHNSON (76-1984) sent us this article back then, and we would still like to know if anyone has anything further on the ship known as the CAJUN, later called the FIFE.

EDDIE RUMPF (179-1986) was looking for information on L.I. Bruno Heger and also Watch Officers Wurst and Karmainsky. They men were all assigned to U-307 but were not aboard when that boat was sunk.

We ran a photograph of U-3004, one of the Type XXI boats found in the `Lost Bunker' in Hamburg in 1988 by three Members of SHARKHUNTERS. We gave a recipe for Labskaus, the typical German sailor's meal when returning from a patrol.

OTTO KRETSCHMER (122-+-1985) told us why he never wore the white cap that was worn by almost every U-boat Skipper. We reported that USS BLENNY was sunk as a reef off the American east coast. LARRY DAUPHEMIA (423-1988) and his buddy were diving the wreck of U-853 when disaster struck - and his buddy died in the dive. USS CROAKER had been written off as a relic that would go to the breaker's yard but she was saved at the last moment and continues as a memorial in New York.

RON CHINN (516-1988) sent some incredible information about what U-boat is really in Chicago - or actually, what boat really is not in Chicago. (There will be more on that soon.)

In a note from FRED CHANG (77Z-1988) we reported the death of `A Man Called Intrepid' when British super spy Sir William Stephenson died.

KTB #60 was only 20 pages long and still done on that old manual typewriter. We have come a long way in a few years.

5 YEARS AGO in our KTB

In KTB #105 we read the first-person account by ALFRED NUESSER (1092-+-1989) of the time he met with a Royal Navy chap off the British submarine that sank his boat many years before JOE BURGES (605-A-1988) was running away with the annual Membership Contest -- again, We read more of the memories of JIM VIZIGIAN (29-1984) and the surrender of the U-boats 'in New Hampshire. What was POTSHOT VENTURE? It was veryimportant to the American submarine war effort, and we covered it lightly in KTB #105 RITA CLARE (1571-A-1990) was a payroll clerk in the 2nd U-Bootlehrdivision and she returned for a visit and while in Germany, she met up with GEORG HOGEL (240-1487) and they had a great visit. There were more memories from OTTO KRETSCHMER (122-+-1985).

We reported the passing of SS LEON deGRELLE (1835-+-1991) on his Eternal Patrol. We explained who was "Oh Boat Joe of the Oh One Oh" There was more great information on ULTRA and how the British might have been handed the top-secret Triton Codes - but our researcher was killed before he could finish his research We reported locating of the top-secret and last operation base of the German Navy of World War II - at the southern tip of South America. We reported the passing of our friend and veteran from U-180 and U-505, OTTO DITEZ (209-+-1986). KTB #105 was 28 pages long.