15 YEARS AGO in our KTB

In KTB #23 it was reported that a television movie "Kojak; the Beldrus File" was shown on TV. This was taken from the book "The Belarus Secret ' written by (former) Member JOHN LOFTUS (40-1984). This book and film went into the ways that various parts of the American Government used, protected, paid and otherwise assisted members of the Gestapo, the SS, the SD and other German operatives from WWII. They were needed by these American agencies during the 'Cold War'.

STEVE TOMAN (70-1984) sent us a nice map with the final resting place of the American submarine S-37 clearly marked. KIRK KREUTZIG (2-1983) and TV host HUGH DOWNS (141-1986) were making plans to test underwater color-correcting lenses made by the company KIRK owned. There was talk also of doing documentaries with DOWNS on Darby Island in the Bahamas; Errol Flynn's connection to the Abwehr, the depth of connection to the German Government in WWII shared by General Motors, Standard Oil and others.

KTB #23 was only 6 pages long and the annual dues were $25 back then. Now, fifteen years later, the dues have doubled but the KTB Magazine is 44 pages long - a huge value! With just one exception, ALL our dues increases have happened as a direct result of several postal rate increases before each single dues increase.

10 YEARS AGO in our KTB

"I don't care about those British sailors who were killed on HMS BARHAM!" Highland Superstores used the film clip of that battleship exploding when hit with torpedoes from U-331 under von TIESENHAUSEN (301-1988), along with other photos of dead US Marines lying on a beach. We reported it in KTB #62. MIKE STEVENSON (564-1988) went on the Morton Downey, Jr. television show to express his anger and outrage over that insensitive commercial, he was constantly interrupted by Downey and finally, Downey made this statement. Unbelievable!

We were running the memories of ERICH TOPP (118- LIFE-1985) as well as those of BOB MAHER (221-1986) in this issue and also WALTER AUCONI (1011-1989) of the Italian submarines, always filled with excitement. Our series of 'U-Boat Victories against Aircraft' continued, and we debunked (again) the rumor of a sunken U-boat off Ft. Lauderdale. We reported the finding of USS DRAGONET (SS 293) by ED SUAREZ (292-1987) and his friend. JOE BURGES (605-1988) sent us photos of the U- boat bunkers that still remain today, in Trondheim, Norway.

We carried the report that U-4708 was found, still in her bunker in Kiel this Type XHII was undergoing repairs in the bunker when bombs fell on the far side of the harbor, creating a huge wave which swept into the bunker and down the open hatches. Three of the dockyard workers and three of the U-boat crew were killed.

KTB #62 was just 20 pages long, and a far cry from today's modern computer typeset KTB of 44 pages.

5 YEARS AGO in our KTB

In KTB #108, we read the story of DEUTSCHLAND, the W.W I cargo submarine, sent in by WILLIAM BARTLING OTTO KRETSCHMER (122-+-1985) wrote more about, i..e final moments of U-99. OTIS MOREHEAD (3299-1993) wrote about the US Navy's Armed Guard and the work they did in the war. We had reports and photos of America's first rocket base - and it was NOT Cape Kennedy. We highlighted the history of U-111, a Type IX-B long-range front boot. We reprinted on what was the ultra-top-secret 'Blau 315' of the Kriegsmarine.

We reported that the huge (by WWII standards) Type XI boats (that's right, Type XI not IX) boats to be numbered 112 through 115 were never built. There are two guys in New England who say they have found one of these boats, but gave it the number U-233 and claim that it is in Casco Bay; Maine. Absolutely rubbish!

We told some more about the 'Lost Bunker' in which three Type XXI boats were discovered by HARRY COOPER (1-LIFE-1983), Jak MALLMANN SHOWELL (73-1984) and EDDIE PHILLIPS (220-A/LIFE-1987) in 1988.

There was more information about the 'Black' U-boats and ships, those not assigned or accountable to the Kriegsmarine. RADM DAVID GOEBEL (3320-1993) got his second Star. We obtained the locations of nine of the secret harbors in Feuerland, where German ships and submarines could go to hide at the bottom of South America.

KTB #108 was 32 pages long; there were Members in 45 countries