For our Member ‘Fritz’ HARLFINGER (2554-+-1992), retired Vice Admiral USN, we were attempting to learn about the German U-boat Skipper Harlfinger, C.O. of U-269. ‘Fritz’ HARLFINGER was Skipper of USS TRIGGER (SS 237). PETER tells us:

“Regarding Kapitänleutnant Harlfinger, who commissioned U-269 at the Vulkan Shipyard in Bremen-Vegesack on 19 august 1942, which had been launched on 24 June 1942; this will probably be a toughy, because as far as I recall, he died. I recall some story about suicide even and I shall check this out as it was so long ago. Replacement (temporary) Captain, Oberleutnant Otto Hansen, Class of 37-A (IV-37), thereafter was assigned to U-601 and that boat was bombed northwest of Narvik by British aircraft and became a total loss on 25 February 1944.

Whilst U-269, as you said, was eventually commanded by Oblt. Georg Uhl as a snorkel boat, ordered into the English Channel after the invasion and sunk by British escorter BICKERTON in Lymne Bay southeast of Torquay in comparatively shallow water on 25 June 1944. However, only 13 of the men got killed during this sinking. The rest were rescued and survived, thus some of those chaps would be liable to be still alive and could perhaps illuminate the Harlfinger situation also. You might suggest Vice Admiral HARLFINGER contact some of them.

Thinking somewhat today about the Harlfinger case and matter, while cleaning the car, which is a rather automatic or mechanical job. I believe there was or is a book on the market, written by a French journalist whose name I recall as being Jean Lolli or some such very similar name. After all, it is not a new book, presently no doubt out of print and probably only to be tracked down in larger libraries I should think.

I had read it in its original French and participated in a round table discussion to introduce the English translation version, which was called, I remember, “The Admiral and his Wolves” almost a verbal translation of the original French title. If my memory serves me right after all these years, various U-boat people are discussed apart from Dönitz of course, and some fairly well-known men and others practically unknown to the general public. However, their stories are often the more intriguing and interesting ones.

I do think U-269 was also included in connection with the story of one of its Watch Officers Wolf Schäfer, I believe the name was, which I took at the time as being a ‘protective’ name for a number of reasons rather than a real name, though I believe the first name Wolfgang was the correct one.

I also think he was a member of one of the 1939 Classes, either A or B but it is so long ago, I just don’t recall exactly. I then thought part of the reported story was either incomplete or otherwise incorrectly told, because there were obvious places that did not fit together and other parts that were based on confused facts or misunderstandings of actual facts. I don’t know, of course, if purposely done or unintentionally done, presumably to ‘protect’ the innocent and in this case, the person in question.”