We have reported several times on the guys who are trying to bilk money out of unsuspecting people, for the salvage of U-233 which they have reported to be a very rare Type XI U-boat, sunk in Casco Bay, Maine. We have debunked this story time and time again, stating that U-233 was a Type X-B boat and not a Type XI boat; that there never was a Type XI boat ever built; and that U-233 was sunk hundreds and hundreds of miles from the US coast. Naturally, they didn’t want to hear this, since they needed to stick with their story to bilk money out of their victims.

Here now, are the remarks of JAMES PERALTA (2366-1992):

1. As a young man and member of the ships company of USS CARD (CVE 11), I remember encounter and sinking of the U-233 as if it happened only yesterday.

2. After the sinking of the U-233, the survivors were transferred to the USS CARD CVE-11. At that time, I was the Leading Petty Officer in charge of the detail guarding these 29 survivors.

3. When they were all aboard, my orders were to take them below on the forward elevator. This I did and I will never forget the look on their faces when I kicked the ‘down’ release and the horn blew and the flight elevator started its descent below. I guess they thought that the deck under them was caving in from an explosion? This was understandable after all they had just gone through!

4. Upon arriving down to the hangar deck below, I proceeded to take the survivors to the forward starboard head as directed. There they were given toilet articles, clothing and took a fresh water shower. After that, I turned them over to the Chief Master at Arms and he took them below for internment.

5. Harry, all this took place in the North Atlantic just as stated in Mr. Lawton’s (PAUL LAWTON 4628-1996) article in KTB #152 and I sure hope that Mr. Greg Brooks realizes that the U-233 is not at the bottom of Casco Bay, and that her gallant crew and her Captain (Lt. Hans Steen) are resting in a place of honor in the North Atlantic.

6. For the record gentlemen, I wanted to get this information to you so that there is no misunderstanding that the U-233 was sunk in the North Atlantic. I was there.

JIM, many thanks for this first-person insight on this historic event. PAUL LAWTON (4628-1996) will receive this in his issue of KTB #158 and that will help his case against Brooks and Michaud. PAUL is an attorney, trying to bring these guys to court and make them stop claiming they were finding German U-boats full of gold, all over New England - all such ‘findings’ were totally fictitious.