15 Years Ago

In KTB #27 it was reported that a strange new creature beneath the waves might just be HARRY COOPER (1-LIFE-1983) as he had just gotten his Scuba certification from PADI, NAUI and YMCA. We reported on the book 'Japan's Secret War' by ROBERT WILCOX (25-1984) wherein he wrote that U-boats were sailing for Japan with uranium and high-tech items aboard.

TOM HATTON (20-+-1993) reported that U-1406 had been retrofitted with a Sodium-Graphite reactor in place of the Walter turbine propulsion plant. DICK FREITAG (30-1984) revealed that U3008 was not actually scrapped as the records show, but was sunk in shallow water off Puerto Rico. DENIS KNOWLES (361984) of the Bahamas, is an expert on plants etc. and visited Darby Island, which had reportedly supplied one or two U-boats with food and water. He confirmed that the vegetation at that time was only about 45 or 50 years old, indicating that the island was cleared as a far during the war years.

Spies and spooks - in a television interview, Pierre Salinger said that he had brokered deals between various Axis and Allied personnel and he had a hand in bringing Klaus Barbie to the west.

Several Members sent news clippings about a group of divers who believed there was another 'lost' U-boat off Ft. Lauderdale in 500 feet of water. We told them there was nothing there.

10 Years Ago

In KTB #66, there were some new items - the cover photos came into being with the KTB (Grossadmiral Donitz) and that was the first time for the section at that time, FIVE YEARS AGO in our KTB. We had more from ERICH TOPP (118-LIFE-1985) and BOB MAHER (221-1986) on their combat experiences.

We looked for Gerhard Soppa from U-805 because one of our Members had found Soppa's wallet when the US Navy cleared out the U-boat. He looked for Soppa for years without success, but through SHARKHUNTERS, he was found and after 45 years, he got his wallet back, filled with precious photos and letters.

In KTB #66, we broke the story that OTTO KRETSCHMER (122-+-1985) almost entered Scapa Flow to sink HMS ROYAL OAK. At that time, he commanded the little Type II-B U-23 and was ftilly intending to go in and attack the battleship but BdU sent a radio message to all the Type II boats around England to withdraw to the North Sea. KRETSCHMER was furious, but he obeyed his orders. These Skippers didn't know it, but this withdrawal was done to allow Prien to enter Scapa Flow with U-47 and to top it off, the aerial recon photos were taken by the brother of OTTO KRETSCHMER, a Luftwaffe pilot who did not survive the war. All this information was first reported in KTB #66.

'Garbageman' DAVID MOBLEY (417-LIFE-1987) donated a beautiful display board for our SHARK-HUNTERS to use at shows around the country. While at one of these shows, we had to tell some guy that HERBERT WERNER (18-C-1983) was NOT dead, despite the rumor this guy was telling. (Happily, HERBERT is in great shape and alive even today).

We reported that LARRY DAUPHEMIA (423-1988) and his friend were diving U-853 when things went terribly wrong, and his friend was killed in the dive. They had everything planned and had all the right equipment, but when things began to go wrong, he panicked and he died. STEVE HENNINGSON (619-1988) asked if anyone knew what happened to Batman's Submarine, the one used in the movie and TV series. Nobody had an answer.

KTB #66 was only 24 pages long, done on a typewriter and was folded and mailed by itself with no envelope.

5 Years Ago

KTB #112 carried an article on the premier blockade runner of the Kriegsmarine, SV RIO GRANDE, written by SIG KLAUSSNER (211-1986). Captain ARTHUR MOORE (533-1990) wrote a very nice article on the US Merchant Marine for KTB #112. There were more German secret weapons of WW II, and we reported on the Pillenwerfer. PETER's PAGE, as usual, was full of interesting and new items from the war and we also read more of the history of U-123 in this issue of the KTB.

There was a continuation of the incredible story by DON ANGEL ALCAZAR de VELASCO (158-1985) on who did - and who really did not die in Berlin in the final moments of the war. At the time of KTB #112, we believe DON ANGEL was dead but we learned some years later that he had merely gone into hiding, and we found him again.

CHARLES GUNDERSEN (205-C-1986) did an outstanding article on the technical history of the American submarines - and there was more on the loonies who crewed an American destroyer off San Francisco in the war who believed that they had sunk a German U-boat off San Francisco. They later changed their minds and decided that it was an American submarine they sank in error. Then they decided it was a Japanese I-boat that was supplying the secret Japanese fighter base at Malibu, California during the war. I don't know what these guys drink, but it must be mighty strong!