A story sent by CHARLES EVERETT (2197-1992), published in the newspaper ‘Amerika Woche’ (America Watch):

A few hundred yards off the shores of Aruba lies the remains of the German freighter ANTILLA, sunk in World War II. Like a man made island, the rusting steel of one mast and the bridge protrude out of the water, providing a peaceful resting place for swarms of seagulls and pelicans. She had a short lifespan.

Built in 1939 at the Hamburg Finkwarder shipyard, this 400 foot long freighter lived less than a year, being sunk on 11 May 1940 outside the harbor of Orangeburg, capital of Aruba.

In both the First and Second World Wars, this beautiful island played an important part in the shipment of essential war materials. In the First World War, Aruba delivered Calcium Phosphate (Guano) which can be used as an artificial fertilizer and explosive powder. In the Second World War, Aruba delivered about 8% of the petroleum used by the Allies.

It was for this reason that the waters around Aruba became an operational area for the German U-Boats and other naval units, all to destroy the Allied tankers operating there.

On the 10th of May 1940, German Fallshirmjägern (paratroopers) take Rotterdam and The Hague and soon, Queen Wilhelmina flees Holland for England. Germany and Holland are at war, and the tiny island Paradise of Aruba is a territory of Holland – and this German ship is anchored there. A hastily assembled Dutch fleet quickly encircles ANTILLA, cutting off her escape to open waters.

Dutch authorities issue a 24-hour ultimatum – an ultimatum which Captain Schmidt, Skipper of ANTILLA, swiftly reacts to…..he will scuttle his ship! As Captain Schmidt and his crew members, 46 in all, leave their ship in lifeboats, heavy explosions deep within the ship tear her apart, and she goes down quickly.

A few days after their capture, Captain Schmidt and the ANTILLA crew are transported to the PoW camp on the island of Bonaire. On the way there, they see the remains of their once proud ship protruding out of the ocean. It must have been a terrible moment.

It is a great irony of the Second World War and in history itself, that a German ship was commissioned with the name ANTILLA, and then is sunk in the far distance in an island group, that is called the Dutch Antilles.

Thanks for this nice article CHARLES. I know that Gus Barroni at Amerika Woche will approve our use. We had to shorten in a few places, and paraphrase in others to make this read better.

Many thousands of divers and tourists visit Aruba and the wreck of ANTILLA – I wonder how many of them know this history.