As Members know, we offer the book U-297 for sale and we work closely with the publisher, and have spoken several times with Ricky Skinner, the diver who wrote the book. They are both honest people or of course, we would not have dealt with them otherwise.

It seems that the photo of the Skipper of U-297 appeared on that website known as U-Boat-Dot-Not…..without any permissions. Here is the message that Ricky Skinner sent to the webmaster.

“Could you please enlighten me as to how the photograph of the C.O. of U-297 came to be published on U-Net. I was sent this photo by the widow in trust. It was given to me in order to allow my readers to see what Wolfgang Aldegarmann looked like. This and other photos were taken from the private collection of his widow and family. I therefore protest very strongly at this breach of trust and wish that this photo is removed forthwith from this site. A formal request via my publishers to reinstate this photograph will allow me to placate the situation in Germany and together with the family and myself we will decide if it is proper to reinstate the portrait of Obltnt.z.See Aldegarmann.”

And here is the reply – not from the guy who runs the website, but from one of his disciples…..a fellow named Rainer Bruns.

“I noticed your making liberal use of this forum to advertise and increase sales of your book. No doubt to your and your publisher’s financial benefit.

In the book you published the photo of OltzS A., which is now in the public domain. Are you claiming exclusive rights to this photo? Are you afraid that the photo next to the bio here on the uboat net will diminish sales of this book?

I am having trouble understanding your motivation. It seems to me the most you and/or the family can demand, is a picture credit to its source. I do not know who sent the pic. to Gummi, but it was not stolen out of your desk drawer.

So why pretend to be the injured primadonna. How about you scratching Gummi’s back for a change. Besides, you could have sent Gummi an e-mail instead of plastering your ‘complaint’ on Gummi’s site for all to see.”

In paragraph two of his apparent excuse for the website’s taking of this photo, this guy is stating that the photo was published in Skinner’s book and so, becomes public domain – HUH? Who has not seen a photo pf Elvis Presley, Mickey Mouse or other known celebrities in print – but who is dumb enough to believe that anyone can just start using these images in their own advertising? Apparently the disciples of this website are really uninformed – or they just aren’t telling the truth.

Then this guy goes on to more or less say that the wishes of the family in Germany mean nothing to Gummi or the website – that they will do what they wish and the widow of a fallen U-Boat Skipper and her feelings mean nothing to them.

This is a really lousy attitude from a website that claims to care about the history of the U-Bootwaffe……..but it appears all they want to do is sell books and give their opinions cloaked as fact.

The U-Boat vets will have nothing to do with this site for obvious reasons. They apparently take what they want and care nothing for the wishes of the widows of the fallen men of the U-Waffe.

There will be more on this website as months go on. So many Members have written with similar horror stories of terribly wrong, incorrect and just plain idiotic information on this website which is purported to be fact when they are merely opinion and not even close to the facts. The sad thing is that people who read these fairy tales really believe them. Remember last month – HERMANN HOFFMANN (1365-LIFE-1990) was reported as dead in 1982 on that website yet he has been to our ‘Patrols’ and he is alive today. False and idiotic information, arrogant responses – no wonder nobody of any status will give any credibility to that website.