“Just when you thought it was safe to go back in the water…..….they’re baaaack!

I just came across another bogus “U-Boat treasure salvage scheme” that is mentioned in the Winter 2002, Volume 7, Number 4 issue of IMMERSED (diving) Magazine, page 14 entitled Going for Gold. I was a bit shocked because IMMERSED has a reputation for being about the best ‘technical diving’ magazine in the world, so I am at a loss to understand how they could have let this one get past the editors.

The story says that ‘a team of divers…..with help from the Argentine Navy…..explored the seabed for 10 days last fall’ seeking ‘to explore and possibly salvage the U-1238, a German submarine that is supposed to contain 10 tons of gold.’ The story went on to state that ‘the sub crew survived, so the site is not a war grave….the sub sank in 295 feet…in July 1945, it was believed to carry documents in watertight containers that were to be used to start up the Fourth Reich in Argentina.’

There are just a few facts about this amazing story that I have to dispute…..well…..actually all of them!

The U-1238 was one of a number of Type IX-C/40 boats that were in the early stages of construction at the time of Germany’s surrender, and was scrapped soon thereafter. The U-1238 was never completed nor commissioned and did not have a crew, nor a Captain, and certainly was not carrying gold, nor was it sunk in July of 1945 off the coast of Argentina.

On July 10, 1945 the German Type IX-C/40 U-Boat U-530 (under command of Oberleutnant zur See Otto Wermuth Sharkhunters Member #1344-1990) surrendered at Mar del Plata, Argentina with the submarine and her crew handed over to the United States Navy authorities. The crew was transferred to PoW interrogation camp at Fort George G. Meade in Maryland, and the submarine was later sunk in a torpedo exploder test by the U.S. Navy submarine USS TORO (SS 422) approximately 40 miles Northeast of Provincetown Cape Cod, Massachusetts on November 28, 1947. Likewise, the last operational U-Boat, the Type VII-C U-977 (Oberleutnant zur See Heinz Schaeffer) also surrendered at Mar del Plata on August 17, 1945. Her crew was also handed over to U.S. Naval forces and transferred to the United States. The U-977 was also towed to the United States and on November 13, 1946 she was torpedoed and sunk off the Massachusetts coast by the USS ATULE (SS 403) in a torpedo test.

The last operational German U-Boats to be sunk in combat during World War II occurred in early May. There were no German U-Boats sunk in hostile action in either June or July of 1945. Furthermore, had the crew of any U-Boat been rescued or captured by Argentine authorities in 1945, they also would have been turned over to U.S. Navy authorities for internment and interrogation (leaving quite a paper trail), before ultimately being repatriated back to Germany. Clearly, some (if not all) of those U-Boat Officers and crewmen (up to 55+) would have attempted to return to Argentina after repatriation, for the purpose of mounting extensive search and salvage operations, to recover any such ‘gold’ treasure, long ago. Such operations would have been virtually impossible to conceal for nearly six decades.

Where did the members of this mysterious U-Boat crew disappear to, and why have none of them ever come forward to write a book about their fascinating exploits, one that most certainly have made the Best Seller list? German authorities apparently have no knowledge of this super secret project ‘to start up a Fourth Reich in Argentina’ nor of the alleged missing ‘10 tons of gold’ (mere pocket change!). Professor Dr. Jürgen Rohwer would fall out of his chair in laughter if he were ever to hear of such foolishness!

After contacting a friend at the United States Naval Historical Center in Washington DC last week, it appears the Argentine Navy has no knowledge of having allegedly ‘assisted’ this group of idiots in their ‘search’, and the fact that the Argentine Navy could not locate a German Type IX-C/40 (252’ long and 1,200 gross ton) submarine in less than 300 feet of water, would have been little short of an insult to their technical capabilities.

Over the years I have fought the attempts of a number of scurrilous frauds, in their attempts at bilking hapless investors out of their hard earned money on bogus treasure salvage schemes, and any magazine’s publication of such trash simply sets up the flock (their readers) for the fleecing. Though this group now claims only to seek assistance with a remotely operated vehicle (to placate the Federal Trade Commission, among other authorities), we all know how these schemes ultimately play out, with offers of or solicitations for financial investment.

I suggest that whenever you hear such a ridiculous story, one that defies all bounds of common sense, you can rest assured that you are simply being spun a good yard…..simply hogwash!”

PAUL LAWTON is an attorney, diver and avid historian who, like all SHARKHUNTERS Members, wants to reveal the honest history. Anyone other such stories, please let us know!