20 YEARS AGO in our KTB

Our second newsletter still was not known as the KTB; it was just a photocopied letter that went to half a dozen researchers.

There was further information about the 232 U-Boats scuttled by their crews in the unofficial Operation REGENBOUGH (Rainbow) and it was not good.

We reported on a story in LIFE Magazine of 30 October 1939 that carried this photo cover and an article on Günther Prien. The caption reads: “Hello Mother. I just sunk a battleship.”

There was also a short piece on the sinking of the Royal Navy aircraft carrier HMS COURAGEOUS on 17 September 1939 by U-29 under Otto Schuhart, who later became Member #1366-1990.

In this one page letter, we asked if anyone thought there would be any interest in continuing onward with SHARKHUNTERS. We asked if very many people would find this of interest. Happily, those few Members in March 1983 said yes, go on with this.

Yes, it was still only one page long and done on an old manual typewriter. Because HARRY was Vice President of a large corporation at that time, the photocopying and the postage to the dozen or so Members was free. How we have grown!

15 Years Ago

In KTB #34, we announced that we had made our first ever videotape. This was Tape H-1, the ‘Walking Tour of U-505’ which, incidentally, is still available – check your catalog. OTTO GIESE (45-+-1984) announced that his son Jon had graduated from the U.S. Air Force Academy.

We got more information from Capt. JÜRGEN WATTENBERG (154-+-1985) on his “Pig Chase in the Atlantik”. ERICH TOPP (118-LIFE-1985) informed us that he was not related to the Captain Topp who was commander of TIRPITZ.

KTB #34 was still just 8 pages long and still done on that old manual typewriter. Thanks to computer technology, we have come a long way in a relatively short time.

10 Years Ago

With all the photos of Günther Prien on the cover of KTB #73, it was an easy guess that this issue profiled this Skipper. As history tells it, Prien sank the first ship in the war – but we know that it was really Lemp with U-30 but the German Government tried to expunge those records. OTTO GIESE & BOB MAHER continued to tell their stories of the war at sea and there was more of the great article by CHARLES GUNDERSEN (205-C-1986) on U-Boat development in the face of disarmament.

KTB #73 had a centerfold! Relax, not THAT kind of centerfold. There was a great two-page spread of a cut-away photo of Prien’s U-47 superimposed over a list of the ships they sank.

KEVIN PETRIELLO (535-A-1988) did an excellent article on the Italian submarine Skipper Carlo Fecia di Cossato.

We also gave a brief profile of Axel Wenner-Gren, the Swedish industrialist who owned Bofors Armament Company, owned huge properties in Sweden, founded the Electrolux Vacuum Cleaner Company, who mistress was the companion of Adolf Hitler at the 1936 Olympics (this woman later became the girlfriend of John F. Kennedy) and Wenner-Gren was one of the hardest working of the Third Reich in the Western Hemisphere – he owned most of what is now Paradise Island in the Bahamas. Interesting stuff!

KTB #73 was still 28 pages, still done on a typewriter.

5 Years Ago

The front cover of KTB #119 featured Kapitänleutnant Ernst Kals, Skipper of U-130, decorated with the Knights Cross. We were in what turned out to be a losing battle, to save USS CABOT, the last of the CVL aircraft carriers. The ‘Iron Lady’ of the Pacific is in the breaker’s yard even at this moment. There was an excellent interview with HELMUT SCHMOECKEL (1455-LIFE-1990) and we also ran the story of the destruction of Convoy PQ.18.

We reported on a crook who got so many medals of so many fine WW II veterans including the Navy Cross from Captain EDWARD L. BEACH (1163-+-1990) and the Medal of Honor from RADM GENE FLUCKEY (2169-LIFE-1992). Fortunately, this crook was caught and all the medals returned to their rightful owners. When this crook was caught, his loot filled two police cars! He went to prison for this. We also reported on a guy in Chicago who sells ‘real’ autographs of…..anyone and everyone. His name is Dennis Schultz and you really have to read the half page report we did on him and his ‘genuine’ autographs in KTB #119 to really understand the scope of this situation……… You say you want a genuine hand-signed photograph of Julius Caesar on his way to the forum…………….

KTB #119 was 40 pages done on the computer and at that time, there were SHARKHUNTERS Members in just 59 countries.