“The World At War – WOLFPACK!” Order Tape SPEC-1

This tape, nearly an hour long, is called ‘the definitive story of World War II’ and is narrated by Lawrence Oliver. It states:

“This is the definitive story about World War II, made using the most dramatic documentary footage ever seen. In addition to action at the fronts and in the war rooms around the world, there are penetrating interviews with statesmen and military leaders of the time. Further, “The World At War” chronicles events through the experiences of ordinary men and women – American, British, German, Japanese and Russian – in uniform and out; those who fought through the most monumentous conflict in world history.”

WOLFPACK – the German attempts to starve Britain by attacking ships bringing supplies from North America are very nearly successful. The Allied merchant ships, despite convoy techniques, Navy escorts and elementary underwater detection devices, are extremely vulnerable.

Appearing on this tape are Grossadmiral Dönitz, several U-Boat Skippers as well as British officers, enlisted men and merchant seamen who survived being sunk.

“German U-Boat Bunkers” Order Tape SPEC-2

More great videotapes from Bud Dana on the German U-Boat bunkers including some that are not well known. Bud is one of the foremost experts on the tunnels and bunkers built by the Third Reich in World War II and his camera takes you into places not normally open to the public – and places that no longer exist!

“Walking Tour of U-505” Order Tape H-1

In this tape, you will tour through the inside of this famous U-Boat compartment by compartment, sometimes with sound effects. Then the camera takes you outside the boat AND up on the roof of the Museum for a full length shot of the boat. There is also a segment of U-505 coming up the Milwaukee River on her way to Chicago, and some of the American and German veterans are interviewed.

“Key Largo” Order Tape H-2

Our first ever Sharkhunters history gathering – this is in Key Largo, Florida in February 1987. Three U-Boat Skippers (one with the Knights Cross), other officers and crewmen, American submarine veterans and tin can sailors alike were with us as well. We were aboard the dive boat with our group and he NBC TODAY Show film crew – and that’s all on this tape as well.

The information found in the speeches by the veterans can be found nowhere else. This tape contains a great deal of first-person history, much of it about the first U-Boat into the war.

“Operation SUB-AFRIKA” Order Tape H-3

Our Sharkhunters History Tour took us to this beautiful country where we actually RODE a DAPHNE Class submarine, flew an ASW patrol on a low-level C-47 DAKOTA, flew in a Super Frelon chopper, lunched with the Commanding Admiral of the South African Navy and his staff, met with General Groenwald for a secret intelligence update on the troubles then in their country. Want to know what is a South African “Necklace”? It’s all there, and it is NOT very pretty!

We were at the Officer’s Academy, the Navy Boot Camp and were guests in several old British-type gentlemen’s clubs, complete with bagpiper. We ended our tour with a bush flight into Krüger National Park where we stayed four days and went on photo safaris several times each day. The scenery is breathtaking.

“The Story of U-995” Order Tape H-4

This tape tells the story of U-995, the only Type VII-C boat left in the world from the time of her launching with the Kriegsmarine in World War II, to her service in the Norwegian Navy where she was known as KAURA, and to her final site as a memorial on the shores of the Baltic Sea.

Her story is told (in German) by her last Skipper, Oberleutnant zur See (der Reserve) Hans-Georg Hess. This is done with interviews plus many flashbacks using wartime footage.

Hess was given command of this boat in August 1944, just three months after his 21st birthday. Nine out of ten German U-Boats were not returning from their first war patrol, but Hess brought his boat and his men back from five successful war patrols. He was decorated with the Knights Cross. Lots of good combat footage.

“Patrol in Europe 1988!” Order Tape H-5

This 8 hour long videotape covers our first ever Sharkhunters “Patrol” in Europe. On this tape, you will travel with us:

Through the U-Boat bunkers at Brest and Lorient, Across France and Germany by train, Meeting with dozens and dozens of veterans, Touring various German naval bases, The singing, the fellowship and friendship, AND – for the first time EVER, we go inside the “Lost Bunker” and walk on the decks with camera rolling, on three Type XXI U-Boats, scuttled by their crews.

These three boats, U-2505, U-3004 and U-3506 are now gone forever – the German Government had the bunker filled with sand and then paved over with concrete. Even the bunker is gone.

There were 18 Skippers with us (many Knights Cross winners) as well as two with the Oak Leaf and one with the Swords – Otto Kretschmer himself joined our group.

It is all on this tape, and it is a great eight hours of history.

“German Newsreels with Günther Prien” Order Tape H-6

This tape shows a happy and high-spirited Germany in the first months of the war, when all was success and glory for the German forces. Included on this tape is the Hero parade for Günther Prien and his U-47 crew on their return from sinking the Royal Navy battleship HMS ROYAL OAK.

There is a lot of actual land and air combat footage as well on this tape, including the band playing the “Flieger Marsch” or the ‘Flier’s March.” It is a stirring piece of music, along with another that is performed on this tape, “Watch on the Rhine”.

“Convention 1989, Charleston” Order Tape H-7

Our 3rd Annual Convention took place in the charming southern city of Charleston, where we visited on board fast attack submarines of the US Navy, we tours the submarine base, in the training facilities and had lunch in the mess hall. We toured Charleston Air Force Base, on the flightline, through a giant C-141 ‘Starlifter’ cargo plane and had lunch in their mess hall as well. We toured historic Fort Sumpter, the first battle of the American civil war and we toured a restored southern plantation.

“Newsreels with Karl-Friederich Merten” Order Tape H-8

Part of this tape came directly from Captain Merten with original wartime footage and it shows the entry of his U-68 into the new base at Lorient. You’ll see the bunkers being built in the background as his boat comes in. This portion of the tape begins with the parade in Berlin to honor the Legion Condor – and why was there a Kriegsmarine detachment in this parade? We answered that question years ago.

Another portion of this tape contains interviews with Merten and many survivors of the SS CITY OF CAIRO that he sank off Cape Town, South Africa. None of the survivors held any ill will toward Captain Merten. They said he was like their grandfather.

“Patrol in Europe – 4th Convention” Order Tape H-9

We go where only Sharkhunters can go – and with cameras running the entire time. We visit the bunkers, German Submarine School, and we visit many veterans of the U-Bootwaffe.

We go in famed Wewelsburg Castle, home of Heinrich Himmler’s ‘Teutonic Knights’ and we are in the underground ceremonial chamber formerly not open to visitors – but Sharkhunters are always welcome where others are not.

We also tour the memorial statue to Hermann, the German farmer/soldier who led the rout and slaughter of three Roman legions by his army of peasant soldiers.

WE ARE IN BERLIN ON THE DAY OF REUNIFICATION with cameras rolling! All this and much more on this 8-hour tape.

“Raigekitai Shutsudo ” Order Tape H-34

That means “Torpedo bombers, launch!” This is a Japanese propaganda movie made in 1944 with full support of the Imperial Navy, which helped the filmmaker with almost unlimited use of its facilities, aircraft, personnel etc.

After an engagement with an American task force, the Japanese bombers retire to a base on a tropical island, where the men and machines recuperate from the beatings they suffered in that battle. The staff officer takes a flying boat (Kawanishi MAVIS) to Japan to beg for more planes. But the peace does not last for long. While the aircrews are enjoying a game of baseball, the sport of the enemy, American bombers arrive in force and everyone dives for the bomb shelter. There are American fighter sweeps over the island which are unopposed and everything – military as well as civilian – is shot to pieces. An American plane crashes and the pilot is taken prisoner. When the prisoner is about to be taken away after interrogation, he refuses to salute the Japanese officers who then are agitated by this act of impoliteness.

A strong American task force is located heading toward Japanese territories. In the twilight, the JILL bombers attack the American fleet. BETTY bombers attack at night. The American fleet is beaten back, but Japanese squadrons are crippled.

This film depicts very accurately how Japanese naval aircrewmen lived, played, fought and died. Some interesting points – night torpedo attacks are shown. Flares are dropped behind enemy ships and when they are silhouetted, bombers go in for the kill. This tactic was employed successfully in the Solomons and elsewhere. This kind of thing was generally kept secret. You will see four types of aircraft that were in first-line service at the time: MAVIS JILL BETTY and ZERO (Type 52) latest model.

These are not the wooden mock-ups you saw in the post-war movies; these are the real thing. The late Eiji Tsubaraya made the air and sea battle scenes. He was to become famous after the war by his GODZILLA series of scientific monster movies.

“Key Largo - 1997” Order Tape H-35

During this, our last time in Key Largo, we just relaxed and had a good time – and listened to the memories of WW II veterans of both sides. From Germany came Hans-Georg Hess, Knights Cross winner and the youngest combat submarine Skipper of World War II and possibly of all time; also came Hannes Esken, a major of the Luftwaffe. There were several other U-boat crewmen as well, including Detlev Zimmermann and Gerhard Richter to mention just a few. From the American side was well known submarine Skipper and author Captain Ned Beach who won the Navy Cross and wrote many books, most famous is ‘Run Silent, Run Deep’. There were also two destroyer escort skippers, Al Chester and RADM Sheldon Kinney who sank three U-boats during WW II.

This was a great meeting between former enemies, now friends, meeting in a very beautiful part of the world. Ride along with us via your tape player & watch how we enjoy our History Gatherings

“Otto Kretschmer and U-99” Tape H-36

This is a great tape! It begins with German newsreel footage of Otto Kretschmer returning from patrol and being greeted by Karl Dönitz. There is quite a bit of combat footage in the opening portion of the tape, then there are multitudes of interviews and explanations by veterans of both sides. This is pure history and information you won’t find anywhere else – about 4 hours!

“P-51 Mustang Crash Site” Tape H-37

Come with John Ryan and his team as they search for the remains of a P-51 MUSTANG that crashed in Florida during a training mission. The plane apparently hit hard, in a vertical dive. Be with John’s team as they locate the wreckage and salvage what they can, and erect a granite memorial.

“Elbe Melodie” Tape H-38

This is a beautiful travelogue tape, showing the beauty of Germany along the majestic Elbe River. Relax with the German music and glide along the Elbe through cities, towns and farmlands with the occasional castle popping up along the way.

There is a great amount of German food, beer and folk dancing wherever this tape takes us. You’ll be ready to book your flight at the end of the tape.

“Erich Topp - 1994 ” Order Tape H-50

RADM Erich Topp was one of only 5 Skippers to earn the Knights Cross with Oak Leaf and Crossed Swords, and he was the 3rd most successful submarine Skipper of any nation in WW II. He also sank the first American warship (USS REUBEN JAMES) more than a month before Pearl Harbor. He commanded U-57 then U-552, commanded a training and evaluation Flotilla of Type XXI and XXIII boats and at the end of the war, he was Skipper of U-2513, a Type XXI boat.

In this interview, Erich speaks about the REUBEN JAMES incident; he compares submarine tactics between WW II and today’s modern submarines; and he discusses the Treaty of Versailles and what effect that had on the outbreak of WW II.

This was part of the 7-SKIPPERS tape, no longer available. It was done initially for the Aces of the Deep simulator game.

“Russia - 1995” Order Tape H-51

St. Petersburg – we go on board the tall ships including CUTTY SARK, in harbor for the festivities. We tour Russian warships and submarines, palaces and museums aplenty. We are guests of honor aboard the Flagship of the Fleet, the heavy cruiser SMOLNIY where we watch the festivities of Navy Day – paratroopers, fighter and bomber planes, and ships up and down the Neva River. We spend an evening with a Russian family in their home at dinner.

Off to the Crimean Peninsula where we visit the ‘Valley of Death’ where the British light cavalry were virtually wiped out at the town of Balaclava in the Crimean Wars. We go on to Sevastopol where we tour more ships and submarines - our cameras were welcome.

In Moscow, we visited the Admiralty – headquarters of the Russian Navy, and we met the admirals who run the Russian Navy.

“Reinhard Hardegen - 1994 Tape H-52

Reinhard Hardegen was one of only 28 U-boat Skippers to earn the Knights Cross with Oak Leaf. He sank the 1st ship in US waters during Operation PAUKENSCHLAG (Drumbeat) and so is known as the Drumbeater. He is the only surviving Drumbeat Skipper.

Did he really see New York City from his bridge? That question and others are answered as Captain Hardegen relives his memories of his time in the war.

This was part of the 7-SKIPPERS tape, is no longer available. It was done initially for the Aces of the Deep simulator game.

“Secrets of the Third Reich Tape H-53

Much of the occult plans and beliefs of the Third Reich have been given a minor look, but there was a great deal of delving into these ‘black’ sciences before and during the war. The Thule Society, Tesla, the Knights of the Teutonic Order, anti-gravity propulsion, and anti-magnetic propulsion are all looked at in this unusual tape and some shots are even in color!

If you are afraid of the occult and the unexplained, you don’t want this tape. But if you have a strong curiosity, then this tape holds many fascinating topics for you.

“Gerd Thäter – 1994 Tape H-54

Kapitänleutnant Gerd Thäter was one of an extremely small group of submarine Skippers to make the passage through the Gates of Hell (Straits of Gibraltar) not once – but twice!

A combat submarine officer throughout the entire war, almost all of those years as a Skipper, Gerd remembers this combat, his two passages through Gibraltar, and his last boat U-3506, one of the three Type XXI U-boats still entombed in the Lost Bunker.

This was part of the 7-SKIPPERS tape, is no longer available. It was done initially for the Aces of the Deep simulator game.

“Morgenrot” Tape H-55

This tape is from a very rare film of World War I U-boat action. The combat scenes are lifelike as are the scenes inside the boat and on deck as well. There are also scenes of the folks back home who wait for their warriors to return. If you were looking for World War I U-boat action, this is the tape for you.

There are very realistic scenes of the U-boat attacking, ships sinking and then the destroyers come and pound the U-boat. She is finally disabled and lying on the bottom with water steadily coming in. Suddenly one of the officers remembers the ‘Tauchreiter’, the escape breathing apparatus which allows a handful of the crew to escape.

The scenes inside the boat are extremely realistic and you will think you are actually inside a WW I German U-boat. It is a very real look at the Kaiserliche Marine. This is history come alive.

Sharkhunters Videotapes of History

Sharkhunters has decided to celebrate our 20th Anniversary with some great prices on videotapes.

If you buy just one videotape, the price is $30 (plus $5 shipping)
If you buy at least 3 tapes, the price is $25 each (plus $5 shipping)
If you buy at least 5 tapes, price is $20 each (plus $5 shipping)
If you by at least 8 tapes, price is just $20 each –FREE shipping!
If you buy at least 10 videotapes, price is $20 each – FREE shipping – AND we will send a copy of the 5½ hour DAS BOOT – FREE!

When you are ordering your tapes, please make sure to order by the NAME of the tape AND by its NUMBER as well. That will help us fill your order correctly.