20 Years Ago in our KTB

In KTB #6, CHRISTOPHER LOWE (11-1983) stated he was glad that Sharkhunters exists so we can all “talk freely about U-Boats together without that damn propaganda!” That told the story right from the start.

We were still getting information about that fellow Roger Miklos who claimed he had found a secret ‘mystery’ U-Boat sunk off the Turks Islands, and he was still trying to get some sucker to give him a large sum of money to pursue this fantasy. At the time KTB #6 was published, CHRISTOPHER LOWE told us that Miklos was repeatedly on British television, trying to sell his scheme to someone with money. Our friend JOHN TAYLOR (19-LIFE-1983) in the National Archives sent us clippings where Miklos claimed that he had dived this boat six times – but forgot to bring his camera. According to P. T. Barnum, there is a sucker born every minute, and Miklos wanted to find as many as he could.

We were beginning to get information to prove that some boats were indeed, trying to reach Japan with uranium aboard.

KTB #6 was now 5 pages, still done on that old manual typewriter.

15 YEARS AGO in our KTB

While in KTB #37 it was reported the wrecks of U-534, U-548 and U-1018 were found…..in KTB #38, it was reported that the wreck of U-979 was also found. RANDY BALCOM (74-1984) dived the spot where U-166 was thought to have been lost, but it was not there. HERBERT WERNER (18-1983) was building small submarines for research and he sent us a photo of U-WERN-1001. Dr. STEVE TOMAN (70-1984) was planning to enter the US Navy as an eye doctor (he has been in, served his hitch and has been out for some time). Serious researchers were laughing at the new book out by Hoyt, who does not enjoy a great reputation in the research community.

We reported that we had a copy of a US Army Intelligence memo to the FBI, that tells of at least six Standard Oil tankers making the run from their Lago refinery on Aruba in the Caribbean to the Canary Islands on a routine basis, to supply the ships that supplied the U-Boats. Further, the memo goes on to state that these Standard Oil tankers were under command of Nazi (that’s the word used in the memo) officers. According to an article published in October 1940 in LIFE Magazine, Standard Oil was trying to wrest world control of the oil markets away from Shell and Texaco. In that magazine, the chairman of the Board of Texaco, Thorkold Reiber, said that if any German U-Boat Commander saw a Texaco tanker helping the Allies, the U-Boat should sink the Texaco tank.

We also reported that a General Motors executive named Mooney, a Lt. Cdr. In the US Navy, was running their Opal plant in Germany and he “didn’t know” that his plant was turning out vehicles for the Wehrmacht and that Mooney accepted a German military medal. When we wrote to Roger Smith, then Chairman of General Motors, to ask for his comments – one of his stooges sent back a scathing letter, telling me that I was doing this ‘at great personal risk’. I wonder if that meant I would be hit by a Cadillac?

MASON LOGIE (208-1986) had pinpointed the wreck of the WW I light cruiser DRESDEN and was planning to dive it – but it is a long way from here! It is in waters claimed by Chile and if you remember your Sharkhunters history – it was a young (then) Leutnant Wilhelm Canaris who was aboard DRESDEN in her very long patrol to locate and plot ‘U-Plätze’ or hidden harbors in many out of the way locations; harbors where ships could easily hide from civilization and patrolling enemy ships. This route was later retraced in 1938 by the old line ship SCHLESWIG-HOLSTEIN to update these locations. There is a lot of history there!

KTB #38 was still eight pages long, done on the old typewriter.

10 YEARS AGO in our KTB

During our “Patrol” in Germany and Austria, and the end of East Germany. Photo: with the aid of translator MANFRED ROEDER (1517-LIFE-1990), HARRY COOPER (1-LIFE-1983) entered the HQ of the DDR Border Guard and “relieved” the Commandant of his coat, hat and garrison flag. Photo below right, HARRY meets Dr. JÖRG HAIDER (1616-1990) for the first time, atop Ulrichsberg at the Memorial service. Cooper was a speaker at this event. We won’t go into too much detail on this issue, as it mostly was about the 1990 “Patrol” in Germany – see our website on that.

5 YEARS AGO in our KTB

As you see on the cover of KTB #123, we were preparing for another “Patrol” in Paradise, the Florida Keys. We had an article about the first cruise of USS SCORPION (SS 278). There was also an incisive article about the giant French submarine SURCOUF with a photo. GERARD THORNE (3407-1994) gave us a great article on the ‘aircraft carrier Newfoundland’ and the CARIBOU. We also gave the histories of U-143 and U-144. We were running the doctoral thesis of PHILIP ATTENBOROUGH (440-1988) entitles ‘Imperial Japan and the Third Reich’.

KFK-203 MARY and KFK-204 BARBARA were ‘black’ ships at the end of World War II – AND AFTER – taking people from Europe to South America. These were about 90 ton wooden boats called ‘fischkutters’ or basically, very large wooden fishing boats but they were made of wood and so had no radar signature. They went from Villagarcia Spain, 30 kilometers from Vigo down to the shores of Patagonia or around the Tierra del Fuego to the thousands of fringing islands off the coast of Chile. Who were the passengers on these and other boats like them?

Not entirely by coincidence, the story of DON ANGEL de VELASCO (158-1985) was running in this issue about how he also went to South America and was working for the Reich for years after the end of the war. We listed him as being dead at that time, as he had ‘gone underground’ for whatever reason but he is still alive today. This was quite an issue – back issues available at only $5 each including postage.