20 Years Ago in our KTB

In KTB #7, it was reported that ERNST SCHMIDT (10-+-1983) dropped in for a visit at our HQ at the time, Fox Lake, IL

We were learning more about the U-Boats that were taking uranium to Japan for the Japanese atomic bomb project. This was one of the more interesting things we have ever done and most of the ‘normal’ press, including the vaunted Chicago TRIBUNE wrote that this never took place. As we know, over the years it was Sharkhunters that proved that this indeed, was taking place. We were also trying to learn if the U-Boats had any help on this side of the Atlantic and every U-Bootfahrer that we asked said that there were no U-Boat bases or havens of any kind in the Western Hemisphere. These stories however, still persist to this day.

KTB #7 was only 3 pages in length, down from the 5 pages of KTB #6 and yes – it was still done on that old manual typewriter. When one compares the ‘prehistoric’ three page KTB of 20 years ago with the modern computer set KTB of today, there is about the same amount of information on EACH PAGE of today’s KTB than in all of KTB #7…..and we are still growing.

15 YEARS AGO in our KTB

In KTB #38 we reported that U-979 was found. The boat was scuttled off the island of Amrun in 1945 and when there is a strong offshore wind for a week or more, the water at low tide is much lower then normal and the remains of the boat can be seen. The crew made sure no other navy could use this submarine, as they blew it – there are several main parts of the boat in the shallows.

We reported on a US Army memo that six Standard Oil tankers were running from their Lago Refinery on Aruba in the Caribbean to the Canary Islands and fueling German supply ships. MASON LOGIE (208-1986) reported that he had located the spot where the WW I cruiser DRESDEN was sunk in clear water and not too deep but the waters belong to Chile, and MASON was not getting any cooperation from the Chilean Government to authorize the dive.

HERBERT WERNER (18-1983) was building a submarine at his American factory, called the U-WERN-1001; a research submarine. DAVID WHITE (42-+-1984) explained the ‘Kurier’ transmission method used on some U-Boats to transmit an entire message in about one third of a second.

STEVE TOMAN (70-1984) was thinking about joining the US Navy as an eye doctor (he served as a Lieutenant).

The dues were raised for the first time – from $25 per year to $30 per year. Postage was just 17 cents per ounce back then. Dues have doubled since then, but the KTB was only 8 pages and pretty rough, compared to today’s KTB of 44 pages, computer typeset so while the dues have doubled, the KTB has grown by ten fold.

10 YEARS AGO in our KTB

The American destroyer is dropping bottles of champagne rather than depth charges, and the German U-Boat is firing cigars instead of torpedoes as the Skippers exchange gifts rather than fighting. This drawing was done by one of our friends in Kärnten, Austria in honor of our first tour ever to that area. The inscription reads: “The MK (Navy League) of Villach visits the MK of Klagenfurt and their guests from the USA.”

The memories of HORST DEGEN (116-+-1985) during his war patrols on U-701 are published and also those memories of MILES GRAHAM (521-+-1988) as prize crew on U-3008. some of our Members were planning a salvage effort on the Liberty Ship SS JOHN BARRY to bring up the huge cargo of silver –miles deep in the ocean. (EDITOR NOTE – they eventually succeeded and are quite wealthy). We also were running the story “U-Boats in our Backyard” which goes into detail about some of the boats that operated off the American coast and in the Caribbean. We ran some photos of our Sharkhunters group in South Africa.

Another Member, a German veteran, told about the atrocities they faced AFTER the war ended as described in several recent books.

KTB #78 was just 28 pages long and yes, still done on that old manual typewriter.

5 YEARS AGO in our KTB

The map on the front cover of KTB #124 is interesting. Item “A” on this map shows the area where the spy ship KFK-203 (MARY) put in to port after the war with her crew of ‘specialists’ – or whatever they were, dressed in civilian clothing. We also read about Puerto Monte and were trying to learn the fate of KFK-204 (BARBARA), a similar ship with similar passengers.

Item “B” is the spot where DON ANGEL ALCAZAR de VELASCO (158-1985) wrote that the U-Boat put him and Martin Bormann ashore. The town is Puerto Coig in Bahia Grande.

Item “C” indicates the position where S.E.I.G. Agent Vm 7068 reported that Argentinean newspapers were carrying a story of a newly discovered sunken U-Boat in Golfo San Mathias in the bay called Parrot Bay. Three witnesses confirmed this story.

EDITOR NOTE – we were in contact with an Argentinean admiral who told us for about a week that this was top secret, even though we told him that there was nothing secret about a fifty year old German submarine. After a week or so, his reply suddenly was “What U-Boat?” and he would not say more. That was some years ago. We have just been contacted by an Argentinean officer who knows of this story and is currently checking into it for us.

There were memories from ERICH TOPP (118-LIFE-1985) in this issue as well as more on the first patrol of USS SCORPION. There was the history of U-146 and U-147.