We recently got a telephone call from our friend HANS-GEORG HESS (125-LIFE-1985) who in World War II, commanded U-995 which is on display near Kiel – the only Type VII-C in the world. We visit this boat each year when we come to Germany, and naturally we always meet with Captain HESS.

He called because he was reading the interview with ERICH TOPP (118-LIFE-1985), especially the experience TOPP had when one diesel engine was knocked out of order and they had the officer’s conference – the L.I. (Engineering Officer) on U-57, the Type II-C boat under TOPP said to turn back to homeport while the other officers said they must go onward with their war patrol.

The same thing happened to U-995 during her second patrol under HESS and like TOPP, he called an officer’s conference. In a carbon copy of the situation with U-57, the L.I. on U-995 said they must turn back while the other officers said they must go onward. Like TOPP, HESS decided to proceed with his war patrol and like TOPP, they sank some ships.

Photo is U-995 on the sand near Kiel, but the ocean was put there electronically by ROLF ROSELLEN (2985-LIFE-1993).