U-Bootfahrer Almost Killed

Our good friend GEORG HÖGEL (240-LIFE-1987) was visiting the graves of some departed friends when he slipped and hit his head very hard on a tombstone.

Thank God, the hospital stitched him up, made the necessary repairs and GEORG is recovering well, and will be with us, we hope, for a very long time yet.

Dud Torpedos

WALTER GIBBS (395-1987) pointed out an error in our listing of U-213. We erroneously showed that she was commissioned in 1942 and that is not correct. She was commissioned on 30 August but in 1941 not 1942.

WALTER, thanks for catching this oversight.

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PAUL LAWTON (4628-1996) sent a FAX which stated: “Just wanted to let you know there was a mis-type in the history you wrote about my research on U-215. In the last KTB you said that the Type VII-D had a range of 1,800 miles. It should have read 8,100 miles. We’re not talking about a SEEHUND here. Someone in your office must have transposed the numbers.”

Thanks PAUL. We try, but sometimes these slip past us.

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Dud Torpedoes and “Dex”

“Dex” is a ‘down home’ type of writer, and his stories are always funny and go to the heart of life aboard the boats. Sometimes we have gotten stories from various Members and other sources that we now have learned had been the original work of “Dex” but got here without his name attached to the piece. We regret that this happened and we apologize for any oversight on our part. We generally accept articles on their face and if a writer’s name is on the piece, we assume that he was the original author. That is not always the case apparently, and so we accept responsibility for any screw-ups we should have caught. Keep writing “Dex”; your stuff makes for great reading and it breathes life into sometimes boring history. You make it all come alive.

Grant Writer

As you have read, we now enjoy a 501 (c) (3) tax-exempt status for our Sharkhunters Institute and that means, among other things, that the U.S. Government will give us money to further fund our research – BUT the process is complicated. So if you have experience at writing grant proposals, please contact us immediately. Thanks!

Patrol

We have just returned from Germany and our Number 1 reason for the trip was to visit with Dr. (Jur) HANS-GEORG HESS (125-LIFE-1985). As we reported earlier, he had undergone a rather rush abdominal surgery some months ago and it did not seem that he was recovering quickly enough. Thanks God, he is recovering nicely. He has lost a little weight, but he is getting around nicely. HARRY had a nice afternoon in the home of Captain HESS and did indeed, enjoy the stollen that Mrs. Hess served. Thanks to all our Members who kept this fine man in their thoughts and prayers!

Another reason for going to Germany was to visit with our other friends there, and HARRY spent a few days with GERHARD DIETRICH (5923-1999) to meet some of his friends including Oberst RIGOLF HENNIG (6919-2004). GERD and his lovely wife Rosita rolled out the red carpet for HARRY, and more details were worked out for the upcoming “Patrol” in North Germany.

Still another reason for the trip was to visit another friend, Dr. (Ing.) Hans-Rudolf Neumann (new Member) who is also helping to plan details for our 2005 “Patrol” in North Germany. Thanks to his efforts, it appears that we will visit the actual place where Count Claus Schenk von Stauffenberg was stood against a wall and shot for his involvement in the assassination attempt on Hitler’s life in the bunker. We’ll also visit the place where the ‘burning of the books’ took place. In addition to the bunker complex and home of Großadmiral Dönitz, we’ll also visit the bunker complex and home of Dr. Josef Goebbels just outside Berlin.

There’ll be other additions to this great “Patrol” in North Germany and you’ll see the entire program further in this issue. It is thanks to our friends in Germany who work so hard for our success that our “Patrols” are so well organized & full of historic information.

eKTB a Success!

As you read in KTB #180 last month, we had experimented with sending our KTB Magazine to selected Members over the Internet.

The benefits were several – they received their KTB #180 before Members even received KTB #179 via the mail. Also, the color in KTB #180 was reproduced on the eKTB while the printed KTB is all black and white. Here is one comment from JIMMY KLINE (300-A/LIFE-1987): “Just got through looking over KTB #180…..looks good, very colorful. It still makes me sad to see THÄTER’s photo, such a good man.”

Would you like your KTB delivered via the Internet? We will soon tell you how to go about getting your eKTB but we want to make certain that all is in order for the next month or so.

When we are confident that nothing will go wrong, we will publish the details and let you decide. It looks very promising that all this will be accomplished no later than January of 2005. That means all the details will be in KTB #182……if all goes well.

AUTOMATIC DUES RENEWAL

The Automatic Renewal Program, which has been in effect since the early part of 2002, is well received by our Members. It saves time and the headaches of having to fill out a form each year, sticking it in the envelope, licking the flap then hunting up a stamp.

For our Members with credit card numbers on file – there is nothing for you to do. When your dues are due, we simply charge them to your account and the Membership is renewed for another year – it is THAT simple! When you see the charge appear on your statement, send us an email, FAX or telephone to let us know which FREE audio CD you want, and it will be on its way.

If you have been a Member for five or more consecutive years, pick ANY of the great Sharkhunters videotapes and let us know you want that tape IN ADDITION to your free CD, and the tape will come to you – also FREE! Select ANY videotape you want from our extensive collection of tapes. Members love it.

Do we have your credit card information? If not, please send it.

Welcome STEVE SHOCK

STEVE SHOCK (2213-A/LIFE-1992) has been aboard for a long time…..1992 as you see by his Membership Number. He is a very dedicated Member who has done a great deal of work behind the scenes for Sharkhunters. He doesn’t talk much, but he does a lot.

Welcome to the Sharkhunters Advisory Board, STEVE! We are pleased to have you take on this serious responsibility.

When he called to accept, STEVE said that he was honored and proud to be a part of this guiding body.

Welcome MATT HALL

MATT HALL (6187-2000) is another dedicated Member of Sharkhunters and has been on “Patrols” with us. In his line of work, he is called upon to make critical decisions and we know that this skill will work well for him as a Member of the Sharkhunters Advisory Board.

When he called to let us know that he accepted, he stated that he was “pleased and delighted” to accept.

Both STEVE and MATT will serve until the year 2013.

Welcome HAROLD GAY

HAROLD GAY (286-1987) has been aboard for a very long time, as we see by his Membership Number and we are pleased to announce his appointment to our Sharkhunters Advisory Board. He came aboard in 1987 and on accepting his position with our Advisory Board as the 3rd new addition, he had this to say: “I consider it an honor to serve on the Board and in an organization that includes so many of the men I have admired and studied over the past 40 years, who served their COUNTRY in the U-Boat service during WW I and WW II. Just as I admire my father (+) US Navy 1942 through 1972 in the Pacific Theater, and my uncle who are part of the greatest generation.”

By now you must have made the connection with his family name and his comment about his uncle. His uncle was Ens. GEORGE GAY (3300-+-1993), the sole survivor of his torpedo bombing squadron during the Battle of Midway.

Welcome to the Board HAROLD. You are most welcome.

Top Secret U-Boats

While in Germany, HARRY was able to obtain videos of the sea trials etc. of the new 212 Class German submarine, which we told about some six or so years ago in our KTB. At that time, these new submarines were merely on the drawing boards but now they are real, and U-31 is the first of these ultra-modern AIP submarines to come out of German yards. This tape, which will be available to Members soon, shows the launching and sea trials of this boat as well as a tour inside the many spaces. The tape also shows U-32 in the building yard and for a brief moment, shows the most secret part of any modern submarine – the propeller.

The tape will be available soon – watch for it.

What is YOUR email?

Remember we asked that in KTB #180 last month. Almost every day we are sending out hot news of the submarine world via the Internet to our Members and other contacts.

It doesn’t cost anything, and you’ll get up to the minute news as it happens. Don’t wait – send your email address to us at our email, which is sharkhunters@earthlink.net and you’ll begin to receive all this great news – all FREE!

71 Countries

We continue with the list of countries in which there are Members of Sharkhunters. We list only the name and Membership Number of the first Member in each country for obvious reasons.

No.	COUNTRY	MEMBER
18.	Honduras	TYLL SASS (526-1988)
19.	Netherlands	C.J.W. HOKKE (630-1988)
20.	Scotland	DON LIVERSIDGE (632-1988)
21.	Saudi Arabia	Dr. GENE STEVENSON (633-1988)
22.	Iceland	JOKUL SAEVARSSEN (1006-1989)
23.	Italy	Capt WALTER AUCONI (1011-1989)
24.	Norway	THORLIEF LINDVEDT (1299-1989)
25.	Bermuda	Col. BRENDAN HOLLIS (1319-1989)

Thanks to ART AYDELOTTE (787-C/LIFE-1988) for suggesting that we get this list back onto the KTB. Remember, the sun never sets on Sharkhunters Members around the world.

Audiotape or CD?

We reported in KTB #180 last month, that we were offering all our music audiotapes on CD now, and we have also been able to acquire other CDs including interviews with Skippers and music from other nation’s submarine forces, now also on our CDs. When Members renew their dues annually, they select any one of these tapes or CDs they wish as their free gift and we send it – FREE.

Welcome to the 21st Century, I guess. All the requests now are for the CD and not for the audiotapes. Guess I’m going to have to get a newer car so I can play the CDs we have here. Can’t seem to find anything I like in 8-Track any longer………..

Videotapes or DVD?

Soon our tapes will be available as DVD. Ah, the 21st century!

Christmas Cards

First, we want to say many thanks to all who have sent Christmas cards here to HQ. It would be impossible to individually thank all our wonderful Members who have sent so many beautiful cards.

Secondly, we want to apologize that we did not send out Christmas cards this year from HQ. After all the hurricanes, two of which hit us hard and put us WAY behind schedule plus HARRY going to Germany for a week – there just was no time, but you may rest assured that all our staff here did wish you a wonderful Christmas.

Tax Free Donations

Please remember – we now have a tax-free exempt status for all donations and donations to this Institute are tax-deductible from your taxes. Naturally, you must check with your accountant to see what is the best advantage to you but we are accepting donations now. Let us know by email, FAX or snail mail what you wish to donate and we will send you the simple instructions. What can you donate? ANYTHING!

That’s right – anything at all of value. Naturally, cash is a great thing to donate and that can be check, money order or credit card. Books, artifacts, uniforms, maps – use your imagination. Your donation doesn’t have to have anything at all to do with WW II history – anything that can be turned into cash is also welcome. For instance, one Member has donated a 38 foot yacht, which will be sold and the money put into the operating fund.

Members may also put a codicil into their will and give something to the Sharkhunters Institute. Check with your accountant.

Anyone who donates anything will receive that Institute newsletter which is merely an accounting of funds in and funds spent as well as plans for operations planned for the Institute’s research.

No donation is too large – none is too small. We hope that YOU will help move this important Institute forward. Thanks!