20 YEARS AGO in our KTB

KTB #15 was short (only 4 pages) and contained primarily data on various U-Boats. It was done on that old manual typewriter and had no photographs.

15 Years Ago in our KTB

KTB #46 was longer and contained more information. Of special interest was the headline for that issue: “A Small Sailor with Periscope has Joined the Crew of Sharkhunters” SEAN PATRICK COOPER (½-LIFE-1987) was born while we were in Fort Myers.

There was more on the giant French submarine SURCOUF and we quoted the direct text of a letter from Rear Admiral H. C. Train, Director of Naval Intelligence. The letter was dated 15 September 1942, dictated by Captain Galbraith and typed by T. Brooks and the letter was sent to Rear Admiral H. Potts, the Naval Attaché, British Embassy in Washington DC and was classified SECRET by the US Navy and MOST SECRET by the British.

Captain REINHARD HARDEGEN (102-LIFE-1985) sent us a very rare book. It is the book he wrote in the early days of the US participation in the war. He autographed this book and so it is very rare. It is also in the locked bookcase – not in the open one!

There were photos at Brest for the birthday of HEINRICH LEHMANN WILLENBROCK (120-+-1985), Skipper of U-96, the famed ‘Boat of the Smiling Sawfish’ made famous in the movie ‘DAS BOOT’. We explained what the radio intercept stations referred to as the “B-Bar” transmissions. Kapitänleutnant HORST DEGEN (116-+-1985) sent us an audiotape of his time in the war. We dispelled another wartime rumor about a Type XIV ‘milch kuh’ giving fuel to three Frontboots some 14 miles off the coast of Maine. Didn’t happen.

BILL REED (13-1983) and U-505 crewman OTTO DIETZ (209-+-1986) reported that they were together at Oktoberfest in München and had a great time. Man, were we envious!!! And we reported that, when the three great Aces (Prien, KRETSCHMER #122-+-1985 and Schepke) were missing, the radioman trying to raise them on the radio was GERRY RICHTER (214-1986).

Only 400 Members back then: In answer to a question from CHARLES GUNDERSON (205-1986), there were just 400 Members in Sharkhunters at that time. We put the KTB together at the office of BOB PANAZZE (457-C-1988) of an evening. We’d have half a dozen volunteers putting it together, putting in the staples, folding, stuffing and sealing. It was easy back then. With so many Members today, that is not possible and as you have read in the past issues, the nearby school for handicapped students does it.

KTB #46 was 16 pages long – quite an improvement!

10 Years Ago

As you see by the front cover, we had been to an exercise of the US Navy SEAL troops. They are without a doubt, the toughest fighting men in the world. There were more battle reports from USS BUCKEY on their battle with U-66. This action gave birth to the story behind the movie “The Enemy Below” which was the first movie by Hollywood to portray German sailors as regular sailors and not the raving Nazis that is the normal Hollywood fare.

There was a report on our Members who went on our “Patrol to the Land of the Forbidden Dragon” – Red China….a great patrol!

There was more of the article by CHARLES GUNDERSEN (205-C-1986) on diesel engines for US Navy submarines. We ran previously unpublished sketches of the boat known at that time as U-Who, later we learned that she was U-869. There were the specs for US Navy submarines SS-24 through SS 28. Our ‘Intelligence Page’ was running more of the Congressional hearings into why Standard Oil of New Jersey was furnishing fuel to ALL SIDES in World War II. HERBERT HUMPHRIES (628-1988) recovered 28 gold ingots from a Spanish treasure ship that sank some 300 years ago. And we asked on behalf of Prof. JUDE STACKPOLE (1334-+-1990) what became of the light cruiser NÜRNBERG after she was taken over by the Soviets.

KTB #86 was still only 28 pages long and done on a typewriter.

5 Years Ago

We ran an article by BILL ROONEY (EH-24-G/LIFE-1994) on the sinking of U-654 and we ran part of the interview with OTTO KRETSCHMER (122-+-1985). There was more on the official report of USS BLOCK ISLAND and the prisoners from U-66. We reported on the Italian and I.J.N. submarines FAA’ DI BRUNO and I-36. As one can determine from the cover photo, we gave the battle history of U-160 under command of KK GEORG LASSEN (184-LIFE-1986), holder of the Knights Cross with Oak Leaf.

Kimmel and Short were the subjects of an article sent by FRANK WEINGART (842-1988), taken from an official report by Under Secretary of Defense. With a chuckle, we laughingly reported on the veterans of an American destroyer that patrolled San Francisco Bay and claimed that they had sunk a “secret” U-Boat full of the obligatory gold and jewels, off the mouth of the bay. They were trying to sell shares in this treasure hunting scheme for $20,00 each until we said that we were going to forward their file to the F.B.I.

Autograph master forger Tom Shutt was in the news again – on trial, naturally, for selling fake autographs. He eventually dodged the ‘long arm of the law’ the hard way – he had a massive heart attack from which he quickly died. Nobody shed any tears. And we sadly reported that USS CABOT, the ‘Iron Lady’ of the Pacific, would not escape the breaker’s torch.

KTB #132 was 40 pages long and done on a modern computer.