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I guess I should first point out the new letterhead, with the address portion somewhat “tightened” for a more professional look.  The paper itself is a grey color, for the grey shark idea.  Hope you like it.

On to Roger Miklos….seems that the consensus of opinion of the U-boat researchers who have responded as well as some of the former men of the Kriegsmarine…..all feel this guy is totally full of beans.  I have personally tried to locate this guy Roger Miklos in Florida, with no luck.  Can’t find any record of his “Nomad Salvage” company either.  Seems like he was just trying to fill his pockets at the expense of anyone who would buy his story.  Who knows if he really got anything?  Some of you U-boat researchers in the UK (where Miklos was trying to get his funding) might have further info on him.  Other than the article in the TIMES of London and the couple phone calls to me from that publication, I have nothing further.  Information, anyone?

As for the bit on the “lost art treasures” that made their way by U-boat to Ecuador, no on here responded with anything at all.  Except I have just received a letter from the Director of the Louvre in France in response to my inquiry….but it is in French and I’m trying to get the damn thing translated!  I know a little French, just enough to be dangerous, and I think the Director is telling me that he knows nothing.  Much like Oberleutnant zur See Dietrich-Alfred von dem Borne could remember nothing of the incident when U-156 dropped him off on Martinique for medical help….at a time when both Roosevelt and Churchill thought this island was assisting U-boats.  So I guess we can kiss off the story of the art treasures as romantic dreaming.

Only my source in the UK was able to respond to my request on the U-boat carrying uranium to Japan – Chicago Tribune story.  My source in the UK says this could not have happened, and warns to be careful of anything said by the retired Japanese Army Colonel Kawashima.  So much for the Uranium carrying U-boat story.

I just returned from a short trip to Florida, and while in a little bar in Fort Myers Beach, I was told by some of the locals that a German U-boat had been discovered sunk some years back off the west coast of Florida, near the bend of Florida.  I asked if they meant the one off the Mississippi River mouth, as we know of that one….and we also know that the west coast if Florida all around the bend of the state is just too shallow for a long boat to be sunk without sticking way the hell up out of the water!  But they insist they heard of one there….so if you know of anything?

Now we come to the hard part, money.  Tossing all the figures together, I find it costs $2.00 per man to put this out each month, so please drop me a check in the amount of $12.00 for the next six issues.  As mentioned in the last newsletter, Kriegsmarine veterans will not be asked to share in this cost.

We just received a really great letter from Hans Göbeler, former officer of U-505.  Not only did Hans send a nice letter, but we also received a photo of Hans as a 17 year old, fresh into the Kriegsmarine, and some submarine pins.  The photo is on the bulletin board, and the pins will be worn with pride when the occasion arises.  Thanks very much, Hans.

As you are probably all too aware, the planned dive on the possible sunken U-boat in the Bahamas has not happened.  One of our guys in California, Bob Lemaire, is trying hard to raise the needed money for this expedition, but so far it has not come together.  As summer is the best time (probably the only time) for diving in this area, we are probably out of luck for this year.  But we will pursue this matter with vigor for a while yet.

We are however, faced with a much more sinister problem.  Sure, we know where there a great many U-boats sunk in the western hemisphere; many in shallow water.  Sure we have an engineer who can raise them for a small sum of money.  Sure we would all like to see many of these former warriors of a past era raised…..but while we sit here dreaming, thinking, wishing and hoping……these great, grey sharks are being destroyed by the sea.

During the war, Goering was getting the better steel for his Luftwaffe, and Doenitz had to settle for second best to build U-boats.  Second best steel in the 1940’s (even the very best) was junk compared to what science has given us today.  The steel used in the U-boats will not last too long in the salt water and by the end of this century – there just won’t be any U-boats left.  King Neptune and Father Time will see to it that the only U-boats left will be U-505 in Chicago, U-995 in Kiel….and pictures in books.  Is that what we want?

We have the locations, in this hemisphere, of 2 Type VII-B, 17 Type VII-C, 1 Type VII-C41/2 , 1 Type VII-D, 27 Type IX-C, 6 Type IX-C40, 1 Type IX-D2, 2 Type X-B, 1 (possibly 2) Type XXI.

We have the men with expertise, we have the time, we have the equipment, we have the talent….we need the operating money and we need a place to put these great grey sharks when they come up.  Scratch your head (watch out for splinters) and come up with some ideas.  The time is now; we must either shit or get off the pot.  We must raise some of the gallant warriors for other generations to see, or we must resign ourselves to the fact that we didn’t care enough.  Gentleman, we need ideas.

Now that the lecture is past, let’s get on with the facts and figures on U-boats.  I realize at this stage of the game, they are only facts and figures.  But watch them come alive when then U-numbers are something like U-47 (Prien), U-99 (Kretchmer), U-100 (Schepke), U-123 (Hardegen), U-161 (Achilles) and so many more.  There will be living history with so many distinguished U-boats.

We continue with the “dugout canoes” as the Type II boats were known –

U-5          Type II-A                              Built by Deutsche Werke (Kiel), launched August 14, 1935.  She was lost March 19, 1943 west of Pillau (lat/long position on file) by collision.  Commander of U-5 was Rahn.

U-6          Type II-A                              Built by Deutsche Werke (Kiel), launched August 21, 1935.  This was the last of the Type II-A boats to be built and she made it through the war, only to fall to the cutting torch.  She was “paid off” July or August of 1944, surrendered in May of 1945, and scrapped sometime later.

Type II-B was improved over the Type II-A by increasing bunkers, and consequently the radius was also increased.  The Type II-B, like the Type II-A, were mainly used for training.  Only 20 Type II-B boats were built.

Displacement:       279/329 tons
Dimensions:          140 x 13 ½ x 12 ¾ feet
Power:                    Twin shaft diesel/electric motors                      700/360                   BHP/SHP
Speed:                    13/7 knots
Fuels capacity:     21 tons
Range:                    1,300/43 miles @ 12/4 knots
Torpedoes:            Three tube forward only (21 inch)
Guns:                      Single 20mm A.A. gun. (Later increased to four)
Crew:                      25

You’ll note that the Type II-B differed from the Type II-A in the following: length 140, up from 134 ¼; fuel capacity up from 12 tons to 21; range increased from 1,050 to 1,300 miles.

U-7          Type II-B                               Built by Germania Werft (Kiel), launched June 29, 1935.  This, the first of the Type II-B, was lost by collision on February 18, 1944 west of Pillau.  The lat/long positions are on file, but strangely they are the exact same figures as the sinking of U-5.  Either the Kriegsmarine had problems getting U-boats through that stretch of water without running into one another or we’ve got problem with our data.  Has anyone the precise lat/long position of sinking for both U-5 and U-7?  Let me know please.  Last commander of U-7 was Loeschke.

U-8          Type II-B                               Built by Germania Werft (Kiel), launched July 16, 1935.  This U-boat was one of the few that made it through the entire war, and in May of 1945, U-8 was scuttled (RAINBOW?) by her own crew at Kiel.  Last commander of U-8 was Krigshammer.  U-8 was salvaged and cut up for scrap sometime between 1947 and 1953.

U-9          Type II-B                               Built by Germania Werft (Kiel), launched July 30, 1935.  Russian aircraft got U-9 on August 20, 1944 while the U-boat was dockside at Constanta.  We have no further on this U-boat, but we assume that she was later salvaged and cut up for scrap.  Has anyone anything further on U-9?  Last commander of U-9 was Klapdor.

U-10        Type II-B                               Built by Germania Werft (Kiel), launched August 13, 1935.  Another of the few that survived the entire war, U-10 was “paid off” July or August of 1944, surrendered in May of 1945, and scrapped sometime later.

U-11        Type II-B                               Built by Germania Werft (Kiel), launched August 27, 1935.  As with many Type II training boats, U-11 survived the war.  U-11 had been the Schoolboat of 22 U-Flotilla, she was “paid off” at Kiel, probably sometime in 1944, then surrendered in May of 1945 and scrapped sometime later.

U-12        Type II-B                               Built by Germania Werft (Kiel), launched September 11, 1935.  Under her commander (von der Ropp), U-12 struck a mine in the Dover Straits on October 8, 1939 and sank with all hands.  We do not have the lat/long positions, if you have it, please pass it on.  We are of the impression however, that the exact position of the sinking of U-12 is not known to anyone.

That’s it for this month, hope you enjoyed it.  Don’t forget to drop a check for $12.00 so we can keep these newsletters coming for the next six months.  And if you have any information you’d like to share with brothers researchers, send it along for inclusion in the next KTB newsletter.

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