South Germany 2012

Visiting a good friend in Northern Germany is a funny way to begin our Southern "Patrol".......come with us as we transit Germany then into Austria.

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Berlin - 2012

It has been a few years since we were here in Berlin.  Much has changed, and yet much has remained the same.

It may appear that this is a security guard intending to keep us out of some high security place.  Quite the opposite - he is security, but he is one of us and on hand to guide us to................well, just click on the photo and come with us.

NOTE - Some of these places have had their use and history so 'bastardized' it is highly unlikely we will return.  You will understand when you tour the site.

Northern Germany - 2012

Sharkhunters have not been here for several years and it was well worth the wait!  Some things changed for the better, some for - well, you understand and some have been removed from consideration from future "Patrols".

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NOTE - Some of the places we visited on this 'Patrol' are now gone and are lost to history forever.

".....appreciation for your leadership in
                 the Northern Patrol 2012."
      Colonel DELAPLAIN, U.S. Army (West Point)

South Germany and Austria - 2011

Sharkhunters return to this beautiful area for more history and visiting with veterans of the war.

Click on this photo and join us.

NOTE - Some of the places we visited on this 'Patrol' as well are now gone and are lost to history forever.

"We had a fantastic time!"  ED and Thelma GABRIELSON

Southern Redoubt - 2011

Sharkhunters are again in this historic place where Hitler, Bormann, Göring and other leaders of the Reich had homes........and we found new tunnels!

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Summer Solstice - 2011

History and folklore are remembered.

Click on this photo and join us for a trip back in the footsteps of time.

Argentine (Cordoba) - 2010

Strange hotels, old veterans - and more!  Sharkhunters went to this province to the northwest of Buenos Aires and visited two eerie but historic old hotels that were important to the Third Reich - before, during and after the war including one that was built in 1944 with elevators, air conditioning - and a plastic surgery clinic.  This is truly a voyage into the tunnels of time!

Click the photo and join us.

Summer Solstice - 2010

History and folklore are remembered.

Click on this photo and join us for a trip back in the footsteps of time.

Southern Redoubt - 2010

Sharkhunters are again in this historic place where Hitler, Bormann, Göring and other leaders of the Reich had homes........and we found new tunnels!

Click on this photo and join us.

Secret Island - 2009

There is a little known island in the middle of the South Atlantic, possession of Brazil and where the Brazilian Navy maintains a small contingent to control fishing rights for 200 miles.  In 1938, Brazil pulled their people off the island and one week later, a group of German ships arrived - they built radio towers and more.  The Germans left in 1941 and Brazil put a small group on the island but in early 1945, the Brazilian Navy again left the island - and again, a contingent of Germans arrived where they maintained flocks of goats, herds of pigs and sea turtles.  This food, along with the ample fresh water on the island, replenished the "Black Boats", tramp steamers, sailing vessels etc. on their way to South America with thousands escaping the fallen Reich.

Germany maintained a small staff there until AT LEAST middle 1947!  Click on this photo and join our expedition back into the tunnels of time.

Southern Redoubt - 2009

Adolf Hitler loved the beauty of Bavaria - had a home and a Chancellery there; Bormann, Speer, Göring, Jodl, Keitel also had homes there and when the war was turning against Germany, they had miles and miles of tunnel and bunker systems dug into the mountains just about everywhere.

Click on this photo and come with our Sharkhunters "Patrol" to this historic area and visit the abandoned buildings, the tunnel systems, the scenic beauty and come with us into the footsteps of history.

Summer Solstice - 2009

Come with us to a simpler time - enjoy old Germanic folkloric songs and dances, meet with old friends and new - enjoy fantastic food in a community setting.  It is the way life once was.....and should be again.  Click the photo.

Argentina - 2009

Sharkhunters return to the homeland of the escaping leaders of the Third Reich and find more history.  Click this chart of the Argentine Flag and see for yourself.  We learned even more on this trip.

If you speak German, you can get along just fine in certain areas.....

This is raw history as it is being rewritten - it will astound you.

South Germany and Austria - 2008

München; Nürnberg; Kärnten; Slovenia; Croatia; Ulrichsberg; Austria; Italy - meeting with so many veterans; at the Memorials - everything just outstanding.

Click on this eerie photo of Kehlsteinhaus (Eagle's Nest) in a blizzard, and join us on this fascinating tour back into history.

North Germany Bunkers - 2008

North Germany and Poland, Bunkers, bunkers and more Bunkers - Spandau; hardened bunker command sites like Wolfsschanze and that of the OKW in East Prussia; The "Bridge to Freedom" of the Cold War; command bunkers of the OKW; blasted air raid bunkers; the Kaiser's School (HQ of the 5th Panzer in WW II); Hela; massive gun emplacement; forts and bunkers;

Bunkers, Tunnels - 2008

Thanks to JEFF CARSON, the "Tunnel King", we go places most people never hear about.

Summer Solstice - 2008

Sharkhunters were in Germany in June to celebrate the Summer Solstice with traditional German songs and folkloric fellowship.  Click on this photo of the beginning of the procession and join us.

South Germany and Austria - 2007

Another tremendous Sharkhunters Patrol - München; Nürnberg; Austria; Italy at the battlefield where Hauptmann Erwin Rommel won his 'Blue Max'; the ceremony at Ulrichsberg and much more.

Click on the photo of our gathering there with the Austrian Army and join us.

Berlin Bunker Patrol - 2006

We visited inside the house of Josef Goebels; in the former great hall of the Communist Party by the fallen statue of Lenin; to the secret command bunker of Großadmiral Karl Dönitz and INTO HIS HOME; to the palace 'Sans Soucci' and Checkpoint Charlie; to Karlshorst where the surrender was signed; to the Reichstag; the site where Claus Schenk von Stauffenberg was shot after his failed assassination attempt at the Wolfsschanze; into bunkers and tunnels beneath Berlin and high atop a massive Flak tower; to the magnificent Stamlager of the Kaiser; the Command Headquarters of the OKW; into a secret command bunker; into Poland and some fortresses and so much more.

Click on this photo of a secret command bunker and join us.

South Germany and Austria - 2006

Again we were in Bavaria - München, Nürnberg then to southern Austria, into Italy and Slovenia.  We enjoyed so many new things - you just have to see it yourself. 

Click on this photo of our time at Oktoberfest and join us.

North Germany and Poland - 2005

We had a real tour of U-995, the only Type VII-C left in the world but on this "Patrol" report, you can take a virtual tour of this boat!  We tour the naval base; go into tunnels and bunkers not seen by many since 1945; into quiet museums and bustling flak towers.....and deep underground in Berlin where Berliners waited out the rain of steel from above.  All this and more on this superb Sharkhunters Historic "Patrols"

Click here on one of the last photos we took of Hans-Georg Hess.

South Germany and Austria - 2005

.....and a little bit of Italy as well - ceremonies, veterans, historical places, fellowship, fun - and walking in the footsteps of history.

North Germany - 2003

Here Sharkhunters Member Hans-Georg Hess and his wife marvel at a gift presented by a Member.  We go deep underground in the command bunker of Großadmiral Dönitz; visit with dozens of veterans; place flowers at the grave of Großadmiral Dönitz; the 'Fortress of the Four Princes'; a cafe where spies met in WW II and the Cold War; the barracks of the 1st SS (LAH); we each operated an ENIGMA; Poland; ancient fortresses; first Americans EVER into one of the fortresses; 'Mr. Gorbachev - tear down this wall!' and we are there;

South Germany and Austria - 2003

A great many veterans were with us throughout this great 'Patrol'.  Here we see USMC combat veteran and Sharkhunters Member BILL NAPIER with a Knights Cross winning Luftwaffe pilot who flew both Me 109 and Me 110 aircraft.

"This is the best tour I have ever been on!"  Ed Hargrove, Steelers linebacker.

I can honestly say, except for my Vietnam buddies, I have never been around a finer group of people in my life - incredible experience!"  Bill Napier

Click on this photo and join us for this fantastic 'Patrol' and read what some had to say about this trip back through the tunnels of time.

North Germany - 2002

Once again, many veterans of the U-Bootwaffe joined us for our tour through northern Germany, and we visited some additional places than we did in previous years.

This is the entrance to the beautiful but sad and solemn U-Bootehrenmal, the German submarine memorial.  Sharkhunters has so far donated some USD $6,500 to this Memorial.  Click on the photo of the Memorial and join us on 'Patrol'.

North Germany - 2001

Our Sharkhunters 'Patrol' takes us to many historic sites including the fantastic private museum of wealthy publisher Peter Tamm.  We met with many veterans AND we had a private meeting with one of the head design engineers from Howaldt-Deutsches Werft and he told us all about the super-secret 214 Class submaring that Germany will be building in the 21st Century.

Naturally, we met with many U-Boat veterans.  This is a photo of the wreath that Sharkhunters placed at the U-Bootehrenmal (Submarine Memorial).  Click on this wreath and join us in North Germany in 2001.

South Germany and Austria - 2001

This was even better than our 2000 'Patrol' here!  Sharkhunters were the special guests at a very special event honoring Konteradmiral ERICH TOPP (118-1985).

Click the photo and see for yourself.  There is a LOT to see!

South Germany & Austria - 2000

Once again we toured this magical and beautiful area, and with many Skippers and veterans with us.  Once again, we were guests of Dr. Jörg Haider, political leader in Austria.  We met with many honored veterans of WW II and participated in the ceremonies.

Daytona 2000

We toured the top secret submarine base at Kings Bay, toured through a nuclear ballistic missile submarine of the OHIO Class as well as a destroyer.  RADM Erich Topp, Skipper of U-552 was with us as was Siegfried Koitschka, Skipper of U-616.  Other honored guests included RADM Joseph Peck, destroyer Skipper of WW II; RADM Lev Davidovich Chernavin, the last ComSub of the Soviet Navy; Igor Kurdin, Skipper of a Russian DELTA IV missile submarine and many other distinguished guests.
 

North Germany 1999

As always, a great many Skippers and veterans joined us, and we went places open only to Sharkhunters and their guests including the fantastic private museum of Peter Tamm.  There is too much to describe here - just click on the photo and see for yourself.

Russia and Ukraine 1995

We toured St. Petersburg, Leningradski Naval Base, the Naval Academy, the Advanced Submarine Training School and we were the Guests of Honor aboard the cruiser SMOLNIY.  Then on to the Ukraine where we toured many Palaces, the Black Sea Fleet HQ and we were Guests of Honor at another reception aboard the guided missile cruiser KERTSCH.  We were in the "Valley of Death" from the British Crimean War, then we went on to Moscow where we toured the world's largest armor museum at Kubinka  - and RODE ON A T-34 THAT WAS IN THE BATTLE OF KURSK!  We toured the Aviation Museum at Monina.

Look closely at this photo - among those who came to greet us, the man in the grey suit is none other than Vladimir Putin!

Chicago 1993

A great many veterans were with us - OTTO KRETSCHMER (122-1985) was our special guest as was ERICH GIMPEL (884-1988), the only German agent put ashore in the USA from a U-Boat who was still living.

Russia 1992

This was the first time outsiders could visit the former Soviet Union and we were guests of the KGB and the Navy.  We toured St. Petersburg, Leningradski Naval Base, the Fortress Kronshtad, the Naval Academy, the War College and countless more places of great interest, never before seen by Westerners.  We flew on Fleet Admiral Chernavin's personal plane to the HQ of the Baltic Sea Fleet where we toured warships and ate in the officer's mess.  Then on to Moscow to visit the Admiralty and the ballet.

Germany 1992

We visited Hamburg, Kiel, the German Navy Memorial, the U-Boat Memorial and U-995, the Advanced Submarine Training facility and the Naval Base Wilhelmshaven where we toured a warship.             

           Red China 1992
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We visited cities and towns all over China, toured the Air Force Museum, various naval facilities, on board warships and were the guests of the Commanding Admiral of the East Sea Fleet.

Chicago 1991

A dozen U-Boat veterans were with in the Windy City as well as ERICH GIMPEL (884-1988), the only living German agent placed ashore in the USA from a U-Boat.

Europe and the Reunification 1990

We visited the U-boat bunkers on the French Atlantic coast and toured a French warship.  We took the overnight train to Germany and again met with dozens and dozens of veterans and saw great historical sites.....then we went to Berlin in East Germany and while we were there, we participated in the Reunification of Germany!  We capped this great tour with a visit to Austria where we were Guests of Honor of Dr. Jörg Haider, political leader in Austria and we met Kurt Waldheim.

       South Africa 1990

We toured the Navy bases, the Air Force Bases, the Military Academy - we rode a diesel boat, flew an ASW mission on a DC-3 'Gooney Bird' and flew in a Super Frelon chopper.