SHARKHUNTERS International Southern Patrol 2012 We begin far up in Germany as we visit our good friend Oberst RIGOLF HENNIG (6919-2004)  |  | This little village (dorf), like most German villages, | has a quaint little town center |  |  | But this little dorf has a special BMW – it is filled with ice cream! | And of course, they have their problems with AntiFa idiots |  |  | Inside this magnificent church, | the choir is practicing. They were great! |  |  | We met some very nice people on this boat, tied | up by the outdoor cafe where we enjoyed supper |
……..a rock in the middle of the North Sea SHARKHUNTERS International Southern Patrol 2012 …..we travel to a “Rock in the middle of the North Sea” – Heligoland! Once this was a busy center for the Kriegsmarine, today a tourist attraction – but there are reminders of the war years all around. This island appears to be honeycombed with bunkers and tunnels – we spotted these from high on the upper rim of the island. All too soon our day on the island comes to a close  |  | Our ship is waiting and soon we see | the last | of Heligoland as the sun is setting behind the island |
We stopped at a very unusual memorial. During the time of Charlemagne, he had thousands of ethnic Germans put to death. Under orders of Adolf Hitler, this Memorial to the slain men was erected and it had benefits to all. Hitler’s plan of the memorial park was to have a winding path, rimmed with large stones. There was to be one large stone for each man executed and the orders went to farmers to dig large stones out of their fields for this project. The memories of the slain men benefited with the Memorial; the Third Reich benefited as they built another Memorial and the farmers benefited because the RAD (Reich Arbeitsdienst) took away the stones leaving them more land to farm. It was a win-win situation.  | As we see here on the overlay, this was a very large park/Memorial, covering many acres of land. There were several viewing places along the route for high ranking men of the Reich, naturally including one for Adolf Hitler. |  |  |  |  |
SHARKHUNTERS International Southern Patrol 2012 We head south through the Bavarian Alps into the Austrian Alps, all the while seeing new and more magnificent scenery. These are the same Alps that Hannibal saw as he marched toward Rome, that the Romans saw as they marched into unconquered territories – this is pure history!  |  | Can you believe this is only middle September? | Photos shot out our window – yes, it was a blizzard |  |  | They were expecting us in the breakfast room | of our Hotel Gret’l – beautiful hotel |
In the evening, we join many, many veterans for singing and fellowship  |  |  |  | We have known Herta for years |  |  | The “Flame of Flanders” fighters were well represented | We see more young people this year |  |  | Evening entertainment by singing groups and | by our good friend ENRICO COSTA (7117-LIFE-2006) |  |  | As we noted – more and more young people | At the dinner from left: xxxxx, HARRY COOPER (1-LIFE-1983), Lady Michele, RALPH FRÖHNER (7392-2008), Tony Bowley |
The Ulrichsberg Memorial We arrive with our big bus at the place where we change into smaller busses that can make the sharp turns on the mountain road  |  | There are a great many veterans of many groups here and especially our dear friend WOLF-DIETER RESSING (7220-LIFE-2007).  There are even film makers – Nathalie is the producer, director and main camerman while Patricia is the assistant. |  |  |  |
We are on the mountain, on Ulrichsberg, for the Memorial  |  | The Flagbearers, veterans all, begin to | assemble near the main area |  |  | Above and below – the parade and | posting of the Flags |  |  |  |  |  | For the years we have been coming to the Ulrichsberg Memorial, the great concern that this tradition would not be carried on by younger people. As we see here, more and more young people, from little kids to  the youth are participating more and more in this important event. |  |  |
The Memorial services on the mountain – on Ulrichsberg  |  | The ruined church…………. | ……..final preparations being made |  |  | Above and below – the participants | Above and below – the Honor Guard |  |  |  No more schnapps on the mountain – instead there are cakes and coffee and the money from this goes to benefit the veterans.Right – the Mayor of the Italian town of Redipuglia is always here. His town has been associated with the Ulrichsberg Memorial for years. It was in Redipuglia that young Oberleutnant Erwin Rommel earned his Pour le Merit (Blue Max) during bitter fighting. The trenches are still there as are bunkers and many weapons – all preserved for history. |  |
The Memorial is finished but some linger on the mountain  |  |  | Inside the old church there are memorial plaques, flowers, tablets and a large wooden cross to remember all who fell in battle. Every once in a while, the gutless cowardly swine of the AntiFa slither their way up the mountain in the night and vandalize everything they can here. Worse yet, they take great pride in their cowardly deeds – sneaking in where there is no one to oppose them, destroying memories of fallen soldiers that old veterans and widows of veterans must come to clean up and repair. | Where is this photo? The beautiful lady in the photo asked that we remove it. |  | Saying goodbye to friends | We all head back down the mountain to the waiting busses |
The Ulrichsberg Memorial is finished for 2012, but we will return in 2013 There is a place for you on this ‘Patrol‘, will you be with us? On our way back to München airport, we stop at our Sharkhunters home in the Bavarian Alps – the Hotel zum Türken for a rest.  | Left – Owner and our best lady friend in all Europe, INGRID SCHARFENBERG (3308-A/LIFE-1993), a wonderful hostess  The leaders of the Third Reich sat on this patio for their coffee |  |  | Breakfast here is outstanding | One last look at the Alps |

| We visit a rock in the middle of the North Sea, but this was a very strategic and important rock 70 years ago. |