Vice Admiral FREDERICK HARLFINGER (2554-1992)

United States Navy, Submarine Service

Admiral “FRITZ” HARLFINGER was born in Albany and a 1935 graduate of the United States Naval Academy, served on the battleship ARIZONA for two years and later transferred to submarine duty. Along with the rest of the crew, he earned the Silver Star for his service as a lieutenant aboard USS TROUT (SS 202) that was used to remove a large part of the negotiable reserves of the Philippines in 1942.

The cache, which included several tons of gold, silver, and securities, was loaded at Corregidor almost within sight of Japanese batteries on the southern shore of Manila Bay.

He later was Skipper of USS TRIGGER (SS 237) with great success.

During the Korean War, he worked in research and development for the commander of naval operations.

In 1968 he was named Chief of naval intelligence and the director of command support systems.

He retired in 1974.

As a Member of Sharkhunters, he was able to obtain information on the German U-Boat Skipper Karl-Heinrich Harlfinger, a possible relative who had committed suicide in Germany after seeing the ravages of war on his homeland.