What's New
Before you get in touch with me then please read this. This page explains who we are and how these pages are built. That page also leads to another page on how you can contact us more efficiently.
2010
1 February
18:56 - New book review published
Added a review of the title The Wheezers and Dodgers by Gerald Pawle. This fine book covers the Department of Miscellaneous Weapons Development of the Royal Navy during WWII.- Added book review for The Wheezers and Dodgers
17:09 - U-boat Commander Photos added
Added photos of the following 14 German U-boat commanders of WWI;
KrvKpt. Robert Bartels, Oblt. Kurt Braun, KrvKpt. Rainer Dierksen, Kptlt. Hans-Wilhelm von Dresky, Oblt. Gerhard Glattes, KrvKpt. Ludwig Mathes, Kplt. Hans Möglich, Kptlt. Herbert Nollau, Oblt. Rudolf Ites, Kplt. Jürgen Quaet-Faslem, Kplt. Siegfried Rollmann, Kptlt. Hans-Rutger Tillessen, FrgKpt. Gerhard Wiebe, and KrvKpt. Werner Witte.
These photos were provided by the kind folks of the Deutsches U-Boot Museum-Archiv (see contact information).- Modified personal info for Commander Herbert Nollau
- Modified personal info for Commander Rudolf Ites
- Modified personal info for Commander Kurt Braun
- Modified personal info for Commander Hans-Rutger Tillessen
- Modified personal info for Commander Gerhard Glattes
- Modified personal info for Commander Hans-Wilhelm von Dresky
- Modified personal info for Commander Friedrich Guggenberger
- Modified personal info for Commander Jürgen Quaet-Faslem
- Modified personal info for Commander Robert Bartels
- Modified personal info for Commander Ludwig Mathes
- Modified personal info for Commander Hans Möglich
- Modified personal info for Commander Reiner Dierksen
- Modified personal info for Commander Siegfried Rollmann
- Modified personal info for Commander Gerhard Wiebe
- Modified personal info for Commander Werner Witte
- Modified personal info for Commander Ottokar Arnold Paulssen
- Modified personal info for Commander Karl-Ernst Schroeter
- Modified personal info for Commander Ulf Lawaetz
02:36 - New gallery of diving photos
Mr. Taner Aksoy dived the scuttled U-20 off the Turkish coast on 27 Dec 2009 and provided us with very nice photos. See our new U 20 in the Black Sea diving gallery containing 14 photos.- Modified personal info for Commander Gerhard Wysk
- Modified personal info for Commander Fritz Hein
2009
24 Deccember
01:00 - U-boat war in the Mediterranean section updated
The ageing section U-boat War in the Mediterranean was given a major overhaul. It's not perfect yet and will be worked on further. Biggest improvements now include chart of operational strength of the U-boat force throughout the campaign, maps of ships sunk and U-boats lost. Last but not least are two new pages showing the most successful U-boats and Most successful Commanders in the Mediterranean. Also are pages showing all merchants and warships hit by U-boats in the theatre.
20:53 - Happy holidays to all! :)
We wish to extend our warmest regards to all our visitors. May you have a great holiday season!
- Modified personal info for Commander Karl-Ernst Schroeter
- Modified personal info for Commander Ottokar Arnold Paulssen
- Modified personal info for Commander Heinrich Schuch
- Modified personal info for Commander Walther Kölle
- Modified personal info for Commander Axel-Olaf Loewe
- Modified personal info for Commander Robert Bartels
- Modified personal info for Commander Joachim Berger
- Modified personal info for Commander Joachim Brünner
- Modified personal info for Commander Erwin Christophersen
- Modified personal info for Commander Franz Venier
- Modified personal info for Commander Georg-Werner Fraatz
- Modified personal info for Commander Wolfgang Leimkühler
00:13 - New article published
Dr. Axel Niestlé has published another of his re-assessments of U-boat fates. This one is called The loss of U 225 and U 529.
- Modified personal info for Commander Wolfgang Leimkühler
- Modified personal info for Commander Ulrich Thilo
- Modified personal info for Commander Rolf Struckmeier
- Modified personal info for Commander Helmuth Ringelmann
- Modified personal info for Commander Walter Dankleff
- Modified personal info for Commander Georg-Werner Fraatz
- Modified personal info for Commander Werner Zapf
- Modified personal info for Commander Horst Hamm
- Modified personal info for Commander Victor Vogel
- Modified personal info for Commander Werner Schulte
- Modified personal info for Commander Walter Flachsenberg
- Modified personal info for Commander Siegfried Rollmann
- Modified personal info for Commander Hans-Joachim Förster
17:15 - Ships hit by U-boats in WWII
Rainer Kolbicz has written a very nice report on the attack on convoy ONS-122 by Wolfpack Lohs in August 1942.
On a related note we have now added a "Revised" field to some merchants, the first one being Empire Breeze from the convoy mention above. This enables us to provide clearer view on why the data looks like it does in some cases.
- Modified personal info for Commander Herbert Wohlfarth
- Modified personal info for Commander Horst Willner
14:05 - Changes to U-boat Commanders (WWII)
Added personal information and photos to the following U-boat commanders;
Heinz Buhse (U-399), Hermann Lauth (U-1005) and Karl-Heinz Raabe (U-1161 and U-1007).
Also added the fascinating story of how Horst Willner saved 50 women and children, including his own wife and child in 1945.
I've also added a new page showing the latest updates to our U-boat commanders of WWII pages.- Modified personal info for Commander Paul Büchel
- Modified personal info for Commander Graf Ulrich von Soden-Fraunhofen
- Modified personal info for Commander Johannes Liebe
- Modified personal info for Commander Karl-Heinz Raabe
- Modified personal info for Commander Heinz Buhse
- Modified personal info for Commander Hermann Lauth
13:52 - New gallery of U-505 photos
Just installed a new gallery of photos for the U 505 in Chicago, USA. This is called Onboard the U 505 at Chicago by John MacKay. There are two amazing things about this gallery; first is that it shows views normally forbidden to visitors and the second is that it was taken in 1977!- Modified personal info for Commander Horst Willner
- Modified personal info for Commander Karl-Heinz Raabe
- Modified personal info for Commander Ernst-Günter Heinicke
- Modified personal info for Commander Walter Zeplien
14:31 - Wolfpack data revised
Rainer Kolbicz has been working on the Wolfpack database and yesterday we totally replaced the older data with new and much updated and revised version. Currently there are over 230 Wolfpacks listed there, and on each one you can see the boats, the positions and the ships hit, if any. Check it out.- Modified personal info for Commander Heinrich Schuch
- Modified personal info for Commander Graf Ulrich von Soden-Fraunhofen
- Modified personal info for Commander Johannes Liebe
- Modified personal info for Commander Paul Büchel
- Modified personal info for Commander Hans-Botho Bade
- Modified personal info for Commander Dr. Ulrich Abel
- Modified personal info for Commander Hans Cohausz
- Modified personal info for Commander Reiner Dierksen
- Modified personal info for Commander Gerhard Wiebe
- Modified personal info for Commander Hans Oestermann
- Modified personal info for Commander Udo Heilmann
- Modified personal info for Commander Walter Boldt
- Modified personal info for Commander Wolfgang Eickstedt
- Modified personal info for Commander Harald Lange
- Modified personal info for Commander Ralf-Reimar Wolfram
11:59 - New book review published
Published a new review of the title An Honorable German by Charles McCain. You can subscribe to our reviews via e-mail.- Added book review for An Honorable German
- Modified personal info for Commander Uwe Christiansen
- Modified personal info for Commander Gustav Lüssow
- Modified personal info for Commander Hermann Lamby
- Modified personal info for Commander Johannes Kühne
- Modified personal info for Commander Hans Buscher
- Modified personal info for Commander Hermann Bruder
- Modified personal info for Commander Hans-Helmuth Bugs
- Modified personal info for Commander Heinz Buchholz
- Modified personal info for Commander Friedrich Altmeier
16:27 - 3 new pages added
Just added 3 new pages to the site; Most successful convoy attacks by a U-boat (showing what U-boat had best results in a convoy battle), and then Greatest loss of life (WWII ships hit) and Largest loss of life (WWI ships hit). These are common questions and now a page explains these losses.- Modified personal info for Commander Heinrich Niemeyer
- Modified personal info for Commander Ludwig Mathes
- Modified personal info for Commander Hinrich-Oscar Bernbeck
- Modified personal info for Commander Arved von Mühlendahl
- Modified personal info for Commander Harald Lange
- Modified personal info for Commander Ernst-August Rehwinkel
- Modified personal info for Commander Kurt Dobratz
- Modified personal info for Commander Jürgen Wattenberg
- Modified personal info for Commander Karl Neitzel
- Modified personal info for Commander Friedrich Braeucker
- Modified personal info for Commander Thilo Bode
- Modified personal info for Commander Hans-Peter Mackeprang
- Modified personal info for Commander Hans Möglich
- Modified personal info for Commander Rolf Rüggeberg
- Modified personal info for Commander Erich Jewinski
- Modified personal info for Commander Oskar Herwartz
- Modified personal info for Commander Otto Eberlein
- Modified personal info for Commander Ruprecht Fischer
- Modified personal info for Commander Otto Westphalen
12:47 - The Oskar Kusch case
Added references to the Oskar Kusch case to the two U-boat commanders that had key roles in his court martial, death sentence and execution; Dr. Ulrich Abel (his IWO who reported Kusch for cowardice) and Otto Westphalen who was a judge on the court and took part in overruling the prosecutor's suggestion of 10 years with a death sentence.- Modified personal info for Commander Dr. Ulrich Abel
- Modified personal info for Commander Otto Westphalen
- Modified personal info for Commander Oskar-Heinz Kusch
- Modified personal info for Commander Otto Wermuth
- Modified personal info for Commander Max Wintermeyer
- Modified personal info for Commander Wolfgang Aldegarmann
- Modified personal info for Commander Klaus Andersen
- Modified personal info for Commander Kurt Braun
- Modified personal info for Commander Hans Ibbeken
- Modified personal info for Commander Hermann Lessing
- Modified personal info for Commander Leo Wolfbauer
- Modified personal info for Commander Ebe Schnoor
- Modified personal info for Commander Heinz Bielfeld
- Modified personal info for Commander Oskar Curio
- Modified personal info for Commander Dietrich von der Esch
- Modified personal info for Commander Wolf-Dietrich Damerow
23:35 - U-boat Commander Photos added
Added photos of the following 5 German U-boat commanders of WWI;
Kptlt. Horst Degen, Kptlt. Karl-Heinz Hagenau, Kptlt. Klaus Harney, Kptlt. Wolfgang Riekeberg and KrvKpt. Alois Zech.- Modified personal info for Commander Werner Zapf
- Modified personal info for Commander Hans-Botho Bade
- Modified personal info for Commander Karl-Heinz Hagenau
- Modified personal info for Commander Wolfgang Riekeberg
- Modified personal info for Commander Georg von Wilamowitz-Möllendorf
- Modified personal info for Commander Friedrich Schäfer
- Modified personal info for Commander Hermann Rigele
- Modified personal info for Commander Walter Burghagen
- Modified personal info for Commander Bruno Mahn
- Modified personal info for Commander Hans Möglich
- Modified personal info for Commander Helmut Brümmer-Patzig
- Modified personal info for Commander Georg von Wilamowitz-Möllendorf
- Modified personal info for Commander Klaus-Helmuth Becker
- Modified personal info for Commander Hans Buscher
- Modified personal info for Commander Heinz-Ehlert Clausen
- Modified personal info for Commander Amelung von Varendorff
- Modified personal info for Commander Klaus Harney
- Modified personal info for Commander Alois Zech
- Modified personal info for Commander Horst Degen
- Modified personal info for Commander Hans-Werner Offermann
15:32 - U-boat Commander Decorations pages rebuilt
I have just relaunched the totally re-done section for U-boat Commander decorations for the officers of WWII. This meant building them all from our databases while keeping the historial information we had on the old pages. The new section is much nicer as now you can see all the recipients for each award. At the same time I am adding more information on decorations (and ranks) to as many officers as I can.
- Modified personal info for Commander Hans-Gerrit von Stockhausen
00:51 - New book review published
Published a new review of the title K Boat Catastrophe,
Eight ships and five collisions: The full story of the 'Battle' of the Isle of May by N.S. Nash. You can subscribe to our reviews via e-mail.- Added book review for K Boat Catastrophe
02:23 - U-boat fates section greatly improved
Did a major rework on the U-boat fates section. The U-boat losses by year pages were all re-done. The Chart of U-boat losses 1939-1945 page was redone through our databases and now always shows accurate monthly totals throughout the war. Other pages were also improved but mostly behind the scenes.
Totally rewrote probably the oldest page on the site, U-boats bombed in safe waters. The page is now fully read from our fates database and includes a map of the hit locations. Non-commissioned U-boats destroyed in port are also included.
- Modified personal info for Commander Helmut Laubert
00:15 - U-boat Commander photos added
Added photos of the following 4 German U-boat commanders of WWI;
Oblt. Wilhelm Bergemann, Oblt. Otto Eberlein, Oblt. Herbert Giesewetter and Kpt. Werner Musenberg.
00:07 - Allied Commander update
We're now adding photos and personal information to as many Allied Commanders as possible. To aid that I have created a new page showing those officers. Example of vastly updated pages are Capt. Henry Glass Munson, USN, Lt.Cdr. Walter Juchereau Kingsmill, RCNVR and Radm. Hamilton Wilcox Howe, USN.
- Modified personal info for Commander Werner Musenberg
- Modified personal info for Commander Herbert Giesewetter
- Modified personal info for Commander Wilhelm Bergemann
- Modified personal info for Commander Otto Eberlein
- Modified personal info for Commander Arnold Wiechmann
13:13 - Improvements on the WWI section
Did some further work on this section. Vastly improved the Largest ships sunk or damaged and Allied warships hit during WWII. Both pages now include a random ship shown with picture and details and other improved visuals. Both have been added to the left sidebar. Also improved the main WWI page a bit (with random ship images and better layout).
23:47 - Improvements on the WWI section
Added a new page collection for the Decorations given to the U-boat commanders during WWI. This section is not complete as such but right now has our best current data. You can always click on selected decorations from each officer page to see who elso won the award and so forth. 29 U-boat men won the coveted Pour le Mérite (Blue Max) for example.
01:26 - New book review published
Published a new review of the title Another place, another time by Werner Hirschmann, the LI of U-190. The review was written by Jeremy Keyes. You can subscribe to our reviews via e-mail.- Added book review for Another Place, Another Time
13:25 - WWI U-boat Commander photos added
Added photos of the following 6 German U-boat commanders of WWI;
Waldemar von Fischer, Wilhelm Marschall (Pour le Mérite winner), Herbert Nolde, Hermann Rigele, Rudolf Seuffer and Hans Hermann Wendtland.- Modified personal info for Commander Hermann Stuckmann
00:30 - U-boat Commander Photos added
Added photos of the following 7 German U-boat commanders of WWII; Gustav Bischoff (U-2359), Karl Brandenburg (U-457), Emil Claussen (U-469), Rolf-Heinrich Hopmann (U-405), Dietrich Lohmann (U-89), Graf von Hartmut Matuschka, Freiherr von Toppolczan und Spaetgen (U-482) and Henning Schümann (U-392).- Modified personal info for Commander Rolf-Heinrich Hopmann
- Modified personal info for Commander Gustav Bischoff
- Modified personal info for Commander Henning Schümann
- Modified personal info for Commander Graf von Hartmut Matuschka, Freiherr von Toppolczan und Spaetgen
- Modified personal info for Commander Karl Brandenburg
- Modified personal info for Commander Dietrich Lohmann
- Modified personal info for Commander Emil Claussen
- Modified personal info for Commander Otto Heinrich Nachtigall
23:03 - Short site outage
I screwed up earlier today and managed to disable the entire site for 4 hours. Funny enough I did this in order to improve reliability on the site - win some loose some :)
- Modified personal info for Commander Rudolf von Singule
12:29 - New book review published
Published a new book review for the brand new title The Milk Cows by John F White. The title is a pleasure to read, especially if you like to read detailed operations of this often overlooked subject (the supply boats). I will now put our reviews at a faster pace from now on - have 2 reviews under way right now.- Added book review for The Milk Cows
18:20 - Father's leave
From 1 Oct to 31 Dec 2009 I will be on father's leave from work. During this time I will take care of our 9 month old sailor and while he sleeps I might do loads of smaller improvements on the site. This might include short bios on officers, tuning Allied Commanders section and such items.
18:17 - WWI section improved
Been working on improving the WWI section quite a bit today. Added Most successful U-boats of WWI page, created a commander file for WWI officers in the left sidebar, removed the WWII U-boat of the day entry from the sidebar and did loads of visual tweaks in the code. Will do some more work on this.
- Modified personal info for Commander Werner Techand
- Modified personal info for Commander Günter Behnisch
13:30 - Allied Warship updates
Been working on the Allied Warships code a bit and improved the Warship Types pages. Added war losses to each type, see Heavy cruisers for example. Also added description texts for some types like Battleships and Aircraft carriers. Also did some visual tweaks here and there.
17:14 - USCGC Alexander Hamilton (WPG 34) possibly located
The US Coast Guard cutter USCGC Alexander Hamilton, the first US warship sunk in the North Atlantic after the US entered the war, has possibly been located. The ship was sunk on 29 Jan 1942 by U-132 (Vogelsang) when escorting a small convoy to Reykjavik, Iceland. Icelandic media today reports that the Icelandic Coast Guard has inspected a recently spotted oil leak west of Reykjavik that releaved a wreck 99m long, 13m wide and 8m tall (roughly the size of Alexander Hamilton) resting at a depth of 90 meters. The wreck is just a few miles from shore, no dives have yet been performed and this wreck site has until now been unregistered. The survivors of the sinking met in Iceland in 1992 to honor the 50th anniversary of the loss.
- Modified personal info for Commander Herbert Zeissler
19:48 - U-boat commander photos added
Added photos of the following 2 German U-boat commanders of WWII; Hans-Joachim Ernst (U-1022) and Hans Eckermann (U-20 and U-A).- Modified personal info for Commander Hans Eckermann
- Modified personal info for Commander Hans-Joachim Ernst
21:51 - New article published
We're added a new article to this site. This one is on convoy operations and is called Convoy HG-73 Reassessment of U-boat attacks during the nights of 25/26 and 26/27 September 1941.
- Added user submitted title The Battle of the Atlantic.
- Added user submitted title UNE AFFAIRE D'HONNEUR.
- Added user submitted title Vanaf de brug gezien.
- Added user submitted title LES ESCORTEURS DE LA FRANCE LIBR ....
- Added user submitted title U-1706.