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"Patrol in North Germany"
from 20 September 2002 through 28 September 2002
We met the men who actually MADE this history!
Continued from previous webpage
Photo left - our friends Luftwaffe Major HANNES ESKEN and HANS-GEORG HESS, youngest combat submarine Skipper of World War II and holder of the Knights Cross.
Photo center - Hannover Rathaus (city hall)
Photo right - at the champagne reception in the Luftwaffe Museum. HARRY COOPER, GÜNTHER LEONHARD, HANS-GEORG HESS and our guide. Several Luftwaffe veterans joined us.
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Friday 27 September - Our bus takes us to Wilhelmshaven where we are met by our friend GERD THÄTER, Skipper of U-466 and U-3506, and some of his friends, also U-Bootfahrer.....including one who rode U-24, one of the Type II-B boats in the Black Sea Fleet. We had lunch with these veterans, then headed off to the Wilhelmshaven Naval Base, where we looked at the frigates and support ships in the harbor - not open to visitors normally, since 9/11 due to increased security. We were allowed to photograph whatever we liked.
After our visit to the Navy Base, we headed into Wilhelmshaven for a tour of this beautiful old German naval city, and then we toured a 206A Class submarine, a mine sweeper and other ships at a well maintained museum.
When our tour of the Navy Base and the submarine etc. was finished, we returned to the little restaurant for a couple more hours of fellowship with GERD and his friends where they freely told of their time in the war, they signed autographs - and GERD gave everyone a hand-signed photo of himself. It was a great day.
The beautifully restored Ju-52 Inside Ju-52 GERD THÄTER, another Skipper
and a crewman, Black Sea Fleet
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