My uncle was an "old tin canner"

12-06-08, 11:03 AM

Thank you for this very interesting story! The fact that Donitz would send a 'warning' tells something about the kind of comraderie that existed in WW2 between the navies of both sides.

Lurchi · 12-06-08, 12:36 PM

Interesting story - but can this be true? I mean, by giving such a warning to a convoy he would have reduced the chances of success of the u-boats and heavily endangered the soldiers under his command. Especially in the usually heavily patrolled Gibraltar area. This contradicts every picture of Dönitz i have.

Mmmmh, i don't want to sound like a "know-it-all" but i never read about him doing such a thing and it doesn't really fit into the situation of 1941 - 45.

Anyway, i'm not in the position to question a veteran so please excuse but i find this story quite interesting, thanks for posting it.

breadcatcher101 · 12-06-08, 01:46 PM

You know, I thought the same thing about it. Why would they give notice they were there waiting? I didn't question him about it, and the fact that Donitz recalled it as well. More than likely it really hapened.

I can tell you another story he told me even more interesting that is along those same lines:

They used to play movies aboard during convoy runs. One night after a movie they got a radio signal that read, "We enjoyed the musical you played for us this evening. Heil Hitler."

Apparenty a U boat overheard the music from the movie form underwater. I wondered about this as you would have noise from the ship engines as well.

Anyway after that, the captain of the Daniel, forgot his name, only that he was from Manhatten, played no more movies.

My uncle would have been in a position to have known that as he was electrical/radio specialist on the Daniel.

The ship was scrapped in '74, he was present at the time. They needed a mast to put in front of a naval office somewhere for flags and they just happened to pick out the one off his ship because it was on the corner, easy to get to.

12-06-08, 02:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lurchi

Interesting story - but can this be true? I mean, by giving such a warning to a convoy he would have reduced the chances of success of the u-boats and heavily endangered the soldiers under his command. Especially in the usually heavily patrolled Gibraltar area. This contradicts every picture of Dönitz i have.

Mmmmh, i don't want to sound like a "know-it-all" but i never read about him doing such a thing and it doesn't really fit into the situation of 1941 - 45.

Anyway, i'm not in the position to question a veteran so please excuse but i find this story quite interesting, thanks for posting it.

Hmm, good point. Theoretically I guess it wouldn't have made much of a difference had they told about it or not, the Allied probably couldn't alter the course anyway. However, I do find it likelier that such radio communication probably didn't exist.

Sailor Steve · 12-06-08, 06:29 PM

Great story! Always good to hear first-hand accounts from people who were there.

12-06-08, 06:29 PM	#5
Sailor Steve Eternal Patrol Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: High in the mountains of Utah Posts: 50,369 Downloads: 745 Uploads: 249	Great story! Always good to hear first-hand accounts from people who were there. __________________ “Never do anything you can't take back.” —Rocky Russo

12-06-08, 11:03 AM	#1
OneToughHerring Stowaway Posts: n/a Downloads: Uploads:	Thank you for this very interesting story! The fact that Donitz would send a 'warning' tells something about the kind of comraderie that existed in WW2 between the navies of both sides.

12-06-08, 12:36 PM	#2
Lurchi Planesman Join Date: May 2005 Location: Wilhelmshaven, Germany Posts: 181 Downloads: 35 Uploads: 0	Interesting story - but can this be true? I mean, by giving such a warning to a convoy he would have reduced the chances of success of the u-boats and heavily endangered the soldiers under his command. Especially in the usually heavily patrolled Gibraltar area. This contradicts every picture of Dönitz i have. Mmmmh, i don't want to sound like a "know-it-all" but i never read about him doing such a thing and it doesn't really fit into the situation of 1941 - 45. Anyway, i'm not in the position to question a veteran so please excuse but i find this story quite interesting, thanks for posting it.

12-06-08, 01:46 PM	#3
breadcatcher101 Captain Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Southeastern USA Posts: 546 Downloads: 1 Uploads: 0	You know, I thought the same thing about it. Why would they give notice they were there waiting? I didn't question him about it, and the fact that Donitz recalled it as well. More than likely it really hapened. I can tell you another story he told me even more interesting that is along those same lines: They used to play movies aboard during convoy runs. One night after a movie they got a radio signal that read, "We enjoyed the musical you played for us this evening. Heil Hitler." Apparenty a U boat overheard the music from the movie form underwater. I wondered about this as you would have noise from the ship engines as well. Anyway after that, the captain of the Daniel, forgot his name, only that he was from Manhatten, played no more movies. My uncle would have been in a position to have known that as he was electrical/radio specialist on the Daniel. The ship was scrapped in '74, he was present at the time. They needed a mast to put in front of a naval office somewhere for flags and they just happened to pick out the one off his ship because it was on the corner, easy to get to.