General Discussions
This is the place to discuss general issues related to the U-boat war or the war at sea in WWII.
RE: U-Boats at Corpus Cristi, TX in 1940
Posted by:
Ken Dunn
()
Date: March 07, 2001 02:17PM
<HTML>Hi Don,
I know this story seems pretty far-fetched however, the story could be true. From the Archie Gibbs interrogation report we know that the crew of at least one U-boat in the Caribbean (U-126) routinely listened to a Texas radio station.
“Gibbs reports that the radio on the submarine was kept tuned to Dr. Brinkley’s radio station, Laredo, Texas, almost exclusively. However it appeared to Gibbs that the personnel of the submarine was more interested in the songs played than in the announcements. No news broadcasts were tuned in. The radio was operated a considerable part of the time.â€
The news broadcasts could easily have been listened to and the going price for shrimp determined. Additionally, I have seen more than one photograph of a U-boat buying (well, acquiring) fresh fish from a fishing boat.
I think the first question is whether or not a U-boat was operating in the Gulf of Mexico in 1940. If it wasn’t, then of course the story is false. But in the unlikely event there was one, then the story could be true. We weren’t at war with Germany then and there was even a German Consulate in Galveston at the time. It didn’t close until 1941. The shore batteries that popped up along the Gulf Coast during the war weren’t there then either. Galveston was a pretty active seaport at the time (thus the various foreign consulates located there) and the massive oil refineries and chemical plants at Texas City would have been worth taking a look at.
I guess that is why the story has lasted so long, It is plausible, however unlikely.
If they really just dumped those shrimp down an open hatch, they had better have found each and every one of them. If even a few fell through a space in the floor plates the stink would have been considerable in a couple of days. Of course, the shrimp we have today are tiny compared to the ones that were abundant back then.
Regards,
Ken Dunn
</HTML>
I know this story seems pretty far-fetched however, the story could be true. From the Archie Gibbs interrogation report we know that the crew of at least one U-boat in the Caribbean (U-126) routinely listened to a Texas radio station.
“Gibbs reports that the radio on the submarine was kept tuned to Dr. Brinkley’s radio station, Laredo, Texas, almost exclusively. However it appeared to Gibbs that the personnel of the submarine was more interested in the songs played than in the announcements. No news broadcasts were tuned in. The radio was operated a considerable part of the time.â€
The news broadcasts could easily have been listened to and the going price for shrimp determined. Additionally, I have seen more than one photograph of a U-boat buying (well, acquiring) fresh fish from a fishing boat.
I think the first question is whether or not a U-boat was operating in the Gulf of Mexico in 1940. If it wasn’t, then of course the story is false. But in the unlikely event there was one, then the story could be true. We weren’t at war with Germany then and there was even a German Consulate in Galveston at the time. It didn’t close until 1941. The shore batteries that popped up along the Gulf Coast during the war weren’t there then either. Galveston was a pretty active seaport at the time (thus the various foreign consulates located there) and the massive oil refineries and chemical plants at Texas City would have been worth taking a look at.
I guess that is why the story has lasted so long, It is plausible, however unlikely.
If they really just dumped those shrimp down an open hatch, they had better have found each and every one of them. If even a few fell through a space in the floor plates the stink would have been considerable in a couple of days. Of course, the shrimp we have today are tiny compared to the ones that were abundant back then.
Regards,
Ken Dunn
</HTML>
| Subject | Written By | Posted |
|---|---|---|
U-Boats at Corpus Cristi, TX in 1940
|
Don Gerloff | 03/05/2001 08:21PM |
|
RE: U-Boats at Corpus Cristi, TX in 1940
|
Rainer Bruns | 03/05/2001 08:48PM |
|
RE: U-Boats at Corpus Cristi, TX in 1940
|
Don Gerloff | 03/06/2001 03:51PM |
|
RE: U-Boats at Corpus Cristi, TX in 1940
|
Carl | 03/06/2001 06:03PM |
|
RE: U-Boats at Corpus Cristi, TX in 1940
|
vin | 03/07/2001 07:54AM |
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RE: U-Boats at Corpus Cristi, TX in 1940
|
Ken Dunn | 03/07/2001 02:17PM |