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(1.) last U-boat (2.) Pers. to: Zeke
Posted by: Craig Mclean ()
Date: June 26, 2001 03:34AM

<HTML>(1.) Thanks to all who offered help on this topic some time ago. Apparently U-320 (if I remember the number correctly off the top of my head) is indeed credited as the last U-boat sunk in WWII. Although, I gather it was damaged by the RAF, scuttled by the crew, and thankfully no hands were lost. But I just heard from Horst Schwenk at the Archiv with the answer I was seeking. Apparently, one memorial stone outside the Archiv there is to Watch Officer Richard Eberlein himself (perhaps donated by family?), of U-881...serving on one of 3 U-boats sunk on 6 May 45, with all hands lost. Doenitz\'s message that the war was over and that \"You have fought like lions!\" went out the evening of 4 May, to go into effect by 0800 the following morning fully (5th May). The Allies knew about this message. Still, some 10 U-boats were attacked and sunk after 4 May...but only these 3 with ALL hands...and I still am not sure why these attacks took place at all. Yet, there is even one U-boat that sank one Norwegian and one British merchant ship after this 4 May radio message went out (don\'t recall the number, and it\'s unimportant right now---I have some difficulty keeping most U-boat numbers straight, and must constantly refer to historical sources to be sure).

So, when I was being shown around the garden at the Archiv last November, I\'m sure the statement was made that this was a marker for a boat sunk by an American DE after the war was KNOWN (by all) to be over, and not that it was actually \"technically\" over. Still...a tragedy of war! (Jodl was sent to Reims, France by new leader Karl Doenitz, and Alfred Jodl signed the actual final unconditional surrender on the evening of 7 May at Eisenhower\'s HQ, to be in effect 59 minutes before midnight on 8 May.)

(2.) Zeke: (All please pardon a personal message, but I have been out of town off and on, got a message from Zeke for a private email...and lost it, and some others, for reasons too complicated to explain...!!!!) Zeke, please send me another message relating what you said recently, and I will get back to you!!---promise!!---although I will be in and out of town the next few days again...)
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(1.) last U-boat (2.) Pers. to: Zeke Craig Mclean 06/26/2001 03:34AM


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