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DD223/A16-2/1pw U.S.S. McCORMICK (DD223) |
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c/o Fleet Post Office |
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Serial - 019 New York, N.Y. |
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C-O-N-F-I-D-E-N-T-I-A-L: 16 July, 1943 |
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| From: |
The Commanding Officer. |
| To: |
The Vice Chief of Naval Operations. |
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| Subject: |
Prisoners of War - Rescue and interrogation of. |
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| Reference: |
(a) VCNO Conf. Ltr. Serial 01227316 of May 19, 1942. |
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| Enclosure: |
(A) Identity disc of Leutnant Walter Otto. |
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(B) Specimen of oil gathered at scene of attack. |
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(C) Two cans (contents undetermined) picked up at scene of attack. |
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(D) Debris picked up at scene of attack. |
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1. On 16 July, 1943 at 0635 ZEBRA this vessel rescued three survivors from a German submarine that had been attacked by one of our aircraft. The position of the submarine at the time of attack was 300 07' N., 440 26' W. |
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2. The prisoners when rescued were swimming supported by life jackets that had been dropped by the attacking plane. All three were in good health. |
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3. A brief history of the prisoners follows: |
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(a) |
Name: OTTO, Walter. Rank: Lieutenant. |
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Service No: None. Identity Disc: "Walter Otto |
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Seeoffz - 1939" |
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(1) |
Otto was born in Stuttgart, Germany, 10 September, 1920. He attended a Gymnasium near Stuttgart until 1939, and then enrolled at an Officers' School in Flensburg. |
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(2) |
His only duty on board was as Watch Officer. He was on watch topside when the plane attacked. The bomb did not hit the submarine, but close aboard, and he jumped into the water. OTTO states that he doesn't know whether or not the submarine was sunk. |
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(3) |
According to this officer the submarine was part of a patrol line, but he would not give the positions of the other submarines. |
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(b) |
Name: BURCK, Hans. Rate: Bootsmaat (Coxswain) |
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Service No: None. Identity Disc: None. |
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DD223/A16-2/1pw U.S.S. McCORMICK (DD223) |
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c/o Fleet Post Office |
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Serial - 019 New York, N.Y. |
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C-O-N-F-I-D-E-N-T-I-A-L: 16 July, 1943 |
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Subject: Prisoners of War - Rescue and interrogation of. |
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- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - |
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(1) |
BRUCK was on watch topside. He did not see the airplane until the bomb exploded. He has been in submarine service since 1940 and on the present U-boat for one year. He states that there were about forty, men on the ship, plus two Lieutenants and the Commanding Officer, Capitan-Leutnant Gunther Muller. |
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(2) |
The submarine left Germany in April, and has been operating off the coast of America since the middle of May. They were returning to Germany when attacked. BURCK said they had not sunk any ships on their cruise. |
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(c) |
Name: YOUNEK, Walter. Rate: Matrosengefreiter (S2c) |
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Service No: None. Identity Disc: None. |
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(1) |
YOUNEK is nineteen years old. He is a native of Festenburg, Germany. He also was on watch topside when the attack occurred. He has been on the same submarine for about nine months. |
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4. The prisoners were questioned in accordance with paragraph (k) of reference (a). Additional information as stated here was given by the prisoners without prompting from the ship's interpreter, Lieut. Carl F. Geigle, (MC), USNR. |
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5. Enclosures (B), (C), and (D) will be forwarded under separate cover. |
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S. D. OWENS. |
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Copy to: |
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CTF-61 |
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CO MERRIMACK |
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