Shark attacks on Kriegsmarine personnel?

[Helmut Von Moltke]

hi,

During the war, were there any recorded shark attacks on for example, stranded Kriegsrmaine sailors or downed Luftwaffe pilots, etc? thanks for any help, even thought this might seem like a kind of strange question.

Kevin

[Cott Tiger]

Firstly Kevin there are no (or very few) man eating sharks in the seas/oceans were the Kriegmarine and Luftwaffe mainly operated – North Sea, Atlantic, Mediterranean and Baltic.

You will find many more episodes of such attacks in the Pacific theatre. There are I believe quite a few recorded instances of American sailors having horrific encounters with sharks after escaping sinking ships.

[DXTR]

Cott Tiger is right on that one, however a few submarines did make it to shark areas such as the indian ocean, but whether anyone survived in order to have sharks attack them is highly unlikely.

One book to consult would be Lawrence Patersons. Hitler's Grey Wolves: U-Boats in the Indian Ocean. Mechanicsburg, PA: Stackpole Books, 2004

or maybe adress your question at Uboat.net. U 852 was lost off the cost of somalia. However its crew members died due to the straffing wellington and not any sharks. (U 852 was actually the infamous sub that gunned down the survivors of the greek ship peleus).

[Helmut Von Moltke]

thanks DXTR and Cott Tiger.

Cott, about the shark attacks on US sailors, I think it was the USS Indianpolis sailors after it was torpedoed by a Japanese submarine in 1945.

Maybe the moderators can move this to the Kriegsmarine section?

Kevin

[Cott Tiger]

You are right, the survivors of the USS Indianapolis did encounter shark attacks. Wasn’t there also a film made about it?

I also remember reading somewhere an account of British sailors encountering sharks after surviving a Japanese attack and abandoning ship.

regards,

Andre

[Waleed Y. Majeed]

I believe the USN did some "Shark-repellant" research, as it was a problem for downed pilots too.
Some of the results had the opposite effect. Think it was a Discovery Channel
programme some years ago.


waleed

[JägerMarty]

I remember mention of a shark attack in one of the Jagdwaffe volumes published by Classic. It concerned a Luftwaffe crew who ditched in the Med close to the coast. I got the impression it was not a serious encounter though, more just a "nip" if that makes sense.

[Mike Higgins]

In the book "U-boat Ace" author Jordan Vause, 1990 St Martins Press

The U-181 (commanded by Wolfgang Luth) is adrift in the Madagascar Channel after her screws get fouled in a fishing net. They send Josef Dick over the side with a electric torch to cut the boat free. All of a sudden someone yells shark, somehow Dick hears the yell and squeezes himself between the two screws. They shoot at with the 20mm AA gun but miss and the shark continues to circle the boat. Finally they get out their fishing tackle, bait the hook with leftover chicken bones and catch the shark.
In the book there is a picture of the actual shark but, I don't know one shark from the other. Perhaps if someone else has the book they may know whether Josef Dick was at risk or not.

[phylo_roadking]

Only a man with that suname would end up in a position like that.......!

[Mike Higgins]

Only a man with that suname would end up in a position like that.......!

Good one phylo Best laugh I've had all day. Thanks

[alessandro bray]

Hi,

the crew of the raider Atlantis, after the sinking of the ship in Indian Ocean, was attacked by numrous sharks. A vivid description is in the book "Atlantis" of Mohr,an Atlantis' officer

Alessandro

[punk3n1]

In the book "U-boat Ace" author Jordan Vause, 1990 St Martins Press

The U-181 (commanded by Wolfgang Luth) is adrift in the Madagascar Channel after her screws get fouled in a fishing net. They send Josef Dick over the side with a electric torch to cut the boat free. All of a sudden someone yells shark, somehow Dick hears the yell and squeezes himself between the two screws. They shoot at with the 20mm AA gun but miss and the shark continues to circle the boat. Finally they get out their fishing tackle, bait the hook with leftover chicken bones and catch the shark.
In the book there is a picture of the actual shark but, I don't know one shark from the other. Perhaps if someone else has the book they may know whether Josef Dick was at risk or not.

I have an old picture of that from my grandfather. Not sure if its the same as in the book because I havent seen the book but it seems to be a picture of a sailor cutting up what looks to be a shark

[phylo_roadking]

Perhaps if someone else has the book they may know whether Josef Dick was at risk or not.

I'd assume the poor sailor's WHOLE body was at considerable risk!

[francesco]

I did not expect to read such an "interesting" topic!!!
Well guys...there is one possibility left.... That shark was a female and Mr. Dick was at no risk at all!

Anyway, from what I remember from the book about the loss of USS Indianapolis... a japanese destroyer drove off the sharks by sending depth charges down. I don't recall victims (I might be wrong though). You made me go to the library.

Cheers!

[Sarge1st]

Just a note guys, there are maneaters in the Med and South Atlantic. Great Whites roam throughout that area (even the Med) as do Bullsharks (the most aggressive) and other non-maneaters (but definitely biters) such as Blacktip and Whitetip Reef Sharks and Bluesharks.