Jürgen Quaet-Faslem Statement
| This statement was taken aboard the USAT Brazil as the U-595 crew was transported from North Africa to the United States. |
17 November 1942 |
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| Statement of Kapitänleutnant Quaet-Faslem. | ||||||||
| "Our submarine was attacked by an airplane and bombed the first time a 0945 hours in the morning of November 14, 1942. This first attack damaged the diving mechanism so that we could not submerge and water began coming into the boat so that she was slowly sinking. We were bombed and machine-gunned for about four hours more. We ran as close as possible to the shore and blew her up. All of the crew escaped but one. I presume that the destroyer which was bearing down on us picked him up. After we left the submarine, the destroyer fired four rounds. Two of them landed between the submarine and the destroyer, and two of them landed on the shore inland from where part of my crew stood. The destroyer put a landing party overside which came ashore to look for us. | ||||||||
| When we were ashore and about three or four hundred meters inland, a biplane machine-gunned us. No casualties resulted. A little further inland we met a French officer who told us that we were close to Picard, French Morocco and that the Americans were not in control there. Thinking that the French were our allies against the Americans, I gave him all the arms we had brought ashore with us, which were six Browning pistols. While I was gone with this French military officer to his office in Picard, the leader of the landing party came ashore and spoke to the French sergeant who had been with the French officer. The sergeant told him that our pistols had been taken, and the leader returned to the destroyer. We telephoned to the French Naval Lieutenant Commander at Mostaganem, who said that cars would be sent for us. The French officer said on his word of honor as an officer and a gentleman that we were safe while in the hands of the French, and that we stood under the protection of the French government. | ||||||||
| While we were waiting at Picard, we ate and were guided by French Arabian soldiers to a large room in a building where these soldiers guarded us as we slept. About midnight we were surrounded by an American tank company. We were questioned and searched by the Captain of the company. Later in the night we were questioned by a Lieutenant Colonel in the American Army. In the morning of November 15th 1942, I went with the Lieutenant Colonel to the beach where the submarine had been sunk offshore. About two feet of the superstructure were still visible above the water. Then we were brought to Oran, Algeria. The crew and officers were photographed by an American soldier with a green band around his left sleeve. Then the crew and the officers were separated. | ||||||||
| From there we went to the "French-Aero Club for dinner and to spend the night. During the night we were questioned and fingerprinted by an American Lieutenant. During the early morning og the 16th of November 1942, we were brought to an American ship." | ||||||||
| "I certify that the above statement was made of my own free will; without coercion of any sort; without threats of/or mistreatment, and that I understand what is written above" | ||||||||
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