Mr. Jack Alberti's Report to Captain Riheldaffer, Op-16-Z

 

     

   
 
22 May 1945                 
     
  MEMORANDUM for Capt. John L. Riheldaffer, USN (Ret.).  
     
 
Subject: Report on Events at Portsmouth Navy Yard in Connection with the Surrender
  of German Submarines U-234, U-805, U-873 and U-1228.
 
     
  I.    LOOTING  
     
        The usual extensive looting by boarding parties from the DE's had taken place. In the case of USS SUTTON, which captured the U-234, interrogators were able to board the destroyer and examine the "souvenirs". Items of possible intelligence interest were removed, but the great majority of souvenirs were left in the hands of the Ship's crews. There was no looting of prisoners aboard USCG ARGO or aboard the tugs ENSENORE and YAKINA.
     
          Because of the need of the presence of one of the interrogators, Lt. Cdr. Hatton, aboard U-234 until her docking, the passengers aboard this U-boat were accompanied to the Portsmouth Naval Prison on arrival by interrogators Lt. Maxwell and Mr. J. H. Alberti. These passengers were personally searched by these two interrogators.  
     
          The crew of the U-boat and their baggage were searched in the cell block by Marine guards in the presence of five or six Marine officers and at least two U.S.N. Medical Officers attached to the prison. Practically all items of value, such as watches, rings, decorations, wallets, even those containing personal photographs, etc. were looted from the prisoners. In some instances where enlisted men had taken watches from prisoners, these watches were taken from the enlisted men by Marine officers who retained them as souvenirs. This action has a most detrimental effect on interrogation of the crew and jeopardizes the willingness to cooperate on the part of those members of the crew retained aboard the U-boats.  
     
          After the departure for Washington of the passengers, accompanied by Lt. Maxwell, the presence of Mr. Alberti was required aboard the U-boat. In the interim, additional luggage belonging to General Kessler, and some of the other passengers, arrived at the prison. It was stacked in the lobby of the prison immediately outside the office of the sergeant of the Guard. It remained there from 1600 to 1800, when it was examined by two interrogating officers, Lt. Buckner and Lt. De Courcy of the FIRST Naval District, who were assisting the interrogators, since both Lt. Cdr. Hatton and Mr. Alberti were busy aboard U-234, securing those documents most urgently  
     
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required for shipment to Washington. Lt. Buckner and Lt. De Courcy searched the Luggage which appeared to contain very little, besides dirty linen in a very disorderly state.
        The following morning, 20 May, Col. Rossell, Commandant of the Naval Prison, showed interrogators a studio photograph of General Kessler. It was immediately apparent to interrogators that this could only have come from the General's baggage. Investigation disclosed that between 1600 and 1800 on 19 May luggage had been looted by officers and men of the Naval Prison in the lobby where it had been left for safe-keeping. Interrogators felt that the only chance of recovering any of the looted material was to call together the prison guards and by promising them that they would be permitted to retain any items not of intelligence value, get them to show the interrogators what they had secured. One of the first items shown to interrogators was a wallet belonging to General Kessler. This wallet contained approximately 1200 Swiss Francs and several Norwegian Kroners. The enlisted man who had looted this wallet from the General's baggage had distributed some of the Swiss money to some other enlisted men. An additional 600 Swiss Francs were recovered from some of the other enlisted men.
     
          On 21 May, similar meetings were held by interrogators with the officers of the prison and with those enlisted men who had liberty on 20 May. One of the officers had the General's cap. Another officer had an entire dresser drawer full of shirts, tunics, caps, decorations, watches, ceremonial daggers, etc. Still another officer had in his possession a pair of binoculars, complete surgical equipment for dental work, an elaborate instrument for measuring blood-pressure, a Lecia camera, General Kessler's campaign ribbons (2 sets), and miscellaneous other items. Some further Swiss money is being obtained from enlisted men who had taken it to their homes when they went on liberty, on 20 May.  
     
        It should be noted here that the papers contained in the General's wallet and, which had no interest for the enlisted man who took this wallet, had been simply thrown into a box. Some of the papers are believed to have been recovered subsequently although it is extremely difficult to identify them. The importance of these papers can be realized from the fact that the General has stated to interrogators that he was much implicated in the attempt on Hitler's life on 20 July 1944, but had been able to escape the attention of the Gestapo. He had, however, no intention at any time of going to Japan. If the
     
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surrender had not occurred, he planned to have the U-boat land him in the Argentine. Here, through his connections, he intended to approach the U. S. Embassy and offer to turn over the U-234 to U.S. Naval Forces in exchange for safe haven for himself and his party in the Argentine. A list of addresses in Chile, in what is believed to be the General's handwriting, has been recovered. However, the list of addresses in the Argentine has disappeared.
        The General's Knights Cross to the Iron Cross has been recovered from Colonel Rossell's safe. Among the alleged souvenirs shown to interrogators by some of the enlisted men of the prison detachment on 21 May was a piece of equipment from a U-boat which obviously had not come from the personal possessions of a member of the crew. The holder of this piece of equipment stated that he obtained this from a Nissen hut in the lower reservation of the prison compound where the material removed from U-805 by the barge had been stowed. He stated that this material was not secure and not under guard and that not only had Marines been able to secure some of it but even some U. S. Naval prisoners held in the lower reservation had had access to it and had appropriated a number of items. Colonel Rossell ordered a guard placed over this hut and a search of the prisoners instituted.
     
          It is emphasized that interrogating officers conducted their attempt to recover some of the material of intelligence value looted from PW's baggage and particularly that of General Kessler, because they felt that it was the only method which promised some chance of success. This method was used with the consent of Col. Rossell and Adm. Withers and with the understanding that no disciplinary action would be taken until the interrogators had obtained what intelligence material could be secured.  
     
        Looting aboard the U-boats at the dock has been carried on in a very large scale, both by members of the naval working party aboard and the Marine guard detachment. It is, of course, impossible to establish in what proportions the looting has occurred as between naval working parties and Marine guards, but since all enlisted men as well as all officers up to the rank of Lt. Cdr. were searched on leaving the U-234 and since items of equipment of the U-234, such as name plates on bows, items of navigational equipment, etc. have disappeared from the ship since she has lain at her berth, it is obvious that there must have been at least complicity in the thefts by at least some of the Marine guard personnel.
          On 21 May the Marine guard on U-234 reported finding a pack of German playing cards on one of the naval working parties leaving U-234. Admiral Withers, Commandant of the Portsmouth Navy Yard, has ordered a deck court martial for this man.  
 
 
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II.    SAFETY OF THE CAPTURED GERMAN U-BOATS
        All four boats carried large quantities of liquor. Up to 21 May only U-805 had been completely stripped of movable gear. According to the captain of U-234, this boat originally carried approximately 900 bottles of liquor. Only a part of this liquor has been located to date and removed from the ship.
     
          On the morning of 20 May, Lt. Ewald of Op-20-G boarded U-234 and found U. S. Naval ratings drunk aboard. At various times on 20 and 21 May, U. S. Naval ratings were found asleep in the bunks while on duty in U-234. These facts were observed by Lt. Ewald, Lt. Cdr. Hatton, Mr. Alberti, and at least in one instance by Lt. Cdr. Knerr, who is in charge of these boats under Captain Ambrose, U.S.N. The offenders, however, were not identified. There has been a certain amount of drinking by U.S.N. personnel aboard U-873 and U-1228, but no where to the extent that it took place on U-234. There is a strong prejudice among officers of the yard and most particularly on the part of Capt. Dudley, U.S.N., to act on any guidance or suggestions emanating from the German engineers retained as advisors and hostages aboard the U-boats.  
     
        It was only after two days that, upon entreaties by the German engineers and interrogators, Capt. Carr authorized the furnishing of 600 liters of distilled water for the batteries of the U-873, which otherwise might have been irreparably damaged.
          The captain of the U-234, while complaining to interrogating officers about the looting of the personal effects of his crew and himself, mentioned that he was all the more indignant at this treatment considering that all he had to do was pull a lever and everyone of his mine shafts would have been emptied of their contents. Interrogators immediately communicated this information to Lt. Cdr. Knerr and requested that chains and padlocks be furnished in order to secure the mine shafts against accidental discharge. The interrogators boarded U-234 with Lt. Cdr. Knerr. The mine hydraulic controls were then chained and locked into place, the flexible connections to the mine shaft manifolds were disconnected, and an individual padlock was placed on the manual controls at each of the mine shafts. This took place late in the evening of 20 May. On the evening of 19 May, the engineer of U-234 reported to one of the officers of the naval working parties aboard that there were five torpedo exploders loose in the boat. On the morning of 20 May, Lt. Cdr. Knerr attempted to contact the duty mine disposal officer since he was forbidden to remove these exploders from the boat unless a mine disposal officer was present. He was unable to contact the mine disposal officer at any time. Interrogators suggested that the exploders be removed with the cooperation of the Chief Torpedoman of U-234, who had been retained aboard. Permission to do this was refused and on  
     
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the morning of 21 May interrogators laid the matter before Admiral Withers who ordered that immediate steps be taken to remove these exploders.
        In the after torpedo tubes of U-234 there are two torpedoes with exploders. They have not yet been removed.
     
          On the evening of 20 May, at approximately 2330, Mr. Alberti went to the forward part of the conning tower of U-873 in order to use the telephone which was placed there. In the semi-darkness he stumbled on two boxes. On examination these boxes were found to contain scuttling charges and pull-igniters for same. Mr. Alberti notified Lt. Cdr. Knerr and these charges were removed from the ship. It was not possible to establish who had placed these boxes on the upper deck.  
     
        The cargo of U-234 is contained in tubes suspended in vertical mine shafts as well as in the duct keel. There are six vertical mine shafts forward of the conning tower. Each of these is designed to hold four tons. At present each holds seven tons. There are twelve mine shafts on each side of the boat. These are designed to hold two and one-half tons. Each now holds four tons. All shafts are free flooding. The engineer of U-234 stated to interrogators that in order to remove these shafts it would be necessary to defuel the boat. By so doing the boat would rise sufficiently to make the lugs of the tubes accessible. At present some of these, especially in the after part of the ship, are covered with varying depths of water. The engineer pointed out the danger of attempting to grope underwater for those lugs because of the danger of accidentally tripping a release trigger. The interrogators conveyed this information to Captain Ambrose who had to take this matter up with Captain Dudley. Captain Dudley stated very emphatically that he could see no need for defueling the boat before removing the mine shafts and that he did not intend to do so; that he had inspected the mine shafts through the gratings and that he saw no reason why it would not be possible to remove them; that if any of the shafts contained too much water he would use a man fitted with a diving helmet.
          U-234 is fitted with the very latest type of improved Schnorchel. Captain Morgan has stated that he intends to remove this Schnorchel immediately in order to examine it in detail.  
     
          It should be noted that none of the officers assigned to duties aboard the German Submarines have been relieved of any of their regular duties.  
     
          No officers from the Military Department of the Navy Yard have been stationed on any of the boats after the first day. On the evening of 19 May, Mr. Alberti telephoned the U-boats and was answered by a naval officer on duty on U-805. He asked this officer which officer was stationed on U-234 and was informed that there were only two officers aboard the four U-boats, one of which was this officer  
     
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on U-805 - the other officer being aboard the barge on which some of the material stripped from the U-805 was being shifted by a civilian work detail.
        The greatest difficulty was experienced in obtaining permission to vent the batteries in one of the boats (either U-873 or U-1228). Subsequently, however, batteries on all boats were regularly vented daily.
     
          As observation of the conditions reported was only incidental to the principal mission of interrogation of the prisoners, dates and chronology above may not be precisely accurate but reflect my recollection of the occurrences as they took place.  
     
       
              Jack H. Alberti.  
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
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