The truth of U-869

[ohmdiver]

I have been incredibly fortunate in my diving career, and I would say life in general. No one single dive stands out. I probably don't remember them all, but I remember both good dives and bad dives. Doria, U-boat, Carolina, Titanic, Britannic, and some of the projects I am working on now, how do I come up with just one single dive?

I am always looking forward to the next dive, and the next discovery.


Cheers

JC

Maybe I asked that wrong, I have not as many dives as you but a respectable number just the same, My favorite dive story is not so much about the dive but the chance to be with my daughter as she got certified, pool work and all.

I was going for an experiance not necessarily the dive itself. My favorite dive story is from when I was first certified. I was diving with a group that I really didn't know well. About half way through the dive the guy pulling the flag was swimming strangly and towards me with his knife out and thrusting it at me. his buddy no where to be seen. I swam away very quickly backwards....

When we got on the boat, I got there 1st and was on board looking for anything I could use for a weapon, when he surfaced saying he had some monofiliment wraped around one leg. His wife who was his buddy cut it free.

After I calmed down he told me he was trying to give me the knife to cut the line.

We have done many dives together since but that 1st one with him still makes me laugh.

 

[RMDiver]

Until today, I had never heard of SDE. I read Last Dive and Deep Descent while waiting for my OW course to start 2 years ago. This is a type of diving that I will never get to do.

While working on specialty classes I heard about and read Shadow Divers. It was a thrilling, fun read and very well written. I have since given out 7 copies to folks and 5 have become divers.

Mr. Chatterton's arguments on the unlikely effort to keep a u boat discovery secret (seemingly even from the discoverers themselves) for 3 years seems logical to me.

Gentiles remarks seem to be the kind heard in bars about, "I coulda made it", either to get drinks or to console one's own damaged ego.

One of the books on the Doria portrayed Gentile as kind of a lazy crewman who crewed on the seeker to self promote. They even hinted that he might have contributed to some of the Doria fatalities by hyping folks up into a China frenzy. That was at least the impression that I took away from the reading.

I will purchase SDE and read it in fairness. But, with the evidence that I now have I am comfortable with the SD account.

Mr. Chatterton has been kind enough to enter this thread and give his side. I am assuming that Gentile if free to as well. His absence speaks volumes.