Shadow Divers – Exposed U 869

[Jcsgt]

What I recall about Shadow Divers was that they only speculated that the U869 COULD have been sunk by its own torpedo. I don't believe they ever said that theory was set in stone.

 

[dbush]

He exposes the reader to witnesses that were seemingly ignored. Was it so that their recollections would not be at odds with the tale that the author of Shadow Divers was telling? In this latest work, Gary introduces the reader to participants in major events chronicled in Shadow Divers that are never mentioned. Was that not to detract from the “heroism” of the main characters?

what gives? why the accusatory tone? why the inplications of wrong-doing?

I certainly agree with you that the tone here is problematic, but I didn't think there were Gary's own words. Certainly if this quote were attributed directly to Gary, I could understand.

I really hate to see any of these three guys discredited without basis since they have all contributed so much to the diving world.

 

[Diesel298]

To say i know Gary, John and Richie would be a great misunderstanding
but i have met and spoke with them a little on various ocasions.
All great down to earth guys that have all contributed to the sport greatley in various ways.
the news of the circle runner has been chande with new info a while ago. thats not news
Remember Shadow dives WAS a book wrighten to sell so im sure its a little embilished to add drama, but still a excellent book and well wrighten
I have also read many of Garys books.
His style is more of a journal of first hand accounts and less concerned with the drama. but also good books well worth reading.
I am looking forward to reading what Gary has to say about the u-who, and im quite sure all his info will be acurate.
But i get the feeling its more to thro his hat into the ring and revise some of the exagerations that might be present in Shadow Divers.

I hold the highest respect for Gary. I think calling him a old timers is a little off.
the things he has done, and still does.
I would be so bold to say that most people on here wouldnt be fit to cary his gear


Ray

 

[H2Andy]

from Gary's website:

In light of all the hype and hoopla concerning the U-869 (alias Hitler’s Lost Sub), and the amount of irrelevant and misleading information that has been disseminated about its discovery and eventual identification (particularly in Shadow Divers), I thought that it would be appropriate to dedicate my first newsletter to the multiple tasks of separating the wheat from the chaff, of avoiding annoying irrelevancies, and of presenting a clear and concise chronology of events that will enable to reader to be truthfully informed on the topic.

again, why the tone? why the accusations?

http://www.ggentile.com/


the post here sounds like a press release. i wouldn't be surprised if gary wrote it.

 

[H2Andy]

I hold the highest respect for Gary. I think calling him a old timers is a little off. the things he has done, and still does.
I would be so bold to say that most people on here wouldnt be fit to cary his gear

no question. gary's an amazing diver.

the term "old timer" was meant as a compliment (read my post in context),
meaning he's been around, he knows his stuff, he's a part of dive history.

but he's got a huge ego, and that ego is bruised (because he feels he was left
out of the Shadow Divers narrative), and he's coming out swinging.

he's not doing himself a service. this is not about historical accuracy.
this is about gary gentile not being a part of the Shadow Divers narrative.

 

[Diesel298]

no question. gary's an amazing diver.

the term "old timer" was meant as a compliment (read my post in context),
meaning he's been around, he knows his stuff, he's a part of dive history.

but he's got a huge ego, and that ego is bruised, and he's coming out swinging.

he's not doing himself a service

I didnt mean to be defensive about the old timer comment.
just felt is was worth clarifacation for divers not fimilar with Garys contrubution to the dive indusry

 

[H2Andy]

no, not at all.. no offense taken... was just clarifying that i DO think gary is
an amazing diver. heck, the guy defined Doria diving pretty much single-handed

 

[riguerin]

I recall this account that U-869 was sunk U.S. Coast Guard-manned Howard D. Crowby. It written by the same author, Harold Moyer.

 

[lamont]

I certainly agree with you that the tone here is problematic, but I didn't think there were Gary's own words. Certainly if this quote were attributed directly to Gary, I could understand.

I really hate to see any of these three guys discredited without basis since they have all contributed so much to the diving world.

It seems to be associated with him, and the guy who posted it claims to be a friend of Gary's. I'd love to see Gary dissassociate himself from the tone of this article, because I really don't think the diving community needs this kind of garbage.

 

[wreckedinri]

It seems to be associated with him, and the guy who posted it claims to be a friend of Gary's. I'd love to see Gary dissassociate himself from the tone of this article, because I really don't think the diving community needs this kind of garbage.

Perhaps you would prefer to read the "garbage" directly from Gary's newsletter which was posted this morning.

I hope his "tone" does not offend anyone.


The following is copied from Gary Gentile's Newsletter
06/13/2006 11:17 AM

Thanks to the dedicated research efforts of Harold Moyers, the world can now learn the real and tragic saga of the U-869: the German U-boat previously known as the U-Who? or Hitler’s Lost Sub.

Moyers located archival documents that described an incident that occurred on February 11, 1945, in which two destroyer escorts trounced a U-boat as it crept along the bottom some sixty miles off the New Jersey coast. The U-boat was subsequently destroyed in a series of hedgehog and depth-charge attacks. This incident occurred at the site of the U- 869.

Moyers pursued his findings by contacting surviving members of the two destroyer escorts. Supplementing his archival research with the recollections of crewmen of that historic day, he assembled the full story of that tragic and exciting event so that it can now be brought to light.


Shadow Divers Exposed is where the truth hits the fan.
The result is a volume that works on a multitude of levels: it presents the real saga of the loss of the U-869; it puts the discovery of the U-869 into perspective with other U-boats that have been found in American waters; it provides an overview of the U-boat war through the stories of other U-boat losses; and it corrects many - but not all - of the errors and distortions in Shadow Divers.

The ersatz Shadow Divers claim that the U- 869 was sunk by a circular run of its own torpedo. Even without the evidence of the destroyer escort attack, this theory is untenable for any number of reasons: all of which are thoroughly discussed in the chapter on U-boat forensics - an in-depth study of torpedo engineering, shipwreck deterioration, and damage assessment.<p. The exposé disputes events in Shadow Divers that are fictitious or grossly overstated. Reliable witnesses have contradicted a number of major events in which they participated. Their participation was deleted in order to glamorize two chosen heroes.

Some witnesses were ignored altogether so dissenting views of events did not contradict the self- glorifying plot. The testimony of others was altered, resulting in accounts that are at variance with the truth.

Shadow Divers paints all divers as bickerers and subservient to its heroes. The exposé shows the teamwork and camaraderie that are essential facets of the technical diving community.

Shadow Divers is rife with boastful exaggerations, theatrical embellishments, and unnecessary historical inaccuracies, many of which are addressed in this exposé so that the actual facts will be available to present and future generations.

You may recall the public furor over A Million Little Pieces, the so-called nonfiction book by James Frey about his experiences with drug abuse. To Frey’s chagrin, investigative reporters learned that he exaggerated some of the book. After he was exposed (on the Internet, on the Oprah Winfrey Show, and numerous other places), he issued a statement in which he admitted to adding gross embellishments that were contradicted by the facts. Additionally, there has been a great deal of controversy over the tactic of publishing houses to promote works of fiction as actual events.

In this reporter’s opinion, Frey’s exaggerations and embellishments do not come anywhere near to the amount of fictionalizing that occurred in Shadow Divers. The book was a hoax: a blatant attempt to hoodwink the public with self-serving fabrications. Only a sincere public apology can help to atone for its sins.

Read all about it in: Shadow Divers Exposed: the Real Saga of the U-869.

Complete Book List: http://www.ggentile.com/

Sincerely,


Gary Gentile
Gary Gentile Productions