| U-boat Skipper | |
| Fictional Character | |
| "Cayos in the Stream" POD: c. July, 1942 | |
| Type of Appearance: | Direct (unnamed) |
| Nationality: | Germany |
| Date of Death: | 1942 |
| Cause of Death: | Shot to death |
| Occupation: | Sailor |
| Military Branch: | Kriegsmarine (World War II) |
In 1942, a German U-boat skipper began operating near Cayo Bernardo, off the coast of Cuba. Eventually, the U-boat encountered the Pilar, a fishing ship owned by the famous American author, Ernest Hemingway. While the skipper had initially planned to sink the Pilar, he paused when Hemingway identified himself and offered the Germans some of his catch. When Hemingway also asked to refill his fire extinguisher, the skipper agreed to let the Pilar come beside his ship.
What the skipper did not know was that Hemingway had been patrolling for U-boats. His crew had grenades and firearms, and the fire extinguisher was actually a bomb. When the Pilar came alongside, Hemingway's men opened fire, killing the skipper and the men aboard the conning tower.
Hemingway then dropped the bomb down the hatch, crippling the U-boat. The United States Navy sank it shortly thereafter.
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