{Avalon, NJ – June 1985}
At eleven a.m., Dylan and Mark met with Mayor Carrington, Chief Grant, and Max Thomas. After briefly discussing the unexpected incarceration of Frank Sharp, the men changed into their swimsuits and then climbed into the lagoon. They carefully entered the ruptured bulkhead and toured a portion of the underground chamber using powerful searchlights. After taking many photographs of the surprisingly large interior, they returned to the dock.
“This is absolutely amazing! Nothing like this has ever been found on Seven Mile Island,” confided the mayor.
Max added, “Well, Dylan, I certainly have never seen anything like this on the island. Even so, be assured that the structure is firmly in place, and I see no evidence of a collapse or any pending property erosion.”
The police chief then turned to Mark and Dylan. “Based upon our inspection this morning and the information disclosed by Frank Sharp, it’s clear that while the boys did not discover a ‘pirate cave,’ they did find a sizable portion of a German U-boat!”
Dylan added, “It’s unbelievable! Christine and I have lived here for forty years, and we had no idea that our property was sitting on a sunken U-boat!”
The mayor turned to the police chief. “This is truly an awesome find. We need to immediately rope off this entire property.”
The chief responded, “I agree. I’ll implement around-the-clock security until the appropriate experts can examine the vessel and its contents. I hope they can offer advice as to how we should handle this situation.”
Dylan Masters expressed his concern to the mayor and chief. “Can my family continue to stay here?”
The mayor assured him that his family definitely should remain on the property.
Meanwhile, the two boys were quietly listening to the adults from their upstairs bedroom window. They were amazed that their discovery was actually a German U-boat. Wayne turned to his brother, and with a frustrated look, he said, “Ugh, considering that they won’t let us keep the gold bar, there’s no way they’re gonna let us keep the U-boat!”
Shortly thereafter, the adults and Lisa gathered in the large family room. Noticing that the boys weren’t there, Mark yelled upstairs to his sons. “Boys, come down here. We have something important to discuss.”
Once the boys were situated, Mayor Carrington addressed everyone. “Well, it appears that you two boys have discovered something of historical importance. With this in mind, anything that we discuss today is absolutely confidential.”
Over the next hour, the mayor outlined the incredible events that had taken place since Mark and Liz’s family had arrived at the Masters’ home nine days earlier. Everyone in the room was simply amazed that a U-boat was sitting under Dylan and Christine’s property.
The mayor continued, “I also want you to know that I’m sincerely thankful that the boys weren’t injured while they were exploring the damaged bulkhead and that Lisa wasn’t seriously hurt by Mr. Sharp.”
Lisa quickly assured everyone that she was fine and then expressed, “I just can’t believe that Johnny and Wayne discovered a U-boat on Grandma and Grandpa’s property.” Turning toward her brothers, she added, “You two are going to be famous!”
At that point, the mayor interjected, “Well, not just yet. Any recognition concerning this find will have to wait. Remember, because of the historical significance and the pending criminal investigation, you are not to discuss this matter with anyone outside of this room until further notice.”
Mr. Thomas then explained that the anticipated excavation of the chamber would likely take significant time and would require large equipment. “Because the project will require extensive digging under the waterline, we may need to install a cofferdam around the lagoon to ensure that Christine and Dylan’s home is protected and the earth behind the bulkhead doesn’t collapse into the bay.”
Wayne asked, “Mr. Thomas, what exactly is a cofferdam?”
The contractor promptly responded, “It’s really just a temporary watertight wall that will be placed around the entire lagoon. The enclosure will allow us to excavate the U-boat without worrying about the tidewaters covering the worksite during each high tide cycle. In essence, the cofferdam will ensure a dry work environment and will make it easier for the experts to review and analyze this important find.”
Then, looking at the boys, Max continued, “Unfortunately for you two, this means that you won’t be able to swim in the lagoon until the work is completed.”
Chief Grant added, “Yes, and that also means that no one but the proper authorities will be permitted near the U-boat.”
Wayne and Johnny acknowledged that they fully understood and would definitely comply with the order. Wayne added, “No problem, sir. I’m just glad that there’s still a ton of fun things to do here on Seven Mile Island besides swimming in the lagoon!”
In response to Wayne’s joyful declaration, the tension in the room momentarily lifted. Grandpa turned to Wayne and said, “You’re right, Wayne; this island has many exciting activities that will certainly keep you and your brother busy!”
The mayor then turned more serious. “If anyone outside this room inquires about the extensive work, your response should be brief and somewhat accurate. Just say that Christine and Dylan’s property has been roped off for safety reasons, and the bulkhead is being replaced.”
With a serious expression on his face, Johnny coughed out loud, and everyone looked in his direction. He politely asked, “Mr. Mayor, is it really possible that the discovery of the U-boat on my grandparents’ property could change history?”
The mayor responded, “That’s a very good question, Johnny. What we know right now is that you and Wayne have discovered something that will definitely impact your entire family and our local community in the future. Depending upon the extent of the find, there is also the possibility that scholars, historians, and journalists may need to make a few alterations or additions to the previously documented history concerning World War II. We’ll all need to be patient for the time being. But, if I had to make a prediction, I’d bet that your discovery very well could result in a few more chapters being added to the history books sometime in the future!”
Wayne pushed his brother’s shoulder, and with a joyful expression, he commented, “Wow, that’s awesome, Johnny!”
Chief Grant went on to explain, “Frank Sharp admitted that his true identity is Franz Schmidt. He was a Kriegsmarine lieutenant commander who served on an XXI-A class German U-boat during the Second World War. He claims that his vessel became disabled and grounded somewhere near Seven Mile Island during a great hurricane in 1945.
“Sharp said that during the storm, he somehow was separated from the vessel. When the storm subsided, he woke up deep in the marshlands located west of our island. Interestingly, he further claims that for the past forty years, he has continuously searched for the U-boat and its contents, but he was never successful.”
Dylan commented, “Wow, I guess that’s why he’s always roaming the beach with his metal detector whenever he’s not operating his store.” Christina chimed in. “Forty years. That’s long enough to make anyone act crazy!”
The chief quickly moved on. “Again, everyone here truly has to be careful not to talk about this find with anyone else. Please understand that Frank Sharp also said that his U-boat was one of four in a convoy that was traveling on a secret voyage to Argentina! What makes this so significant is that Frank claims that the convoy was led by Adolf Hitler!”
The police chief’s words took the entire family by surprise.
Recognizing everyone’s shocked expressions, the mayor added, “If everything that Sharp said is true, and the experts confirm that it truly is a Nazi U-boat, then you can bet that the impact on all of us will be memorable.”
Chief Grant then continued, “When Sharp was asked about the whereabouts of the other three vessels, he said that he couldn’t confirm exactly what happened to them.” The chief cautiously explained, “Interestingly, Sharp did make it a point to say that he wouldn’t be surprised if Hitler reached Argentina.”
Shaking his head in disbelief, Dylan said, “Absolutely amazing! If true, this really could alter history.”
The chief then quietly advised, “Another astonishing thing about his testimony is that Frank was adamant that all four vessels carried massive quantities of gold bars!”
At that point, Wayne nudged Johnny and whispered, “Wow! We may need more baking soda!”
Grandpa then leaned toward the boys, and in a low voice, he sternly said, “Settle down, boys.”
Chief Grant finished by stating, “While Sharp’s testimony was quite convincing, we’ve also scheduled him to take a polygraph lie detector test.”
Noticing confused expressions by Johnny and Wayne, Chief Grant explained, “Law enforcement agencies across the country use polygraph testing as an effective tool to help determine whether a person is telling the truth.”
Before leaving the house, the mayor advised that because of the unique and unimaginable find, he would be contacting his good friend, Representative Crockett. He explained that Crockett was one of New Jersey’s representatives who served in the United States House of Representatives in Washington, DC.
“I’ll reach out to Crockett as soon as I get back to my office. With his help, we can ensure that the boys’ discovery is reported to the proper state and federal agencies. Crockett has good relations with not only the US Navy and the Coast Guard but also the country’s best maritime attorneys. I hope they can explain all of our options for handling this find.”