Captain Englers last journey
from Gerhard Janke
Gerhard Janke writes to his article: "This contribution would not have been written, if I had not received each conceivable support from the relatives of Fritz Englers. There is this Siegfried Parnow, Heiligenhafen, Karla Naujoks, Katzweiler/Kaiserslautern, and Walter Rupp, Heiligenhafen."

The 14. October 1931 was one day like every different one also in the capital of Portugal, Lisbon. With a small exception. On the half way after Oeiras at the Tejo delta, where the famous water sports club Naval its domicile has, a illustre society convened. This time it does not concern the honour of a successful yachtsman or a quick rudder crew, but here someone is to be discharged, which put himself a unusual goal. At the landing stage of the club area his peculiar vehicle swings in the small waves of the moving Tejo. It is a boat, as it lay once here before approximately three and a half years ago. For some time in the far Germany they built for sport purposes vessels of this kind, are the Kajaks of the eskimos related and were simply called folding boats. Approximately twelve weeks ago a young man from Germany traveled by ship and brought along such a vehicle in his luggage. On the area of the club the boat developed from many individual parts. In the following weeks the mentioned young man made with his boat daily expanded training travels with all possible occurrences, which can meet a Paddler. Our Paddler put the emphasis on the possibility of a stranding with the dangerous breakers and hard putting on unknown beaches. This training program was necessary and could become vitally necessary for our young sportsman, because he wanted to cross the Atlantic in his simply and fragile small vehicle from East to West. His final destination was New York, which he wanted to reach in approximately 70 days.

 Now will you, dear readers, also say with right, what has this to do with Pomerania? It has! The mentioned young man was the naval officer Fritz Engler, coming from Rügenwaldermünde. Fritz Engler was born at 21. January 1900 at Rügenwaldermünde. Briefly after the end of the First World War he left the parental fishing boat, in order to go on large travel with the Christian navigation. With much diligence and perseverance as well as the attendance of the navigation school he got his captain patentee. But patent in the bag and his own ship under the feet, that are two pair of shoes, particularly in the hard time of the world economic crisis, with nearly sieved millions unemployed persons alone in Germany. Like that our compatriot was already very lucky that he got a place as a third officer on a ship of the HAPAG. With this shipping company he learned a colleague, that under similar conditions his love for the navigation. It was captain Römer, whom the act of the ocean flier Charles Lindbergh fascinated in such a way that he wanted to also achieve something similar. He did not know to fly, therefore another vehicle had to be found.

With an stay in his homeland at the Bodensee he became with a folding boat admits, the Klepper Factory in Rosenheim/Upper Bavaria manufactured such at that time. Here he the thought came to cross with such a detachable rubber boat the Atlantic. According to his 1data a special construction was built. To many preparations in the homeland he went also to Lisbon, where the last training travels were done. Then on 28. March 1928 he went from Lisbon to cape Vincent, Lanzerote  until Las Palmas, where he arrives on 10. May . To 10. June leaves Römer Las Palmas, over to 30. July on St. Thomas/Antilleses more dead than wanken alive ashore. He is celebrated like a hero, and even the governor von St. Thomas distinguishes him with honour medal.

 He reachs his next destination — St. Juan— at 9th of September. And then he made a serious mistake. Despite many warnings of the native sailors he leaves the island at the 11th of September with direction Puerto Rico. Two days later the Karibik is afflicted by a dreadful Tornado, which brings even large ships in difficulties. From this time there is no sign of life from captain Römer, he is missing!

One proved however captain Römer: With the construction of the boat the correct path was taken, and a well trained Nautiker, which is in a good physical condition, can master this strain.

Everything this knows also our friend Fritz Engler and can it use for himself . At the beginning of the year 1930 he can be built by the Klepper Factory a boat, which is nearly with that from captain Römer. A vehicle of 6,50 m length develops, for 0,98 m width and a depth of 25 cm. The calculated load-carrying capacity amounts to 500 kg which in for instance Engler and his equipment weighs. The capsize is ensured by two laterally attached air hoses. As sail the boat got on the main mast a Lugger sail as well as a small presail receives also together to five square meters. The calculated food supply for 100 days and a drinking water supply of 100 litres are to be accommodated when professional congestion well in the boat.

Fritz Engler is a typical Pomeranian and thus distrustful opposite all writing. In order to go quite surely, it lives in his training phase in Lisbon only under the food supply conditions, how he has it later on the Atlantic. It determines. Short before his departure, he mentioned that he does not have any weight acceptance and also no withdrawal symptoms despite intensified physical load.


Fritz Engier as a more freshbaked third awake officer on the passenger steamer "New York" in Cuxhaven/Steubenhoeft briefly before the departure in August 1928 (left). Our compatriot Fritz Engler makes himself in the summer 1930 at the west beach of Rügenwaldermünde with the characteristics of a folding boat familiarly (right).
Our friend is not only a good sailor and Nautiker, but he has also a small shot healthy sense of business in the blood. Thus he negotiated exclusive contracts with some well-known newspapers, under it also the Rügenwalder newspaper, which publishing his experience reports to regulate. Also the Rügenwalder newspaper brought in their issue at the 11. November 1931 the first report, which he had written after his stranding. Despite the rejoicing and the many luck and benediction desires with his departure on 14. October 1931 stood this enterprise under a unfortunate star.

I made myself once the effort and studied the weather messages of the second October half of 1931. Already to 12th of October brewed itself over the North Atlantic a large storm together, its way by the Biskaya, the English Channel to Central Europe ran. An strong bad weather area drew in southeast direction on the Portuguese coast along direction Mediterranean. By this storm Fritz Engler had through, if he wanted to achieve his first goal, Madeira. It was not only the gale, which near-swept there from north west, but the Atlantic kindles here a strong current, which approaches on the African coast.

On the first travel day Fritz Engler made with his boat a good distance of approximately 92 nautical miles due for the relatively calm water of the bay of Setúbal and to the current of the Tejos. The wind increased to storm strength and forced our friend to save the sails and to only hold with the trailing line the course.This drifting with the trailing line did not lead however to the planned goal, but it supplied directly on the African coast. At the night of 22. to 23. October increased the storm to the gale, and the trailing line was lost. Fritz Engler believed at this time that his location was about 50 nautical miles before Madeira. About over midnight comes his boat transverse to sea to lie and strikes fully water. Fritz Engler sees suddenly land before himself, on which he will course-float with large speed. An enormous wave packs the boat laterally and hurls it between the numerous cliffs through on a sand beach. By skillful, often experienced behavior he succeeds to put the boat laterally and getting even soil under the feet. With this maneuver our friend does not only lose all sea charts and identity papers, but also his nautical instruments turn out under water. Fritz Engler has his boat somewhat more highly pulled on the beach, there hardly comes a there usual sandstorm, which threatens to bury everything, which saved itself. And this evil was over and our compatriot freed himselv from the sand masses, he shot some shots with his pistol into air, in order to make attentive at himself. And straight these pistol shots should make our friend world-wide known. I would like to quote only one message here, which went at that time through the columns of the press.

 The press office "Franc Press" from Paris gave to 25. October the following message in circulation: "A German submarine captain, who keeps always a gun at hand, in order to bear nobody in his proximity, landed in the proximity of the Moroccan city Masagan.

The mentioned shots were heard by some Arabs, and soon our friend had society and assistance. Somthing were clear despite his lucky rescue: From here he could not continue his journey into the new world. He had to reach an obvious harbour before, in order to become the necessary repairs and to supplement as far as possible the lost material. By the Arabs he that he was somewhat south of Masagan, approximately 120 km south of Casablanca. This means for our sailor that he had gotten somewhat more than 250 nautical miles laterally off the course. That was to be due to the strong drift, which near-flowed from north. To 27. October 1931 leaves Engler this inhospitable place and visits after long difficult approaches the port of Masagan. Here large difficulties expect him because of his lost papers. In addition it must state that also an only provisional repair of his boat is not possible here and also the lost articles of equipment cannot be procured here.

Thus Fritz Engler decides to 30. October despite large doubts quite quietly and quietly the port toward Las Palmes to leave. On this stage, whose distance amounts to nevertheless approximately 620 nautical miles, everything is demanded from our compatriot, which he kmows on nautically ability and sailor shank. He loses his rudder and runs on a large piece driving wood, which damages his sword under the boat strongly. A calm air zone must it through paddles, in which also the first shark fish adjust themselves. A leakage in the boat skin forces him, the entire charge to reload and this all in the middle on the ocean, some hundred kilometers of the next mainland.

To 6. November he sees far in the west land. He steers, although with many difficulties and the assistance native fishermen, the port of read Palmas on, where he to 7. November 1931 fastens. Here, next to a small yacht, our friend falls into 24 hour hibernation. Contrary to Masagan Fritz Engler has here no difficulties because of his lost papers, which he particularly emphasizes in his report.

Whether it succeeded to Fritz Engler in Las Palmas to prepare his boat for the following stage high-sea-suited or whether he was satisfied again with an emergency repair, it is not well-known us. He seems to have still some lucky days there, because even he did not miss to goto the photographer. The picture from these days with a dedication to his parents and brothers and sisters is today still in the possession of distant relatives.

Las Palmas: This photo sent captain Engler to 12. November 1931 his parents and brothers and sisters. He was the last greeting to his relatives in Rügenwaldermünde.

To 16. November leaves Fritz Engler Las Palmas with course on the Bahamas. The steamer "Alameda Star" of the Blue star shipping company driving under English flag announces by radio to 20. November 1931: "Today, to 20. November we sighted on 26 degrees northern latitude and 20.36 degrees of western length a small sail kanu, which was manned with a German. He was on the journey from Las Palmas to the Bahamas. He answered our question in the negative, whether he need assistance, with thanks. The weather was very beautiful, it prevailed an easy north-east breeze.

This is the last sign of life of the Rügenwaldermünder captain Fritz Engler!

The German press agency announced to 25. January 1932: "The German naval officer Fritz Engler, which wanted to defeat the Atlantic with a
folding boat, may be considered as missing. The Bahamas, his next stage goal, he wanted to reached on 10. January . For this time he is overdue."


German Version