Browse archives: 2007 | 2006 | 2005 | 2004 | 2003 | 2002 | 2001 | 2000 | 1999 | 1998 | 1997 | 1996 | 1995

Published on 02/05/1996 All articles from this issue

Resident recalls narrow escape from Russians during WWII

printer friendly version

By Bruce Barton / Town Crier Staff Writer

Lilo Altenhofen realizes if it weren't for her father's assertiveness, a barely functioning bus, some shovel work and a handy submarine, she may not be here to tell the story of her great escape.

With Russian forces closing in on her West German hometown of Zoppotney, near Danzig, in January 1945, Altenhofen, then known as Lilo Jaeger, her mom, dad and sister had made arrangements with her fiancé, a submarine captain, to rendezvous at night at the German port of Gotenhafen, now called Gdynia, and depart across the Baltic Sea to West Germany.

"We could hear the cannons of the Russians," she recalled. "It was very scary."

Lilo, a 37-year Los Altos resident and Coldwell Banker Realtor, said her family originally had planned to take a train to the port, but heavy snow and bad weather made train travel impossible.

"My father was extremely good in talking to people and he managed to stop a bus, which was supposed to go to Gdynia," she said. "It was several miles to go to Gotenhafen. Suddenly the bus stopped and could not continue in the heavy snow. What now? I and some other man jumped out and we shoveled and shoveled and finally the bus could continue. What a relief.."

When Lilo and her family arrived in Gotenhafen, they saw big ships and long lines of refugees going into the stomachs of these ships.

"I had the feeling I did not want to go with them which I could have," Lilo said. Many of these ships were later torpedoed by Russian submarines, she said.

"We came to the gates of the submarine enclosure and it was locked and appeared to be too late for us. But in the fog and snow, I discovered three men coming toward the gate and one of them was Olaf (her fiancé). He told me to come with him and the other two were supposed to take my mother and little sister to the bigger boat.

"As it happened, my mother was too late for the bigger boat and they took her to a small submarine, and she and my sister had to stay in one big room with all the guys. My mother did not seem to be too delighted about that, she told me later."

As it turned out, Lilo's narrow escape became an enjoyable trip. "I was the queen of the submarine," Lilo said. The crew gave Lilo special treatment, giving her the captain's quarters.

"I even had a little desk and my own bed," she said. "Not long after the boat left, we floated to the open sea the wind was blowing it was about the coldest time during a year and especially this year and the boat was dancing and going up and down and I got very, very seasick. I felt I just wanted to lay down but Olaf insisted I would come up to the bridge and feed the fish."

Lilo was so covered up in heavy clothing, the whole crew, at first, was unaware she was a woman. "As time went on, the whole crew knew I was a woman and not a man," she said. "I was treated and spoiled with excellent food, which we did not have during all these war years. I walked around as much as possible and after four days and three nights, we arrived at Rendsburger Canal," which separates the Baltic Sea from the North Sea.

"When we came to the canal, the security officers came on board, and the crew shoved me into the bathroom so nobody could see me," Lilo said. "One of the first questions was, 'Are there any women on board?' "

The submarine then arrived at the city of Rendsburg and Lilo reunited with her mother at the same port where the submarine docked. Her mother didn't approve of Lilo's voyage on the submarine because she didn't consider it proper and lady-like. From there, Lilo, her mother and sister were transported to a refugee camp.

Then one early morning, Olaf came to the camp and told her it was time to say goodbye. So he took Lilo back to the canal where the submarine was docked and gave one final embrace while the crew saluted. Then the boat slowly disappeared into the dark waters. As it turned out, it was the last time Lilo saw her fiancé. "My heart was bleeding," she said. He gave her one of his submarine decorations, which she later exchanged for food.

"I stayed in Rendsburg for several weeks with Olaf's parents, which I regretted later very much. After several months, I could not stand it any longer and decided I would leave or try to make it where my parents were supposed to be."

Just after the war ended, Lilo hitchhiked to Bremen (west of Rensburg), then reunited with her parents after arriving in Ovelgönne.

Lilo later lived in Munich for four years and then resided in Paris before moving to the United States in 1955. She moved to Los Altos in 1959.

"I learned a lot (from the experience)," she said. "I truly became a stronger person."