My reply..
I do know many how were in the KM, with a few who were also on DDs then went to uboats. In fact, my best friend in Germany, who is a DKG recipient, served on both Destroyers and Uboats--uboat under the Kapitans Luth, and Freiwald. This man was decorated by Kapitan Dommes in Singapore 1945.
I do know HIS service record and what he has told me. I know that at least his destroyed had in fact sailed through the Atlantic as an escourt to some other larger ship. True, this would have been in I think 1941 or 42, I dont remember which. My point is is that Destroyers were acting as escourts to other ships in the Kriegsmarine. Ths same goes for Destroyers from many other Navies. SO the prospect of a Destroyer being in the mid Atlantic is not hard to believe.
I never said theat the Gustloff was wayyyy out in the Atlantic, I merely used its name as a reference. Sorry I cannot be more accurate, I have no access to all of my books as they are still in storage
My Opa, iwas a highly decorated merchant marine captain. He had been in battle on at least 3 occasions that I know of. Two were in the Atlantic, and one was in the Indian Ocean. The Atlantic actions were against a surface warship, the next was against a Uboat operating in a wolfpack of Uboats. The action in the Indian Ocean was against U 181.
I have read some of his letters talking about his experiances from 1942--to late 1944. He mentioned seeing a German surface warship on the first action that he was part of. I do not know if it was a Destroyer or a Cruiser. I do know it wasnt a Torpedoboot or something like that, it could habve been an armed Blockade Runner, or a Raider. Yes, those operated all over the seas and throuought the war. Dont ask me for particular names and dates as I dont know what thaey are and would hate to be telling you a lie.
All I can say is to read Otto Giese book, he tells about such things. By the way, he was a merchantman before becoming a uboat officer serving under Wolfgang luth and Kurt Friewald. German DDs did sail through the Atlantic as escourt ships. True, I dont know exact dates and most likely it was in the first 2 yrs of the war, but they did, sail the Atlantic.
I do totally agree with you that Hollywood des have many wierd ideas. I just wonder how screwed up the movie that they are supposed to be making about Erich Hartmann?? which is supposed to have Tom Cruise as E.H.
A DD COULD give some fuel. I had never said a DD would do that in reality. This whole argument is what COULD have been because of the scene in the movie.