U Boat Captain Prien

Günther prien was a german u boat commander during world war ii.

U boat captain prien.

He scored the second u boat kill of the war sinking the british ship bosnia in september 1939. Günther prien joined the reichsmarine in january 1933 after several years in the merchant navy at first as a seaman on full rigger sailing ships. Prien is famous for several reasons. U boat captains hat very worn.

Günther prien commanding officer u 47. German submarine u 47 was a vii b type u boat built in 1937 in kiel germany and commissioned in 1938 under capt. U 47 günther prien superior cap. During its career u 47 sank 31 enemy vessels including the british battleship hms royal oak at scapa flow in scotland on 14 october 1939.

Germany kriegsmarine u boat commander. Korvettenkapitän u 156 werner hartenstein. Albrecht brandi knights cross winner u 566 hans hornkohl she wolf brunswick tradition badges. Despite a short career one of the greatest u boat aces of wwii.

In 1938 he served on u 26 under kptlt. It was germany s highest military decoration at the time of its presentation to prien note 1 under prien s command the submarine u 47 was credited with sinking over 30 allied ships totaling about 200 000 gross register tons. Prien joined the handelsflotte german merchant marine in mid 1923 after several years of work and study as a seaman prien passed the required examinations and became the fourth officer on a passenger liner. After a year on the light cruiser königsberg he transferred to the u boat force in october 1935.

Deutsche u boot kapitäne schirmmütze. He was the first u boat commander to receive the knight s cross of the iron cross and the first member of the kriegsmarine to receive the knight s cross of the iron cross with oak leaves of nazi germany. O on the peaceful sunday afternoon of october 1 1939 exactly a month into world war two a small launch motored across the harbor at kiel germany to tie up beside the depot ship weichsel. An accomplished seaman he d won his master s papers in the german merchant marine at 24 but could find no work which compelled him to join the national socialists in 1932 and the kriegsmarine in 1933.

U 380 u boat cap kptlt. Hartmann patrolling in spanish waters during the civil war. Unmarked u boat captains cap.