U Boat Captain Prien

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.

U boat captain prien.

Prien günther born 16 01 1908 in osterfeld was one of three children of a judge. Prien is famous for several reasons. German submarine u 47 was a vii b type u boat built in 1937 in kiel germany and commissioned in 1938 under capt. Deutsche u boot kapitäne schirmmütze.

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. Günther prien commanding officer u 47. 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. U 380 u boat cap kptlt.

To dönitz mind prienchen prien at 31 a seven year veteran of u boats was the ideal skipper for the job. Hartmann patrolling in spanish waters during the civil war. Unmarked u boat captains cap. 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.

Günther prien was a german u boat commander during world war ii. U 47 günther prien superior cap. 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. After a year on the light cruiser königsberg he transferred to the u boat force in october 1935.

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. Germany kriegsmarine u boat commander. Albrecht brandi knights cross winner u 566 hans hornkohl she wolf brunswick tradition badges. In 1938 he served on u 26 under kptlt.

He scored the second u boat kill of the war sinking the british ship bosnia in september 1939. He was also the first u boat commander to earn the knights cross of the iron cross when he slipped u 47 into britain s scapa flow and sunk the battleship royal oak. U boat captains hat very worn.