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Heinrich Bleichrodt
Heinrich Bleichrodt (21 October 1909 – 9 January 1977) was a German U-boat commander during the Second World War. From October 1939 until retiring from front line service in December 1943, he was credited with sinking 25 ships for a total of . He was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves of Nazi Germany. Bleichrodt was tried and acquitted for war crimes in connection with the sinking of the , which was carrying evacuated children. He earned the nickname "Ajax" during his time with the U-boats. Career Bleichrodt was born in Berga, Kyffhäuser on 21 October 1909. In 1926 he was already at sea, aboard the ''Pamir'' and ''Peking'', He entered the navy in 1933 and spent his initial training on the cadet ship ''Gorch Fock'', followed by a period on the heavy cruiser ''Admiral Hipper''. He was commissioned an ensign on 1 April 1935, promoted to sub-lieutenant on 1 January 1937 and to Lieutenant on 1 October 1939. Submarine service After training, Bleichrodt ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Berga, Thuringia
Berga/Elster is a town in the district of Greiz, in Thuringia, Germany. It is situated on the White Elster river, 14 km southeast of Gera. History Within the German Empire (1871–1918), Berga/Elster was part of the Grand Duchy of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach. Berga concentration camp During World War II, a slave labor camp called "Berga an der Elster" was operated here to dig 17 tunnels for an underground ammunition factory. Workers were supplied by Buchenwald concentration camp and from a POW camp, Stalag IX-B; the latter contravened the provisions of the Third Geneva Convention and the Hague Treaties. Many prisoners died as a result of malnutrition, sickness (including pulmonary disease due to dust inhalation from tunnelling with explosives), and beatings, including 73 American POWs. Personalities * Hans Bastian I. von Zehmen (1598–1638), Saxon colonel of the Leibregiment, commander of Magdeburg * Gerhard Schot (1866–1961), geographer and oceanographer, born in the ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
German Cruiser Admiral Hipper
''Admiral Hipper'' was the lead ship of the of heavy cruisers which served with Nazi Germany's ''Kriegsmarine'' during World War II. The ship was laid down at the Blohm & Voss shipyard in Hamburg in July 1935 and launched February 1937; ''Admiral Hipper'' entered service shortly before the outbreak of war, in April 1939. The ship was named after Admiral Franz von Hipper, commander of the German battlecruiser squadron during the Battle of Jutland in 1916 and later commander-in-chief of the German High Seas Fleet. She was armed with a main battery of eight guns and, although nominally under the limit set by the Anglo-German Naval Agreement, actually displaced over . ''Admiral Hipper'' saw a significant amount of action during the war, notably present during the Battle of the Atlantic. She led the assault on Trondheim during Operation Weserübung; while en route to her objective, she sank the British destroyer . In December 1940, she broke out into the Atlantic Ocean to operat ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Reinhard Suhren
Reinhard Johann Heinz Paul Anton Suhren (16 April 1916 – 25 August 1984) was a German U-boat commander in World War II and younger brother of '' Korvettenkapitän (Ing.)'' and Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross recipient Gerd Suhren. Suhren was born in Langenschwalbach, the second of four children, and grew up in the Weimar Republic and Nazi Germany. He joined the navy in 1935 and began his U-boat career in March 1938. He spent a year as 1st watch officer on where he received the Knights Cross of the Iron Cross for his contribution in the sinking of of merchant shipping. In April 1941 he took command of . As a commander, he is credited with the sinking of 18 merchant vessels of , 1 warship of and damaged four merchant vessels of for which he was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords. Suhren left the boat and became an instructor in October 1942. He then served in the 27th U-boat Flotilla along with ''Korvettenkapitän'' Erich Topp. During ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Kiel
Kiel () is the capital and most populous city in the northern Germany, German state of Schleswig-Holstein, with a population of 246,243 (2021). Kiel lies approximately north of Hamburg. Due to its geographic location in the southeast of the Jutland peninsula on the southwestern shore of the Baltic Sea, Kiel has become one of Germany's major maritime centres, known for a variety of international sailing events, including the annual Kiel Week, which is the biggest sailing event in the world. Kiel is also known for the Kiel mutiny, Kiel Mutiny, when sailors refused to board their vessels in protest against Germany's further participation in World War I, resulting in the abdication of the Wilhelm II, German Emperor, Kaiser and the formation of the Weimar Republic. The Olympic sailing competitions of the 1936 Summer Olympics, 1936 and the 1972 Summer Olympics#Venues, 1972 Summer Olympics were held in the Bay of Kiel. Kiel has also been one of the traditional homes of the German Nav ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Convoy HX 79
HX 79 was an Allied North Atlantic convoy of the HX series which ran during the Battle of the Atlantic in World War II. It suffered major losses from a U-boat attack, and, with the attack on convoy SC 7 the previous day, represents the worst two days shipping losses in the entire Atlantic campaign. Prelude HX 79 was an east-bound convoy of 50 ships which sailed from Halifax on 8 October 1940 making for Liverpool. On 19 October, 4 days from landfall, HX 79 was entering the Western Approaches, and had caught up with the position of SC 7, which was under attack. The escort for the crossing had been meagre, being provided by two armed merchant cruisers against the possibility of attack by a surface raider, but these had departed when HX 79 was sighted by , commanded by ''Kapitänleutnant'' Günther Prien. At this point HX 79 was unescorted; Prien sent a sighting report and set to shadowing the convoy, while ''Konteradmiral'' Karl Dönitz ordered the pack to assemble. Those U-b ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Convoy SC 7
SC 7 was the code name for a large Allied World War II convoy of 35 merchant ships and six escorts, which sailed eastbound from Sydney, Nova Scotia, for Liverpool and other United Kingdom ports on 5 October 1940. While crossing the Atlantic, the convoy was intercepted by one of the first ''Kriegsmarine'' submarine wolfpacks. During the ensuing battle, the escort was completely overwhelmed and 20 of the 35 cargo vessels were sunk and 2 more damaged, with 141 lives lost. The disastrous outcome of the convoy demonstrated the German submarines' potential of being able to work more efficiently using wolfpack tactics and the inadequacy of British anti-submarine tactics at the time. Ships of the convoy The slow convoy SC 7 left Sydney, Nova Scotia on 5 October 1940 bound for Liverpool and other British ports. The convoy was supposed to make but several merchant ships were much slower, necessitating a further reduced speed. The convoy consisted of older, smaller ships, mostly with ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
U-boat War Badge
The U-boat War Badge (german: U-Boot-Kriegsabzeichen) was a German war badge that was awarded to U-boat crew members during World War I and World War II. History The ''U-boat War Badge'' was originally instituted during the First World War on February 1, 1918. It was awarded to recognize U-boat crews who had completed three war patrols. The badge was worn on the lower left side of the uniform and was oval shaped resembling a wreath of laurel leaves. A submarine lay across the center and the German State Crown (Reichskrone) was inlaid at the top center of the wreath. On October 13, 1939, the ''U-boat War Badge'' was reinstituted. It was very similar to the original badge with the exception of the imperial crown being replaced with a German Eagle above a swastika, and a more modernized submarine now facing towards the left was used. The new version was first made of bronze metal, with later ones made of zinc with a "gold wash". Classes The award was bestowed in two classes: U-B ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
The Blitz
The Blitz was a German bombing campaign against the United Kingdom in 1940 and 1941, during the Second World War. The term was first used by the British press and originated from the term , the German word meaning 'lightning war'. The Germans conducted mass air attacks against industrial targets, towns, and cities, beginning with raids on London towards the end of the Battle of Britain in 1940 (a battle for daylight air superiority between the Luftwaffe and the Royal Air Force over the United Kingdom). By September 1940, the Luftwaffe had lost the Battle of Britain and the German air fleets () were ordered to attack London, to draw RAF Fighter Command into a battle of annihilation.Price 1990, p. 12. Adolf Hitler and Reichsmarschall Hermann Göring, commander-in-chief of the Luftwaffe, ordered the new policy on 6 September 1940. From 7 September 1940, London was systematically bombed by the Luftwaffe for 56 of the following 57 days and nights. Most notable was a large dayligh ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Children's Overseas Reception Board
The Children's Overseas Reception Board (CORB) was a British government sponsored organisation. The CORB evacuated 2,664 British children from England, so that they would escape the imminent threat of German invasion and the risk of enemy bombing in World War II. This was during a critical period in British history, between July and September 1940, when the Battle of Britain was raging, and German invasion forces were being amassed across the English Channel. The children were sent mainly to the four Dominion countries, Canada 1,532 (in nine parties), Australia 577 (three parties), New Zealand 202 (two parties), and South Africa 353 (two parties), and 838 to the USA under the United States Committee for the Care of European Children programme. In the first few months over 211,000 childrenCalder p129 were registered with the scheme. A further 24,000 children had been approved for sailing in that time and over 1,000 volunteer escorts, including doctors and nurses, enrolled. It ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Canada
Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by total area. Its southern and western border with the United States, stretching , is the world's longest binational land border. Canada's capital is Ottawa, and its three largest metropolitan areas are Toronto, Montreal, and Vancouver. Indigenous peoples have continuously inhabited what is now Canada for thousands of years. Beginning in the 16th century, British and French expeditions explored and later settled along the Atlantic coast. As a consequence of various armed conflicts, France ceded nearly all of its colonies in North America in 1763. In 1867, with the union of three British North American colonies through Confederation, Canada was formed as a federal dominion of four provinces. This began an accretion of provinces an ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Iron Cross
The Iron Cross (german: link=no, Eisernes Kreuz, , abbreviated EK) was a military decoration in the Kingdom of Prussia, and later in the German Empire (1871–1918) and Nazi Germany (1933–1945). King Frederick William III of Prussia established it on 17 March 1813 during the Napoleonic Wars (EK 1813). The award was backdated to the birthday (10 March) of his late wife, Queen Louise. Louise was the first person to receive this decoration (posthumously). Recommissioned Iron Cross was also awarded during the Franco-Prussian War (EK 1870), World War I (EK 1914), and World War II (EK 1939). During the 1930s and World War II, the Nazi regime superimposed a swastika on the traditional medal. The Iron Cross was usually a military decoration only, though there were instances awarded to civilians for performing military functions, including Hanna Reitsch, who received the Iron Cross, 2nd class, and Iron Cross, 1st Class, and Melitta Schenk Gräfin von Stauffenberg, who received ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Wilhelm Rollmann
Wilhelm Rollmann (5 August 1907 – 5 November 1943) was a German U-boat commander during World War II, in which he commanded the and . He was a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross of Nazi Germany. He was killed in action in 1943, when his U-boat was sunk by Allied aircraft. Career Rollmann joined the ''Reichsmarine'' of the Weimar Republic on 1 April 1926 as a member of "Crew 26" (the incoming class of 1926). He served on several ships, which included the light cruiser . He transferred to the U-boat arm in May 1937, taking command of the Type VIIA U-boat ''U-34'' in October 1938. In seven successful combat patrols, he sank 19 merchant ships (including the neutral, clearly marked and fully lit, Greek merchantman ''Eleni Stathatou'' and the neutral ''Petsamo'' of Finland, with a cargo of maize, sailing from neutral Rosario to neutral Cork), as well as the British destroyer , the submarine , and the Norwegian minelayer . Rollmann rescued the sole survivor from ''Spear ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
