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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] |
German Empire
The German Empire (),Herbert Tuttle wrote in September 1881 that the term "Reich" does not literally connote an empire as has been commonly assumed by English-speaking people. The term literally denotes an empire – particularly a hereditary empire led by an emperor, although has been used in German to denote the Roman Empire because it had a weak hereditary tradition. In the case of the German Empire, the official name was , which is properly translated as "German Empire" because the official position of head of state in the constitution of the German Empire was officially a "presidency" of a confederation of German states led by the King of Prussia who would assume "the title of German Emperor" as referring to the German people, but was not emperor of Germany as in an emperor of a state. –The German Empire" ''Harper's New Monthly Magazine''. vol. 63, issue 376, pp. 591–603; here p. 593. also referred to as Imperial Germany, the Second Reich, as well as simply Germany, ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Warship
A warship or combatant ship is a naval ship that is built and primarily intended for naval warfare. Usually they belong to the armed forces of a state. As well as being armed, warships are designed to withstand damage and are usually faster and more maneuverable than merchant ships. Unlike a merchant ship, which carries cargo, a warship typically carries only weapons, ammunition and supplies for its crew. Warships usually belong to a navy, though they have also been operated by individuals, cooperatives and corporations. In wartime, the distinction between warships and merchant ships is often blurred. In war, merchant ships are often armed and used as auxiliary warships, such as the Q-ships of the First World War and the armed merchant cruisers of the Second World War. Until the 17th century it was common for merchant ships to be pressed into naval service and not unusual for more than half a fleet to be composed of merchant ships. Until the threat of piracy subsided in the ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Reinhard Hardegen
''Korvettenkapitän'' Reinhard Hardegen (18 March 1913 – 9 June 2018) was a German U-boat commander during World War II. He was credited with the sinking of 25 ships (2 were later refloated), at a total of 136,661 tons. After the war, he spent a year and a half as a British prisoner-of-war before starting a successful oil trading business and serving as a member of Bremen's city council (the '' Bürgerschaft'') for over 32 years. World War II Hardegen served as ''1.WO'' (First Watch Officer) under ''Kapitänleutnant'' Georg-Wilhelm Schulz aboard and, after two war patrols, was given his own command, the Type IID U-boat , operating out of Kiel, on 11 December 1940. The boat was ready for its first patrol shortly before the new year and, after visiting the U-boat base in Bergen, ''U-147'' was ordered to patrol the convoy routes north of the Hebrides. On the second day of the patrol, Hardegen fired a torpedo which failed to detonate against a large merchant ship, before being fo ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Robert Gysae
Robert Karl Friedrich Gysae (14 January 1911 – 26 April 1989) was a German U-boat commander in the ''Kriegsmarine'' during World War II. He was a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves of Nazi Germany. Gysae commanded and , being credited with sinking twenty-five ships on eight patrols, for a total of of Allied shipping. Career Gysae joined the ''Reichsmarine'' in 1931 and served on torpedo boats before transferring to the ''U-Bootwaffe'' ("U-boat force") in April 1940. In October 1940 he was appointed commander of the Type VIIC U-boat ''U-98'', unusually without serving any time as either 1.WO (''1. Wachoffizier'', "1st Watch Officer") or ''Kommandantenschüler'' ("Commander-in-Training") on any other U-boats. After six patrols in the north Atlantic in command of ''U-98'', in March 1942 he transferred to the Type IXD2 U-boat ''U-177'' for another two patrols, this time operating off South Africa and Portuguese East Africa. He sank a total of 25 shi ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Friedrich Guggenberger
Friedrich Guggenberger (6 March 1915 – 13 May 1988) was a German admiral, who in his earlier career was a U-boat commander in the Second World War. From November 1940 until his capture in July 1943, he was credited with sinking 17 ships for a total of and damaging another for . He sank the British aircraft carrier in November 1941. For these achievements he received the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves of Nazi Germany. After the war he became the Deputy Chief of Staff in the NATO command Allied Forces Northern Europe. Early life Guggenberger was born in Munich on 6 March 1915. He had entered the navy by 1934, transferring to the U-boat arm in October 1939, shortly after the outbreak of the Second World War. After the usual training pattern he was assigned to , where he served under the command of Knight's Cross holder Günther Kuhnke. Guggenberger then briefly took over from Kuhnke and commanded ''U-28'' for a few months whilst she was part of a school flotill ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Engelbert Endrass
Engelbert Endrass (german: Engelbert Endraß) (2 March 1911 – 21 December 1941) was a German U-boat commander in World War II. He commanded the and the , being credited with sinking 22 ships on ten patrols, for a total of of Allied shipping, to purportedly become the 23rd highest claiming U-boat commander of World War II. He was a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves of Nazi Germany. It was Germany's highest military decoration at the time of its presentation to Endrass. Early life and career Endrass began his naval career in April 1935. After some months on the cruiser and service on escort ships, he was assigned in October 1937 to the U-boat force. He joined in December 1938 as ''Leutnant zur See''. World War II Engelbert Endrass was Watch Officer when his commanding officer, Günther Prien penetrated the defences at Scapa Flow attack and sank the battleship in October 1939. The snorting bull emblem on ''U-47''s conning tower was painted ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Carl Emmermann
Carl Emmermann (6 March 1915 – 25 March 1990) was a German U-boat commander during World War II. In his time as commander, submarines under his command sank 27 ships for a total tonnage of . Career Emmermann began his naval career in 1934. For some years he was training officer on the Naval Academy Mürwik, where future officers got their training. In 1939 Emmermann joined the U-boat force and in November 1940 became the first Watch officer on under the command of Hans Eckermann. On her first patrol ''UA'' only damaged the British steamer . In November 1941 Emmermann took over his own boat, . He completed five patrols with this boat, in the Caribbean Sea, with the wolf pack Eisbär in South African waters, and in the North and South Atlantic. His greatest success was the sinking of the British liner-troopship . His fifth patrol with U-172 was dramatic, in that the boat brought back half the crew of which had been so heavily damaged during two air attacks that she had to be ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Otto Von Bülow
Otto von Bülow (16 October 1911 – 5 January 2006) was a German U-boat commander in World War II, and a captain in the ''Bundesmarine''. He was a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves of Nazi Germany. Family Bülow was born in Wilhelmshaven as the son of Captain Otto von Bülow (1874–1930) and Johanna Meyer (1883–1937). He was descended from the Bülow family, an old aristocratic family from Mecklenburg. On 5 June 1937 he married Helga Christiansen (born 2 April 1914 in Rødding, Denmark, then a part of Germany). Bülow was the chairman (1970–1988) and afterwards honorary chairman of the Bülow Family Association. Military career Bülow joined the Kriegsmarine on 1 April 1930, and completed his basic training in Stralsund. His first assignment was on the ''Niobe'', a German training ship, from July until October 1930. He then served on the Light Cruiser ''Emden'' until the start of 1932. He then went back to Stralsund for more training, and b ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
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] |
Albrecht Brandi
Albrecht Brandi (20 June 1914 – 6 January 1966) was a German U-boat commander in Nazi Germany's ''Kriegsmarine'' during World War II. Together with Wolfgang Lüth, he was the only ''Kriegsmarine'' sailor who was awarded with the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves, Swords and Diamonds. The Knight's Cross (german: Ritterkreuz), and its variants were the highest awards in the military and paramilitary forces of Nazi Germany during World War II. Brandi is credited with the sinking of eight merchant ships for a total of , one auxiliary warship of , and three warships of . Brandi, the son of the industrial-manager Ernst Brandi, was born in Dortmund, Germany and grew up in the Weimar Republic. After the rise of the Third Reich in 1933, he joined the navy in 1935. Following service on minesweepers, Brandi began his U-boat career in April 1941. He first served as a commander-in-training on , which was commanded by Erich Topp, before taking command of in April 1942 on se ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Swastika
The swastika (卐 or 卍) is an ancient religious and cultural symbol, predominantly in various Eurasian, as well as some African and American cultures, now also widely recognized for its appropriation by the Nazi Party and by neo-Nazis. It continues to be used as a symbol of divinity and spirituality in Indian religions, including Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jainism. It generally takes the form of a cross, the arms of which are of equal length and perpendicular to the adjacent arms, each bent midway at a right angle. The word ''swastika'' comes from sa, स्वस्तिक, svastika, meaning "conducive to well-being". In Hinduism, the right-facing symbol (clockwise) () is called ', symbolizing ("sun"), prosperity and good luck, while the left-facing symbol (counter-clockwise) () is called ''sauwastika'', symbolising night or tantric aspects of Kali. In Jain symbolism, it represents Suparshvanathathe seventh of 24 Tirthankaras (spiritual teachers and savio ... [...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] |
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