Wilhelm Zahn
Wilhelm Zahn (29 July 1910 – 14 November 1976) was a German ''Kriegsmarine'' officer during the ''Second World War''. He was U-boat First Watch Officer, then became U-boat commander and was finally promoted to ''Korvettenkapitän'' on 1 April 1943. As commander of ''U-56'' he was able to avoid detection by the destroyers surrounding and came in close proximity to the British flagship, launching three torpedoes against her whilst she was carrying Winston Churchill and the high military command of the British Navy. Following that incident he became widely known as the "Man who almost killed Churchill" amongst the U-boat submariner corps. He was one of the commanding officers during the sinking of which has been described as "Adolf Hitler ''Titanic''". U-boat action ''U-56'' At 10 a.m. on 30 October 1939, Zahn was commander of when he managed to avoid detection by the 10 destroyers and battle cruiser , protecting the Home Fleet west of the Orkney Islands and came within strikin ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Korvettenkapitän
() is the lowest ranking senior officer in a number of Germanic-speaking navies. Austro-Hungary Belgium Germany Korvettenkapitän, short: KKpt/in lists: KK, () is the lowest senior officer rank () in the German Navy. Address The official manner, in line to ZDv 10/8, of formal addressing of military people with the rank ''Korvettenkapitän'' (OF-3) is "Herr/Frau Korvettenkapitän". However, as to German naval traditions the "Korvettenkapitän" will be addressed "Herr/Frau Kapitän", often in line to seamen's language "Herr/Frau Kap'tän". Rank insignia and rating Rank insignia ''Korvettenkapitän'', worn on the sleeves and shoulders, are one five-pointed star above three stripes (or rings on sleeves; without the star when rank loops are worn). The rank is rated OF-3a in NATO, and equivalent to Major in Heer, and Luftwaffe. It is grade A13 in the pay rules of the Federal Ministry of Defence and is senior to the regular OF-2 rank of Kapitänleutnant (en: Lt), as wel ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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G7e Torpedo
The G7e torpedo was the standard electric torpedo used by the German ''Kriegsmarine'' submarines in World War II. It came in 20 different versions, with the initial model G7e(TII) in service at the outbreak of the war. Due to several problems, leading to the German "''Torpedokrise''" which lasted until the end of 1941, the improved G7e(TIII) took over as the standard electric torpedo used by German U-boats for the rest of the war. G7e torpedoes measured in diameter and about in length. Depending on the type, the warhead contained a main charge of of '' Schießwolle 36'', a mixture of dipicrylamine and TNT. All were powered by electric motors and lead-acid batteries which required onboard maintenance to maintain their functionality. Other major G7e-versions that saw operational service during the war, were the first acoustic homing torpedo G7es(TIV) ''Falke'' and its improved successor G7es(TV) ''Zaunkönig''. G7e(TII) The G7e(TII) went in service with German U-boat fleets in ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Davit
Boat suspended from radial davits; the boat is mechanically lowered Gravity multi-pivot on Scandinavia'' file:Bossoir a gravité.jpg, Gravity Roller Davit file:Davits-starbrd.png, Gravity multi-pivot davit holding rescue vessel on North Sea ferry file:Freefall lifeboat.JPG, Freefall lifeboat on the ''Spring Aeolian'' file:Frapping line.jpg, Frapping line Labeled Tricing Gripe Steps to launch davit Roller Gravity Davit A davit (pronounced "dayvit" or see Wiktionary) is any of various crane-like devices used on a ship for supporting, raising, and lowering equipment such as boats and anchors. Davit systems are most often used to lower an emergency lifeboat to the embarkation level to be boarded. The lifeboat davit has falls (now made of wire, historically of manila rope) that are used to lower the lifeboat into the water. Davits can also be used as man-overboard safety devices to retrieve personnel from the water. The maintaining and operation of davits is all under jurisdi ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Operation Hannibal
Operation Hannibal was a German naval operation involving the evacuation by sea of German troops and civilians from the Courland Pocket, East Prussia, West Prussia and Pomerania from mid-January to May 1945 as the Red Army advanced during the East Prussian and East Pomeranian Offensives and subsidiary operations. The operation was one of the largest evacuations by sea in history. Operations The East Prussian Offensive by the Red Army's 3rd Belarusian Front under General Ivan Chernyakhovsky commenced on January 13, 1945 and, with Marshal Konstantin Rokossovsky's 2nd Belorussian Front, subsequently cut off East Prussia between January 23 and February 10, 1945. German Grand Admiral Karl Dönitz ordered General Admiral Oskar Kummetz, as Naval High Commander, Baltic, and Rear Admiral Konrad Engelhardt, head of the Kriegsmarine's shipping department, to plan and execute the ''Rettungsaktion'' (evacuation operation). Dönitz radioed a message to Gdynia in occupied Poland on Jan ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Bundesarchiv Bild 183-H27992, Lazarettschiff "Wilhelm Gustloff" In Danzig
The German Federal Archives or Bundesarchiv (BArch) (german: Bundesarchiv) are the National Archives of Germany. They were established at the current location in Koblenz in 1952. They are subordinated to the Federal Commissioner for Culture and the Media ( Claudia Roth since 2021) under the German Chancellery, and before 1998, to the Federal Ministry of the Interior. On 6 December 2008, the Archives donated 100,000 photos to the public, by making them accessible via Wikimedia Commons. History The federal archive for institutions and authorities in Germany, the first precursor to the present-day Federal Archives, was established in Potsdam, Brandenburg in 1919, a later date than in other European countries. This national archive documented German government dating from the founding of the North German Confederation in 1867. It also included material from the older German Confederation and the Imperial Chamber Court. The oldest documents in this collection dated back to the year ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Newfoundland
Newfoundland and Labrador (; french: Terre-Neuve-et-Labrador; frequently abbreviated as NL) is the easternmost province of Canada, in the country's Atlantic region. The province comprises the island of Newfoundland and the continental region of Labrador, having a total size of 405,212 square kilometres (156,500 sq mi). In 2021, the population of Newfoundland and Labrador was estimated to be 521,758. The island of Newfoundland (and its smaller neighbouring islands) is home to around 94 per cent of the province's population, with more than half residing in the Avalon Peninsula. Labrador borders the province of Quebec, and the French overseas collectivity of Saint Pierre and Miquelon lies about 20 km west of the Burin Peninsula. According to the 2016 census, 97.0 per cent of residents reported English as their native language, making Newfoundland and Labrador Canada's most linguistically homogeneous province. A majority of the population is descended from English and Irish s ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Grand Banks
The Grand Banks of Newfoundland are a series of underwater plateaus south-east of the island of Newfoundland on the North American continental shelf. The Grand Banks are one of the world's richest fishing grounds, supporting Atlantic cod, swordfish, haddock and capelin, as well as shellfish, seabirds and sea mammals. Significance The Grand Banks of Newfoundland are a group of underwater plateaus south-east of Newfoundland on the North American continental shelf. These areas are relatively shallow, ranging from in depth. The cold Labrador Current mixes with the warm waters of the Gulf Stream here, often causing extreme foggy conditions. The mixing of these waters and the shape of the ocean bottom lifts nutrients to the surface. These conditions helped to create one of the richest fishing grounds in the world. Fish species include Atlantic cod, swordfish, haddock and capelin; shellfish include scallop and lobster. The area also supports large colonies of seabirds such as north ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Long Island, New York
Long Island is a densely populated island in the southeastern region of the U.S. state of New York, part of the New York metropolitan area. With over 8 million people, Long Island is the most populous island in the United States and the 18th-most populous in the world. The island begins at New York Harbor approximately east of Manhattan Island and extends eastward about into the Atlantic Ocean and 23 miles wide at its most distant points. The island comprises four counties: Kings and Queens counties (the New York City boroughs of Brooklyn and Queens, respectively) and Nassau County share the western third of the island, while Suffolk County occupies the eastern two thirds of the island. More than half of New York City's residents (58.4%) lived on Long Island as of 2020, in Brooklyn and in Queens. Culturally, many people in the New York metropolitan area colloquially use the term "Long Island" (or "the Island") to refer exclusively to Nassau and Suffolk counties, and conv ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Eberhard Godt
Eberhard Godt (15 August 1900 – 13 September 1995) was a German naval officer who served in both World War I and World War II, eventually rising to command the '' Kriegsmarine''s U-boat operations. Biography : ''This article incorporates information from the equivalent articles on the German Wikipedia Godt joined the ''Kaiserliche Marine'' in summer 1918 as an officer cadet and served on board the . After the war he served in the ''Marinebrigade Ehrhardt''. In March 1920 he was accepted in the ''Reichsmarine'', becoming an officer in 1924. He served aboard numerous surface ships and naval installations until 1935; when he was serving on the light cruiser ''Emden'' as adjutant to ''Kapitän zur See'' Karl Dönitz. Then ''Korvettenkapitän'' (Lieutenant Commander) Godt transferred to the newly established U-boat arm; commanding during the Spanish Civil War. In January 1938 he was appointed to the staff of the commander of the U-boat force, Admiral Dönitz. In October he becam ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Klaus Störtebeker
"Nikolaus" Storzenbecher or "Klaus" Störtebeker (1360 – supposed 20 October 1401) was reputed to be leader of a group of privateers known as the Victual Brothers (german: Vitalienbrüder). The Victual Brothers ( la, victualia) were originally hired during a war between Denmark and Sweden to fight the Danish and supply the besieged Swedish capital Stockholm with provisions. After the end of the war, the Victual Brothers continued to capture merchant vessels for their own account and named themselves "Likedeelers" (literally: equal sharers). Recent studies manifest that Störtebeker was not called "Klaus" by prename but "Johann". Biography A large number of myths and legends surround the few facts known about Störtebeker's life. His name is both a nickname and a surname, meaning "empty the mug with one gulp" in Low German. The moniker refers to the pirate's supposed ability to empty a four-litre (about 1 US gal) mug of beer in one gulp. At this time, pirates and other ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Jost Metzler
Jost Metzler (26 February 1909 – 29 September 1975) was a German submarine commander during World War II. He commanded the U-boats and , and was recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross of Nazi Germany. Career Metzler joined the ''Kriegsmarine'' in October 1933, after spending eight years in the merchant marine. He served on the German torpedoboats of World War II, torpedo boat ''T-196'' and on several Minesweeper (ship), minesweepers. After 13 patrols on the minesweeper ''Grille'', he transferred to the U-boat arm in April 1940, commissioning in November 1940. On his first patrol, sailing from Kiel to St. Nazaire in early 1941, he sank three ships for a total of . On his second patrol south-west of Iceland, he sank a single ship of and damaged another. Metzler's third patrol on ''U-69'' was the most successful. He laid 16 mines in the harbour of Lagos, Nigeria, where they later sank a British steamer. He then sank another five ships for a total of . Metzler develo ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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HMS Royal Oak (08)
HMS ''Royal Oak'' was one of five s built for the Royal Navy during the First World War. Completed in 1916, the ship first saw combat at the Battle of Jutland as part of the Grand Fleet. In peacetime, she served in the Atlantic, Home and Mediterranean fleets, more than once coming under accidental attack. ''Royal Oak'' drew worldwide attention in 1928 when her senior officers were controversially court-martialled, an event that brought considerable embarrassment to what was then the world's largest navy. Attempts to modernise ''Royal Oak'' throughout her 25-year career could not fix her fundamental lack of speed and, by the start of the Second World War, she was no longer suitable for front-line duty. On 14 October 1939, ''Royal Oak'' was anchored at Scapa Flow in Orkney, Scotland, when she was torpedoed by the German submarine . Of ''Royal Oak''s complement of 1,234 men and boys, 835 were killed that night or died later of their wounds. The loss of the outdated ship—the firs ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |