Gunter Jahn
| Gunter Jahn | |
|---|---|
| Born |
27 September 1910 Hamburg |
| Died |
12 April 1992 (aged 81) Krailling |
| Allegiance |
.svg.png){kind=small} Weimar Republic.svg.png){kind=small} Nazi Germany |
| Service/branch |
.svg.png){kind=small} Reichsmarine.svg.png){kind=small} Kriegsmarine |
| Years of service | 1931–45 |
| Rank | Korvettenkapitän |
| Commands held |
U-596 13 November 1941–27 July 1943 29th U-boat Flotilla |
| Awards |
U-boat War Badge Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross |
Gunter Jahn (27 September 1910 – 12 April 1992) was German U-boat commander during World War II. He was born in Hamburg, Germany and began his naval career in April 1931 as a Seekadett. He first served on the light cruiser Nürnberg for more than two years, including nine patrols in the first year of the war.
In March 1941 Jahn joined the U-boat force and his first patrol were on board U-98 in September 1941. Later in November he commissioned U-596. On his second patrol he broke through the Strait of Gibraltar and went on to become one of the most successful U-boat commanders in the Mediterranean Sea. In July 1943 he left the boat and became the commander of the 29th U-boat Flotilla. In September 1944 he fell into French captivity, where he spent nearly two years.
Summary of career
Awards
- Wehrmacht Long Service Award 4th Class (2 October 1936)[1]
- Iron Cross (1939)
- Medaille zur Erinnerung an die Heimkerhr des Memllandes (20 December 1939)[2]
- U-boat War Badge (1939) (6 October 1942)[2]
- Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 30 April 1943 as Kapitänleutnant and commander of U-596[3]
Ships attacked
| Date | Name | Nationality | Convoy | Tonnage (GRT) |
Fate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 16 August 1942 | Suecia |  Sweden | SC-95 | 4,966 | Sunk |
| 20 September 1942 | Empire Hartebeeste |  United Kingdom | SC-100 | 5,676 | Sunk |
| 7 February 1943 | HMS LCI (L) 162 |  Royal Navy | 246 | Sunk | |
| 9 March 1943 | Empire Standard | United Kingdom | KMS-10 | 7,047 | Damaged |
| 30 March 1943 | Fort Norman | United Kingdom | KMS-10 | 7,133 | Damaged |
| 30 March 1943 | Fort a la Corne | United Kingdom | ET-16 | 7,133 | Sunk |
| 30 March 1943 | Hallanger |  Norway | ET-16 | 9,551 | Sunk |
References
Citations
Bibliography
- Busch, Rainer; Röll, Hans-Joachim (2003). Der U-Boot-Krieg 1939–1945 — Die Ritterkreuzträger der U-Boot-Waffe von September 1939 bis Mai 1945 [The U-Boat War 1939–1945 — The Knight's Cross Bearers of the U-Boat Force from September 1939 to May 1945] (in German). Hamburg, Berlin, Bonn Germany: Verlag E.S. Mittler & Sohn. ISBN 978-3-8132-0515-2.
- Fellgiebel, Walther-Peer (2000) [1986]. Die Träger des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939–1945 — Die Inhaber der höchsten Auszeichnung des Zweiten Weltkrieges aller Wehrmachtteile [The Bearers of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross 1939–1945 — The Owners of the Highest Award of the Second World War of all Wehrmacht Branches] (in German). Friedberg, Germany: Podzun-Pallas. ISBN 978-3-7909-0284-6.
- Scherzer, Veit (2007). Die Ritterkreuzträger 1939–1945 Die Inhaber des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939 von Heer, Luftwaffe, Kriegsmarine, Waffen-SS, Volkssturm sowie mit Deutschland verbündeter Streitkräfte nach den Unterlagen des Bundesarchives [The Knight's Cross Bearers 1939–1945 The Holders of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross 1939 by Army, Air Force, Navy, Waffen-SS, Volkssturm and Allied Forces with Germany According to the Documents of the Federal Archives] (in German). Jena, Germany: Scherzers Militaer-Verlag. ISBN 978-3-938845-17-2.
External links
- Helgason, Guðmundur. "Gunter Jahn". German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net. Retrieved 16 October 2013.
| Military offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Korvettenkapitän Fritz Frauenheim |
Commander of the 29th U-boat Flotilla August 1943 – September 1944 |
Succeeded by disbanded |