Prien, Günther
- Date of birth:
- January 16th, 1908 (Osterfeld/Thuringia, Germany)
- Date of death:
- March 7th, 1941 (North Atlantic Ocean)
- Nationality:
- German (1933-1945, Third Reich)
Biography
Günther Prien joined the Reichsmarine in January 1931 after sailing some years on trade ships. After a year on the light cruiser Königsberg, he transferred in October 1935 to the U-boat force. In 1938 he was on U-26 under Kptlt. Hartmann patrolling in Spanish waters during the Civil War. With his own boat U-47 he became famous for his 14 October, 1939 sinking of the British battleship HMS Royal Oak in the heavily defended British North Fleet main harbor at Scapa Flow.
Following later patrols, Prien was awarded the Oakleaves in 1940; he was killed when the U-47 was sunk on 7 or 8 March 1941, not long after being promoted to the rank of Korvettenkapitän and making his tenth patrol. This incident is now being questioned, as the traditional credit for U-47's sinking has always been attributed to the British destroyer HMS Wolverine, but new data suggests that the destroyer was actually attacking Eckermann's UA (a foreign U-boat captured by the Germans and commissioned into the Kriegsmarine) which had to withdraw from the battle with heavy damage. It is now speculated that U-47 was hit by one of her own circling torpedoes. (Two US submarines in the Pacific are also believed to have been lost to the same sort of equipment failure.)
Although Prien was at sea for under two years, Prien's record stands high among the U-boat aces during the Second World War. He spent 228 days at sea, sinking 30 ships for a total of 162.768 tons, 1 warship for a total of 29.150 tons and damaged 8 ships for a total of 62.751 tons.
Promotions:
1st March 1933: Fähnrich zur See;
1st January 1935: Oberfähnrich zur See;
1st April 1935: Leutnant zur See;
1st January 1937: Oberleutnant zur See;
1st February 1939: Kapitänleutnant;
18th March 1941: Korvettenkapitän (RDA 1 maart 1941).
Career:
1923: Handelsmarine;
1923: Grundausbildung Seemannsschule, Hamburg;
1923: Schiffsjunge Segelschiff Hamburg;
1929: Steuermannsexamen;
1932: Kapitänspatent;
16th January 1933: Eintritt in die Reichsmarine-Crew 33;
16thJanuary 1933 - 31st March 1933: Infanterieausbildung II.Abteilung / Schiffsstammdivision der Ostsee, Stralsund;
1st April 1933 - 30th September 1934: Fähnrichslehrgänge (Haupt- und Waffenlehrgänge), Marineschulen Flensburg-Mürwik / Kiel.
1st October 1934 - 30th September 1935: Wach- und Divisionsleutnant Leichten Kreuzer Königsberg;
1st October 1935 - 30th April 1936: U-Ausbildung, U-Bootschule Kiel / Torpedo-B-Lehrgang "U 3";
1st May 1935 - 10th May 1935: Zur Verfügung des Führers der U-Boote;
11th May 1936 - 30th September 1938: I. Wachoffizier "U 26" / U-Flottille Saltzwedel, Wilhelmshaven;
6th May 1937 - 15th June 1937: Spanieneinsatz;
15th July 1937 - 30th August 1937: Spanieneinsatz;
1st October 1938 - 16th December 1938: Baubelehrung "U 47", Germaniawerft Kiel;
17th December 1938 - 7th March 1941: Kommandant "U 47" / 7. U-Flottille, Kiel / St. Nazaire;
7th March 1941: Missing in the North Atlantic.
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Dienstauszeichnung der Wehrmacht 4.Klasse, 4 Jahre
- Period:
- Second World War (1939-1945)
- Rank:
- Oberleutnant zur See
- Unit:
- 1. Wachoffizier "U 26" / 2. Unterseebootsflottille
- Awarded on:
- January 22nd, 1937
- Period:
- Second World War (1939-1945)
- Rank:
- Käpitanleutnant (Lieutenant)
- Unit:
- Kommandant "U 47" / 7. Unterseebootsflottille
- Awarded on:
- September 25th, 1939
- Period:
- Second World War (1939-1945)
- Rank:
- Käpitanleutnant (Lieutenant)
- Unit:
- Kommandant "U 47" / 7. Unterseebootsflottille
- Awarded on:
- October 17th, 1939
- Period:
- Second World War (1939-1945)
- Rank:
- Käpitanleutnant (Lieutenant)
- Unit:
- Kommandant, U 47, 7. Unterseebootsflottille, Kriegsmarine
- Awarded on:
- October 18th, 1939
1st U-boat Award.
2nd Kriegsmarine Award.
- Period:
- Second World War (1939-1945)
- Rank:
- Käpitanleutnant (Lieutenant)
- Unit:
- U 47 / 7. Unterseebootsflottille
- Awarded on:
- November 29th, 1939
"As already announced, Kapitänleutnant Prien torpedoed and destroyed a heavy British cruiser of the "London" class east of the Shetland islands."
- Period:
- Second World War (1939-1945)
- Rank:
- Käpitanleutnant (Lieutenant)
- Unit:
- U 47 / 7. Unterseebootsflottille
- Awarded on:
- June 28th, 1940
"Kapitänleutnant Prien reports the sinking of 40,100 GRT enemy merchant shipping."
- Period:
- Second World War (1939-1945)
- Rank:
- Käpitanleutnant (Lieutenant)
- Unit:
- U 47 / 7. Unterseebootsflottille
- Awarded on:
- July 1st, 1940
"Kapitänleutnant Prien destroyed further enemy ships in the last few days; the reported tonnage sunk of the OKW report from 28 June thus increased to 51 086 GRT."
- Period:
- Second World War (1939-1945)
- Rank:
- Käpitanleutnant (Lieutenant)
- Unit:
- U 47 / 7. Unterseebootsflottille
- Awarded on:
- July 6th, 1940
"Kapitänleutnant Prien with his submarine sank 66 587 GRT of enemy merchant shipping on the patrol against the enemy that just finished. This is the highest achievement of a single patrol so far."
- Period:
- Second World War (1939-1945)
- Rank:
- Käpitanleutnant (Lieutenant)
- Unit:
- U 47 / 7. Unterseebootsflottille
- Awarded on:
- September 10th, 1940
"A submarine under the leadership of Kapitänleutnant Prien, of which a partial result of 33 400 GRT was reported on 8 September, on a mission sank six armed merchant ships of 40 250 GRT. A further steamer was damaged."
- Period:
- Second World War (1939-1945)
- Rank:
- Käpitanleutnant (Lieutenant)
- Unit:
- Kommandant "U 47" / 7. Unterseebootsflottille
- Awarded on:
- September 25th, 1940
"The accumulated result of Kapitänleutnant Prien last war patrol increased to 45 130 GRT. The total tonnage of enemy merchant shipping sunk by Kapitänleutnant Prien, excluding the destruction of the British battleship "Royal Oak", thus stands at 151 400 GRT. With these successes he leads the list of all U-boat commanders."
- Period:
- Second World War (1939-1945)
- Rank:
- Käpitanleutnant (Lieutenant)
- Unit:
- U 47 / 7. Unterseebootsflottille
- Awarded on:
- October 20th, 1940
"This tonnage sunk includes eight ships of 50 500 GRT sunk by the U-boat of Kapitänleutnant Prien. Kapitänleutnant Prien is the first U-boat commander who exceeded the 200 000 tons. He still leads the list of U-boat commanders with a combined tonnage of 202 000 GRT enemy merchant shipping."
- Period:
- Second World War (1939-1945)
- Rank:
- Käpitanleutnant (Lieutenant)
- Unit:
- Kommandant "U 47" / 7. Unterseebootsflottille
- Awarded on:
- October 20th, 1940
5th Award.
- Period:
- Second World War (1939-1945)
- Rank:
- Korvettenkapitän (Lieutenant Commander)
- Unit:
- U 47 / 7. Unterseebootsflottille
- Awarded on:
- May 23rd, 1941
"The U-boat under the command of Korvettenkapitän Günter Prien did not return from his last patrol against the enemy. The loss of the boat has to be assumed. Korvettenkapitän Günter Prien, the hero from Scapa Flow, who had received the Oak Leaves to the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross from the Führer for his exceptional achievements, and his brave crew, will continue to live in every German heart."
- Period:
- Second World War (1939-1945)
Sources
- Photo: Wilco Vermeer
- - FELLGIEBEL, W.P., Elite of theThird Reich, Helion & Company Limited, Solihull, 2003.
- THOMAS, FRANZ & WEGMANN, GÜNTER, Die Eichenlaubträger 1940-1945, Biblio-Verlag, 1998.
- Kwasny A., Kwasny G., Die Eichenlaubträger 1940-1945 (CD), Deutsches Wehrkundearchiv, Lage-Waddenhausen, 2001
- Feldgrau.com
- Uboat.net
- das-Ritterkreuz.de
- U-boot-archiv.de
- Answers.com
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