Gunter Jahn Explained

Gunter Jahn
Birth Date:	27 September 1910
Birth Place:	Hamburg
Death Place:	Krailling
Allegiance:
Serviceyears:	1931–45
Rank:	Korvettenkapitän
Branch:
Commands:	13 November 1941–27 July 1943 29th U-boat Flotilla
Awards:	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 in September 1941. Later in November he commissioned . 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.

Awards

• Wehrmacht Long Service Award 4th Class (2 October 1936)^[1]
• Iron Cross (1939)
  • 2nd Class (18 October 1939)^[2]
  • 1st Class (6 October 1942)^[2]
• 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]

References

Bibliography

• Book: 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 . German . Hamburg, Berlin, Bonn Germany . Verlag E.S. Mittler & Sohn . 978-3-8132-0515-2.
• Book: 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 . German . Friedberg, Germany . Podzun-Pallas . 978-3-7909-0284-6.
• Book: 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 . German . Jena, Germany . Scherzers Militaer-Verlag . 978-3-938845-17-2.

Notes and References

1. Busch & Röll 2003, p. 349.
2. Busch & Röll 2003, p. 350.
3. Scherzer 2007, p. 416.