Günther Prien

Günther Prien (16 January 1908 – presumed 8 March 1941) was a German U-boat commander during World War II.

He was the first U-boat commander to receive the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross and the first member of the Kriegsmarine to receive 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 Prien.

Prien joined the Handelsflotte (German merchant marine) in mid-1923 to ease the financial burden on his family.

He applied to and joined the Finkenwerder–Hamburg Seaman's School.

After eight years of work and study as a seaman, rising from cabin boy on a sailing ship, Prien passed the required examinations and became the fourth officer on a passenger liner, the SS Hamburg (1925).

Prien learned telegraphy, ship handling, leadership, and laws of the sea.

In 1931 he became first mate and attended school for a commission.

He was integrated into the Reichsmarine as a member of "Crew 31" (the incoming class of 1931), but had the age and experience of a 1926 class.

Prien received his sea master's certificate in January 1932.

Unable to find work due to the severe contraction of the German shipping industry during the Great Depression, he was forced to turn to the Freiwilliger Arbeitsdienst ('Voluntary Labour Service', FAD).

He earned a living dredging fields and digging ditches.

Prien joined the Nazi Party in May 1932, but had to resign his membership upon joining the navy prior to Hitler's ascent to power.

His membership of the party cemented Prien's image as a Nazi supporter, though his actions have been described as career advancing opportunism rather than genuine political conviction; one author wrote "it is hard to determine his politics."

However, Donald Macintyre described Prien as "the most Nazified U-boat captain", "an ardent ruthless Nazi".

Prien applied to the Reichsmarine in January 1933 when he found the navy was offering officer-candidate programs for merchant marine officers.

Prien received his military basic training in the 2nd company in the 2nd department of the standing ship division of the Baltic Sea in Stralsund (16 January 1933 – 31 March 1933).

During this time frame in Stralsund, he advanced in rank to Fähnrich zur See (naval cadet) on 1 March.

He then attended the main cadet course at the Naval Academy Mürwik and various weapons courses for cadets at Kiel (1 April 1933 – 30 September 1934).

From 1 October 1934 to 30 September 1935, Prien served as watch and division officer on the light cruiser Königsberg.

On this assignment, he was promoted to Oberfähnrich zur See (senior midshipman) on 1 January 1935 and to Leutnant zur See (acting sub-lieutenant) on 1 April 1935.

Prien then joined the U-boat training force.

Prien attended the U-boat school in Kiel from 1 October 1935 to 30 April 1936.

His training included a specialized U-boat torpedo course which was held on GS U-3 (1935).

On 11 May 1936, Prien was appointed first Watch Officer on GS U-26 (1936), serving under the command of Werner Hartmann after forming a bond at the training school.

At Hartmann's request Prien was assigned to his submarine, which served in the Spanish Civil War in 1937.

Prien rose steadily in rank, from midshipman in 1933 to Oberleutnant zur See (sub-lieutenant) on 1 January 1937.

On 1 October 1937, Prien was ordered to the Germaniawerft, the shipbuilding works in Kiel, for construction training of the new Type VIIB GS U-47 (1938).

Under Prien's command, the submarine GS U-47 (1938) was credited with sinking over 30 Allied ships totalling about, along with the British battleship HMS Royal Oak (08) at anchor in the Home Fleet's anchorage in Scapa Flow.

Prien was one of three children of a judge and completed his basic education.

At the age of five, Prien had been living with relatives, the notary Carl Hahn and his wife, in Lübeck.

There he attended the Katharineum, a humanistic secondary school.

After his parents separated, Prien moved with his mother and siblings to Leipzig where she eked out a living selling peasant lace.

He commissioned U-47 on 17 December 1938 which was part of the Wegener Flotilla.

Prien was promoted to Kapitänleutnant (Captain lieutenant) on 1 February 1939.

Prien married in 1939 to Ingeborg; the couple had two children.

Ingeborg Prien later married an Oberstleutnant in the Bundeswehr and changed her name to Inge Sturm-Prien.

World War II commenced during Prien's first patrol in U-47, following the German invasion of Poland on 1 September 1939.

Prien had departed Kiel on 19 August for a patrol lasting 28 days.

On 5 September, he sank the British Bosnia of, the second ship of the war to be sunk by a U-boat.