Hans Jenisch
Hans Jenisch
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Born | Gerdauen, East Prussia |
19 October 1913
Died | Script error: The function "death_date_and_age" does not exist. Kronshagen near Kiel |
Allegiance | Nazi Germany (to 1945) West Germany |
Service/ |
Kriegsmarine German Navy |
Years of service | 1933–45 1956–72 |
Rank | Kapitänleutnant (Kriegsmarine) Kapitän zur See (Bundesmarine) |
Unit | SSS Gorch Fock cruiser Karlsruhe cruiser Deutschland |
Commands held | U-32 Hipper |
Battles/wars | World War II |
Awards | Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross |
Hans Jenisch (19 October 1913 – 29 April 1982) was a Kapitänleutnant in Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine during World War II and a Kapitän zur See in West Germany's Bundesmarine. He commanded the Type VIIA U-boat U-32, sinking seventeen ships on seven patrols, for a total of 110,139 gross register tons (GRT) of Allied shipping, to become the 26th highest scoring U-Boat ace of World War II.
Contents
Career
Jenisch joined the navy, then named Reichsmarine, in 1933, and after serving in the cruiser Deutschland transferred to the U-boat arm in 1937. He served as 1WO (second-in-command) of U-32 under Werner Lott, before taking command of the U-boat in February 1940.
Empress of Britain
On 26 October 1940, Empress of Britain was spotted by a German Focke-Wulf C 200 Condor long-range bomber, commanded by Oberleutnant Bernhard Jope. Jope's bomber strafed Empress of Britain three times and hit her twice with 250 kilograms (550 lb) bombs causing severe damage to the ship. Jenisch had been informed of the location of the damaged vessel and intercepted her on the evening of 27 October. Jenisch fired three torpedoes, hitting her twice. Empress of Britain sank at 02:05 on 28 October 1940. At 42,348 gross tons, she was the largest ship sunk by a German U-boat.[1]
Capture
Jenisch was captured on 30 October 1940 after U-32 was sunk north-west of Ireland by the British destroyers Harvester and Highlander. Nine of her crew died, but 33 survived to be taken prisoner, including Jenisch. He spent the next 6.5 years in British captivity before his return to Germany in June 1947.[2]
Post-war
Even though Jenisch became known as a celebrated U-boat commander, his subsequent assessment of submarines was highly negative. In POW camp, he told a shocked Wilfried Prellberg (ex-CO of U-31) he considered submarines in warfare "obsolete. All of it." On joining the West German Bundesmarine in 1956, Jenisch held staff positions and commanded the training frigate Hipper (originally a Black Swan-class sloop, the ex-HMS Actaeon) for a time.[2][3]
Jenisch was Divisional Training Commander at the Führungsakademie der Bundeswehr in Hamburg from 1 October 1966 to 31 March 1970. He retired in 1972 with the rank of Kapitän zur See, and died in 1982.[2]
Summary of career
Ships attacked
During seven patrols he sank 17 ships, including the 42,348 ton RMS Empress of Britain, for a career total of 110,139 GRT, as well as damaging 3 ships for 22,749 tons, including the cruiser HMS Fiji.[2]
Date | Name of Ship | Nationality | Tonnage | Fate[4] |
---|---|---|---|---|
2 March 1940 | Lagaholm | Sweden | 2,818 | Sunk |
18 June 1940 | Altair | Norway | 1,522 | Sunk |
18 June 1940 | Nuevo Ons | 23x15px Spain | 108 | Sunk |
18 June 1940 | Sálvora | 23x15px Spain | 108 | Sunk |
19 June 1940 | Labud | Yugoslavia | 5,334 | Sunk |
22 June 1940 | Eli Knudsen | Norway | 9,026 | Sunk |
30 August 1940 | Chelsea | United Kingdom | 4,804 | Sunk |
30 August 1940 | Mill Hill | United Kingdom | 4,318 | Sunk |
30 August 1940 | Norne | Norway | 3,971 | Sunk |
1 September 1940 | HMS Fiji | United Kingdom | 8,000 | Damaged |
22 September 1940 | Collegian | United Kingdom | 7,886 | Damaged |
25 September 1940 | Mabriton | United Kingdom | 6,694 | Sunk |
26 September 1940 | Corrientes | United Kingdom | 6,863 | Damaged |
26 September 1940 | Darcoila | United Kingdom | 4,084 | Sunk |
26 September 1940 | Tancred | Norway | 6,094 | Sunk |
28 September 1940 | Empire Ocelot | United Kingdom | 5,759 | Sunk |
29 September 1940 | Bassa | United Kingdom | 5,267 | Sunk |
30 September 1940 | Haulerwijk | Netherlands | 3,278 | Sunk |
2 October 1940 | Kayeson | United Kingdom | 4,606 | Sunk |
28 October 1940 | Empress of Britain | United Kingdom | 42,348 | Sunk |
Awards
- Iron Cross (1939) 2nd and 1st Class[5]
- U-boat War Badge (1939)[5]
- Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 7 October 1940 as Oberleutnant zur See and commander of U-32[6][7]
- Mentioned four times in the Wehrmachtbericht (12 September 1940, 1 October 1940, 3 October 1940 and 28 October 1940)
Wehrmachtbericht references
Date | Original German Wehrmachtbericht wording | Direct English translation |
---|---|---|
Thursday, 12 September 1940 | Ein Unterseeboot unter Führung vom Oberleutnant zur See Jenisch, von dem bereits ein Teilergebnis von 21 000 BRT gemeldet worden ist, hat auf einer Unternehmung insgesamt 40 000 BRT feindlichen Handelsschiffraum aus stark gesicherten Geleitzügen heraus versenkt.[8] | A submarine under the command of First Lieutenant at Sea Jenisch, of which already a partial result of 21 000 GRT had been reported, has sunk on an undertaking 40 000 GRT of enemy merchant shipping from a heavily protected convoy. |
Tuesday, 1 October 1940 | Ein Unterseeboot unter Führung von Oberleutnant zur See Jenisch versenkte sechs bewaffnete feindliche Handelsschiffe mit 34 760 BRT.[9] | A submarine under the command of First Lieutenant at Sea Jenisch sank six armed enemy merchant ships with 34 760 GRT. |
Thursday, 3 October 1940 | Ein Unterseeboot unter Führung des Oberleutnants zur Sea Jenisch hat auf einer Unternehmung insgesamt acht bewaffnete feindliche Handelsschiffe mit 42 644 BRT versenkt. Damit hat Oberleutnant zur See Jenisch allein auf zwei Feindfahrten 82 644 BRT feindlichen Handelsschiffsraums vernichtet.[10] | A submarine under the command of Lieutenant at sea Jenisch has sunk on an undertaking eight armed enemy merchant ships of 42 644 GRT. Thus Lieutenant at Sea Jenisch destroyed on only two patrols against the enemy 82 644 GRT of enemy merchant shipping. |
Monday, 28 October 1940 | Das von Luftstreitkräften bombardierte und in Brand gesetzte 42 000 BRT große britische Transportschiff "Empress of Britain", das die Engländer unter starker Sicherung durch Zerstörer und Bewacher einbringen versuchten, ist von dem unter Führung des Oberleutnants zur See Jenisch stehenden Unterseeboot torpediert und versenkt worden.[11] | The by the air force bombed and set on fire 42 000 GRT British transport ship "Empress of Britain", which the British attempted to bring to safety by heavy security forces composed of destroyers und guards, was torpedoed and sunk by an submarine under the leadership of Lieutenant at Sea Jenisch. |
References
- Notes
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Neitzel & Welzer (2012)
- ↑ http://uboat.net/boats/successes/u32/html
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Busch & Röll 2003, p. 75.
- ↑ Fellgiebel 2000, p. 243.
- ↑ Scherzer 2007, p. 419.
- ↑ Die Wehrmachtberichte 1939–1945 Band 1, p. 302.
- ↑ Die Wehrmachtberichte 1939–1945 Band 1, p. 316.
- ↑ Die Wehrmachtberichte 1939–1945 Band 1, pp. 318–319.
- ↑ Die Wehrmachtberichte 1939–1945 Band 1, p. 342.
- Bibliography
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- Neitzel, Sönke & Welzer, Harald (2012): Soldaten: On Fighting, Killing and Dying: The Secret Second World War Tapes of German POWs.
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External links
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