Gunter Jahn

Gunter Jahn
Born	27 September 1910 Hamburg
Died	Krailling
Allegiance	Weimar Republic Nazi Germany
Service/branch	Reichsmarine 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)
• Iron Cross (1939)
  • 2nd Class (18 October 1939)
  • 1st Class (6 October 1942)
• Medaille zur Erinnerung an die Heimkerhr des Memllandes (20 December 1939)
• U-boat War Badge (1939) (6 October 1942)
• Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 30 April 1943 as Kapitänleutnant and commander of U-596

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

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 (in German). Hamburg, Berlin, Bonn Germany: Verlag E.S. Mittler & Sohn. ISBN 978-3-8132-0515-2. CS1 maint: unrecognized language (link)
• Fellgiebel, Walther-Peer (2000). Die Träger des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939–1945 — Die Inhaber der höchsten Auszeichnung des Zweiten Weltkrieges aller Wehrmachtteile (in German). Friedberg, Germany: Podzun-Pallas. ISBN 978-3-7909-0284-6. CS1 maint: unrecognized language (link)
• Kurowski, Franz (1995). Knight's Cross Holders of the U-Boat Service. Atglen, PA: Schiffer Publishing. ISBN 978-0-88740-748-2.
• Range, Clemens (1974). Die Ritterkreuzträger der Kriegsmarine. Stuttgart, Germany: Motorbuch Verlag. ISBN 978-3-87943-355-1.
• 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 (in German). Jena, Germany: Scherzers Miltaer-Verlag. ISBN 978-3-938845-17-2. CS1 maint: unrecognized language (link)

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