Gunter Jahn | |
---|---|
Born | 27 September 1910 Hamburg |
Died | 12 April 1992 Krailling |
(aged 81)
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.