Wilhelm Zahn
| Wilhelm Zahn | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Born | 29 July 1910 |
| Died | 14 November 1976 (aged 66) |
| Allegiance |
 Nazi Germany |
| Service/branch |
 Kriegsmarine
|
| Rank | Korvettenkapitän |
| Commands held |
U-56 U-69 |
| Battles/wars | Battle of the Atlantic |
Wilhelm Zahn (29 July 1910 – 14 November 1976) was a German Kriegsmarine officer during the Second World War. He was U-boat First Watch Officer, then became U-boat commander and was finally promoted to Korvettenkapitän on 1 April 1943. As commander of U-56 he was able to avoid detection by the destroyers surrounding HMS Nelson and came in close proximity to the British flagship, launching three torpedoes against her whilst she was carrying Winston Churchill and the high military command of the British Navy. Following that incident he became widely known as the "Man who almost killed Churchill" amongst the U-boat submariner corps. He was one of the commanding officers during the sinking of MV Wilhelm Gustloff which has been described as "Adolf Hitler's Titanic".
At 10 a.m. on 30 October 1939, Zahn was commander of U-56 when he managed to avoid detection by the 10 destroyers and battle cruiser Hood, protecting the Home Fleet west of the Orkneys and came within striking distance of HMS Nelson and Rodney.
Unbeknownst to Zahn, aboard the flagship HMS Nelson were First Lord of the Admiralty Winston Churchill,Admiral of the Fleet Sir Charles Forbes, and admiral Sir Dudley Pound who was the First Sea Lord at the time. The reason for the gathering was Winston Churchill's decision to convene a conference with the leadership of the British Navy because of the sinking disaster of HMS Royal Oak caused by a U-boat attack during which 833 servicemen died.
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Wikipedia