Korvettenkapitän Günther Prien (January 16, 1908 - March 7, 1941) was one of the three outstanding U-boat aces of the first part of the Second World War, and the first U-boat commander to win the Knight's Cross. Under Prien's command, the submarine U-47 sank over 30 Allied ships totalling about 200,000 tons. By far his most famous exploit, however, was the sinking of the British battleship HMS Royal Oak at anchor in Scapa Flow. January 16 is the 16th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 1908 is a leap year starting on Wednesday (link will take you to calendar). ... March 7 is the 66th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (67th in Leap years). ... 1941 was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will take you to calendar). ... ... Mushroom cloud from the nuclear explosion over Nagasaki rising 18 km into the air. ... U-boat is also a nickname for some diesel locomotives built by GE; see List of GE locomotives October 1939. ... The Iron Cross (German: Eisernes Kreuz) is a military decoration of Germany which was established by King Friedrich Wilhelm III of Prussia and first awarded on 10 March 1813. ... USS Los Angeles A submarine is a specialized watercraft that can operate underwater. ... Unterseeboot 47 (U-47) was a German type VII B U-Boat (submarine). ... In general, allies are people or groups that have joined an alliance and are working together to achieve some common purpose. ... A ship is a large, usually decked watercraft. ... This article is about a battleship as a type of warship. ... HMS Royal Oak was a Revenge-class battleship of the Royal Navy, sunk early in World War II. She was laid down at Devonport, Devon on 15 January 1914 and launched on 17 November of that year. ... Scapa Flow is a body of water in the Orkney Islands, Scotland, United Kingdom. ...

Born in Thuringia, Prien went to sea as a young man. In 1925, he survived the shipwreck of the three-master Hamburg off the Irish coast. He obtained his officer's patent in the merchant marine, but was laid off when German shipping severely contracted during the Depression years. In 1933 he joined the Reichsmarine. He initially served on the light cruiser Königsberg before transferring to the U-boat service in October 1935. Prien progressed steadily in rank, from Fähnrich zur See (midshipman) in 1933, to Oberfähnrich zur See (senior midshipman) in 1935, Leutnant zur See (ensign) also in 1935, then Oberleutnant zur See (lieutenant j.g.) in 1937. He was appointed to the command of the new Type VIIB U-47 on her commissioning (December 17, 1938) and promoted to Kapitänleutnant (lieutenant) on February 1, 1939. The Free State of Thuringia (German Freistaat Thüringen) lies in central Germany and is among the smaller of the countrys sixteen Bundesländer (federal states), with an area of 16,200 sq. ... The word depression can mean: A decrease of functional activity in behavior patterns. ... The German Navy has had several names depending on the political structure of Germany at the time: Deutsche Marine (German Navy) (1848)-(1852) Norddeutsche Bundesmarine (Northern German Federal Navy) (1866-1871) Kaiserliche Marine (Imperial Navy) (1872-1918) Vorläufige Reichsmarine (1919-1921) Reichsmarine (State Navy) (1921-1935) Kriegsmarine (War Navy... U-boat is also a nickname for some diesel locomotives built by GE; see List of GE locomotives October 1939. ... Type VII U-boats were the workhorses of the German World War II U-boot-waffe, and appeared in several sub-types. ... Unterseeboot 47 (U-47) was a German type VII B U-Boat (submarine). ... December 17 is the 351st day of the year (352nd in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 1938 was a common year starting on Saturday (link will take you to calendar). ... February 1 is the 32nd day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 1939 was a common year starting on Sunday (link will take you to calendar). ...

On October 14, 1939, Prien risked shallow water, unknown shoals, tricky currents and detection by defenders to penetrate the Royal Navy's primary base, Scapa Flow. Although most of the Home Fleet was at sea, Prien sunk the battleship Royal Oak and returned home to instant fame. He was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross, the first member of the Kriegsmarine to receive this award, and was given the nickname Der Stier von Scapa Flow ("The Bull of Scapa Flow"). This emblem was painted on the conning tower of U-47 and soon became the emblem of the entire 7th U-boat Flotilla. October 14 is the 287th day of the year (288th in Leap years). ... 1939 was a common year starting on Sunday (link will take you to calendar). ... The Royal Navy of the United Kingdom is the senior service of the armed services, being the oldest of its three branches. ... Scapa Flow is a body of water in the Orkney Islands, Scotland, United Kingdom. ... The Home Fleet is the traditional name of the fleet of the Royal Navy that protects the United Kingdoms territorial waters. ... The Iron Cross (German: Eisernes Kreuz) is a military decoration of Germany which was established by King Friedrich Wilhelm III of Prussia and first awarded on 10 March 1813. ... The Iron Cross (German: Eisernes Kreuz) is a military decoration of Germany which was established by King Friedrich Wilhelm III of Prussia and first awarded on 10 March 1813. ... The Kriegsmarine or War Navy was the name of the German Navy between 1935 and 1945, during the Nazi reign. ... Unterseeboot 47 (U-47) was a German type VII B U-Boat (submarine). ... U-boat is also a nickname for some diesel locomotives built by GE; see List of GE locomotives October 1939. ...

Following later patrols and raids on Allied merchant shipping, Prien was awarded the Oakleaves in 1940. He was killed, not long after being promoted to the rank of Korvettenkapitän (lieutenant commander) when U-47 was sunk in March 1941.

Although he was at sea for less than two years, Prien's record stands high among the U-boat aces during the Second World War. He spent 238 days at sea, sinking 30 enemy vessels for a total tonnage of 193,808 GRT. U-boat is also a nickname for some diesel locomotives built by GE; see List of GE locomotives October 1939. ... Mushroom cloud from the nuclear explosion over Nagasaki rising 18 km into the air. ...

External Links

u47.org (http://www.u47.org)