Bavarian Uboat Ribbon Bar

[Guest Rick Research]

Six months of crossing out potential suspects has FINALLY come up with ONE name for this dark blue backed naval ribbon bar from David S's collection:

Process of elimination completed last night at 11 PM-- Happy New Year indeed!

Born 5.11.1886 Munich, still alive 1963 but dead before 1980

German Navy 1.4.06-30.11.22 and ca 1935 on

F?hnrich zur See 6.4.07 F

Leutnant zS 30.9.09

Oberleutnant zS 19.9.12 H

Kapit?nleutnant zS 13.7.16 Q

Korvettenkapit?n zS (E) with seniority 1.4.30 #5

Fregattenkapit?n zS (E) 1.11.37 # 8

Kapit?n zur See 1.12.40 #3

1910 on Torpedo boat ?S 128?

When the war started, Adjutant of IIIrd Matrosen Artillerie Abteilung.

[Guest Rick Research]

Left that assignment October 1914 and watch officer on SMS ?Markgraf? to January 1916.

Then attended U-boat school 1916 and commanded ?UB 26? (listed as sunk 5.4.16?so was HIS "UB 26" an Austrian sub with German crew, maybe?? The GERMAN "UB 14" flew the red-white-red flag as the "K.k. U 26," and I suspect the entry has been confused here by the German practice of flying token flags representing the Central Powers allies.)

Commander UC 55 to May 1917 (sunk 29.9.17 with 10 killed and the rest captured)

Commander of UB 74 to February 1918 (lost with all hands 26.5.18)

Commander of UB 73 from February 1918 to war?s end.

from the 1914-1918 Naval Honor Rank List:

Although the February 1918 Naval Rank List only shows Neureuther with the EK2 and BMV4X. As a Bavarian national he received the 1911 version of the Luitpold Jubilee Medal. Apparently his BMV4X was earned while an Oberlt zS since it is not in the published ?Captains? Roll. UB 73 ended the war in Submarine Flotilla I out of Brunsb?ttel, but had served in the Mediterranean, where presumably Neureuther acquired his ?M3K. There was no other (E) officer with 18-24 years service in 1939 with the BMV4X and no other German WW1 awards serving in the Kriegsmarine.

1918 Navy Rank List:

(Images from Paul C's Rank Lists CDs-- sure saves wear on my original books! )

[Guest Rick Research]

As commander of UB 73 from February 1918 to war?s end--

On 23 June 1918 in the northern channel of the northern approaches to the Irish Sea, Neureuther torpedoed the British submarine ?D6,? which was running on the surface. All of its crew with the exception of D6?s commander, Lt Brooks and watch officer Lt Bell?who had been on the conning tower?were killed. The two British officers were taken prisoner. To their horror, as well as Neureuther?s crew no doubt, when he attacked from inside a convoy the next day and sank a non-British steamer?it proceeded to sink ON TOP OF UB 73! They managed to squeak out from under the sinking vessel.

Neureuther?s account of his amazing (and apparently completely unrewarded!) June 1918 feats were granted two entire pages, all that was mentioned as Bavaria?s naval part in the World War, in Das Bayernbuch!!!

From "Das Bayernbuch"--

Only 5 British submarines were lost from enemy submarine attacks during the entire war?E20, E22, C34, E14, and D6.

Member number 425 of the Marine Offiziere Verband,

1928: Technical business director for Lawaczek G.m.b.H. in M?nchen-Sendling (energy research)

1931: General agent of the Swiss Life Insurance & Annuities Office in Munich

1935: Naval liaison officer at Sturmabteilung High Command (OSAF)

From the 1935 MOV Directory:

[Guest Rick Research]

From the 1936 Kriegsmarine Rank List (unfortunately 1932 was the last year awards were shown, so (E) retreads do not show "unknown" awards missing from the 1918 edition ), assignment

and seniority pages:

1936: Staff officer in Defense Economics Section of the Naval High Command (OKM)

[Guest Rick Research]

1937 MOV Directory entry:

1937: Naval liaison officer on G?ring?s Office for German Raw & Industrial Materials, Berlin

[Guest Rick Research]

1938 Rank List (Paul C's CD version )

and assignment from 1939 MOV Directory:

1938: Naval officer on the staff of the Reichs Economic Ministry, Berlin

[Guest Rick Research]

From the 1944 Navy Rank List

you'd expect he was still on active duty.

But such was not the case, as his entry in Hildebrand (thanks Paul) reveals:

1939/40: Naval officer on the staff of the Reichs Economic Ministry, Berlin from January 1939 to July 1940

1940/43: Department Chief, OKM "M Wa Wi IV" (Submarines) July 1940 to May 1943

May 1943: placed on sick leave ( !?)

31.12.44: discharged

Naval Officers Association directories reveal the penultimate parts of Neureuther's story--

1960: Living in Munich as self-described ?artistic painter and sculptor? (Kunstmaler und Plastiker) specializing in Baroque mirrors and miniatures (!)

1963: Living in Garmisch-Partenkirchen as self employed artistic painter

I have no Directories between 1963 and 1980.

[webr55]

Very impressive! I would not have thought that this could be a unique bar!

Edited January 1, 2008 by webr55

[Guest Rick Research]

Wehrmacht "18" groups are always a nightmare, since unless it was a very young officer who joined in 1915/16... what "two silver eagles" mean is an OLD officer who came back as an (E) supplemntary officer. No Weimar Rank lists for THEM!

But because this is NAVY AND BAVARIAN, the combination is one where "less is more." Other Bavarian nationals in the navy with the same amount of time had a Hamburg Hanseatic Cross, or awards from Oldenburg, or an HOH3X.... Ralph Wenninger even got the Pour le Merite as a Uboat commander--and not a word about HIM in Das Bayernbuch!

I've asked Bernd to check the BMV rolls to make CERTAIN that Neureuther never got a CROWN to his BMV4X.

Because incredible as it seems, Neureuther apparently got nothing for sinking the D6!

[Deruelle]

Great research Rick !!! If you have the chance you will probably found a photo of your man with his ribbon bar.

Christophe

[Guest Rick Research]

Bernd confirms NO Crown for Neureuther's BMV4X.

[Deruelle]

I have heard that E. Roth has worked on Bavarian rolls about BMV4bX. But I don't know if such book has been realised. Bernd has worked on it too ? it will be a great book if it can be published.

Christophe

[webr55]

Neureuther published several books about his WW1 adventures, among them one in English: "U-boat stories" (1926).

[ccj]

Neureuther published several books about his WW1 adventures, among them one in English: "U-boat stories" (1926).

I'd think info would be available here;

http://www.uboat.net

http://www.uboat.net

[Guest Rick Research]

Uboat Net is fabulous, but WW2.

Soo... Herr Neureuther compensated for his lack of awards with books afterwards.

Eons ago, I had Lowell Thomas's "Raiders of the Deep" which came out at about the same time. That was the only account I'd ever heard of in English for the Ubootwaffe 1914-18. I would have thought most thi9ngs would have remained classified, back then.

Allllllll from the backing color on an "anonymous" ribbon bar.

[ccj]

Eons ago, I had Lowell Thomas's "Raiders of the Deep" which came out at about the same time.

Rick, is this a good book?

[Guest Rick Research]

It was, as I remember it. But it was written in 1928 or so. The story that I remember best is one of the junior German Princes seeing an enemy torpedo coming at his Uboat straight amidships... missed. Then another... slid right over the deck without exploding! I don't remember WHICH Prince, but George Seymour had his awards-- he ended up as a banana farmer in Costa Rica or some such place and died around 1969. The Uboat Prince, not George.

[ccj]

It was, as I remember it. But it was written in 1928 or so. The story that I remember best is one of the junior German Princes seeing an enemy torpedo coming at his Uboat straight amidships... missed. Then another... slid right over the deck without exploding! I don't remember WHICH Prince, but George Seymour had his awards-- he ended up as a banana farmer in Costa Rica or some such place and died around 1969. The Uboat Prince, not George.

Well, this one may be of use.

http://www.uk-muenchen.de/#

[David S]

Allllllll from the backing color on an "anonymous" ribbon bar

Your talents never cease to amaze me

[ccj]

Your talents never cease to amaze me

No desire to keep that ribbon bar any longer huh!

[webr55]

Neureuther published several books about his WW1 adventures, among them one in English: "U-boat stories" (1926).

Just found the table of contents of this book:

U-BOAT STORIES: NARRATIVES OF GERMAN U-BOAT SAILORS

EDITED BY

KARL NEUREUTHER AND CLAUS BERGEN

AND WITH EIGHT ILLUSTRATIONS IN COLOUR,

AND THIRTY-FOUR IN BLACK-AND-WHITE AFTER DRAWINGS

BY CLAUS BERGEN

TRANSLATED BY

ERIC SUTTON

CONSTABLE & COMPANY LTD

LONDON

1931

CONTENTS

PAGE

1. MY U-BOAT VOYAGE.

BY CLAUS BERGEN.

1

2. MY FIRST U-BOAT VOYAGE (SEPTEMBER, 1914).

BY ENGINE-ROOM ARTIFICER KARL WIEDEMANN.

59

3. CHRISTMAS AND NEW YEAR, 1914-1915, ON U 24.

BY ENGINE-ROOM ARTIFICER NIKOLAUS JAUD.

63

4. U-BOAT CO-OPERATION.

BY COMMANDER KARL NEUREUTHER,

COMMANDER OF UB 73 .

71

5. CAPTAIN 'SWIVEL-EYE.'

BY BOATSWAIN'S MATE CHRISTOF LASSEN.

76

6. ENGINE REPAIRS AT SEA.

BY ENGINE-ROOM ARTIFICER NIKOLAUS JAUD.

80

7. BAVARIANS IN THE IRISH SEA.

BY CHIEF PETTY-OFFICER ROMAN BADER.

87

8. HURRICANE.

BY LEADING SEAMAN W. SCHLICHTING.

95

9. TWICE RAMMED.

BY WIRELESS OPERATOR KOLLAND.

102

10. SIR ROGER CASEMENT'S LAST VOYAGE.

BY ENGINE-ROOM ARTIFICER KARL WIEDEMANN.

108

11. OFF DUBLIN.

BY COMMANDER KARL NEUREUTHER.

111

12. THE WHITE SHIP.

BY NAVIGATING OFFICER GRASSL.

120

13. BETWEEN A SINKING SHIP AND THE BOTTOM OF THE SEA.

BY LEADING SEAMAN KARL STOLZ.

124

14. DISTURBED NIGHTS IN THE OCEAN DEPTHS.

BY NAVIGATING OFFICER GRASSL.

130

15. BURIED ALIVE.

BY LEADING SEAMAN W. SCHLIGHTING.

143

16. THE SINKING OF THE 'ARMENIA'.

BY ENGINE-ROOM ARTIFICER NIKOLAUS JAUD.

146

17. A PARTICULARLY UNPLEASANT EXPERIENCE.

BY LEADING SEAMAN KARL STOLZ.

151

18. A U-BOAT DECOY.

BY WIRELESS OPERATOR HAIDT.

158

19. THE SINKING OF THE 'JUSTITIA'.

BY WIRELESS OPERATOR HAIDT.

166

20. FROM TRAINING-SHIP TO THE HIGH SEAS.

BY BOATSWAIN'S MATE SEIDEL.

172

21. FROM KIEL TO CATTARO.

BY WIRELESS OPERATOR RUHLAND

178

22. RAID ON THE SARDINIAN PORT OF CARLOFORTE (s. PIETROISLAND).

BY BOATSWAIN'S MATE SEIDEL.

183

23. AIR ATTACK.

BY BOATSWAIN'S MATE SEIDEL.

188

24. IN EASTERN WATERS.

BY LEADING SEAMAN A. UNTERLEITNER.

190

25. SURRENDER OF A U-BOAT TO ENGLAND.

BY LEADING SEAMAN O. WEHNER.

201

EPILOGUE.

BY COMMANDER KARL NEUREUTHER.

205

[Guest Rick Research]

Huh. There are no officers besiudes Neureuther, so can't compare names to see if they all served with him. But since all his subs were lost after he left except UB 73, he can't have had many "old shipmates" who were NOT with UB 73.

[Guest Rick Research]

Daedalus Books in Columbia Maryland has a new edition of Lowlell Thomas's "Raiders Of The Deep" on their Winter 2008 sales list

Item #73198. $5.98

Alas, shipping is $5.95--whether for ONE book or 40.

Call 1-800-395-2665

Monday through Friday 9 AM to 8 PM East Coast time

They say their website is "salebooks.com" but they don't spell it out in full (which drives me NUTS) as to www or not.

We've bought from them mail order for years and years.