Kriegsmarine Canadian U-Boat Propaganda Poster

[Erik Krogh]

Although not produced in Germany (it is Canadian), this is the classic image of the leering U-Boat commandant.

[Brian Wolfe]

Hi Erik,

An interesting poster. Can you provide any further information? You said it was Canadian but what did you mean? I assume it is a propaganda poster printed in Canada as I doubt the German's whould have protrayed themselves in that manner, U-Boat Captains were their heros, after all. With the lack of English on the poster would this indicate it was produced for the French speaking (ie. Quebec) Canadians?

Regards

Brian

[Erik Krogh]

Brian,

The poster was intended to alert the Canadian populace to the dangers of "loose talk" about the details of Allied conveys, such as when they were to leave port. I don't speak French, but I've been told that the text is loosley translated as "thanks for the tip". Below is the printer's information at the bottom of the poster.

Best,

Erik

[Brian Wolfe]

Brian,

The poster was intended to alert the Canadian populace to the dangers of "loose talk" about the details of Allied conveys, such as when they were to leave port. I don't speak French, but I've been told that the text is loosley translated as "thanks for the tip". Below is the printer's information at the bottom of the poster.

Best,

Erik

Thanks for the additional information Erik. I don't speak or read French very well but I did understand the "statement" written on the poster and then assumed it to be a propaganda "warning" poster. The section at the bottom is actually easy to read even for an Anglophone such as me. My German is no better than my French, all the sadder for me being a Canadian with a partial Germanic background.

Regards

Brian

[Gordon Williamson]

Very interesting poster from the point of view of the characteristics used by the artists who designed these things (i.e. Japanese were usually portrayed with eye glasses.) They avoided the usual caricature "Nazi" with swastika bedecked uniform (even to the length of getting the correct sleeve rings for a Kapitänleutnant - the most common U-Boat commander rank, yet couldn't resist the "Prussian" monocle (no one with less than perect eyesight could be a U-Boat commander).