Kriegsmarine Scharnhorst Grouping

[Gordon Williamson]

Just acquired a lovely Scharnhorst grouping with very nice early Tombak Schwerin Fleet Badge and a nice EK2 to accompany it.

[Gordon Williamson]

Awards doc for Fleet Badge, signed by Kurt Caesar Hoffmann, commander of the Scharnhorst

[Gordon Williamson]

And EK2 doc with Günther Lütjens signature.

[Gordon Williamson]

And the interesting part. Note the pencil note at the top of the Fleet Badge document - the document was sent to him through the U-Boat Personnel Office. A quick check of U-Boat crew lists shows that after he service on Scharnhorst he transferred to U-Boats, serving on U-66, a Type IX which was eventually sunk by the destroyer escort USS Buckley in May 1944 after what is thought to have been the longest lasting battle between a U-Boat and an Escort in the course of WW2.

[John R]

That is a nice grouping. Most of the post sinking Scharnhorst HSF badges that went to relatives appear to have been RSS types. So you have a very interesting grouping in that the sailor was alive when awarded this badge and the documents that went with it, vice the relatively (in years gone by) posthumous docs and award. Like you said, a very good price for the group.

John

[Gordon Williamson]

Hi John,

Yes, the earlier period of his set was for me particularly attractive. Being awarded his badge in March 1942 means that he was almost certainly on board during the famous Operation Cerberus (the "Channel Dash") in February 1942 and quite probably the highly successful Operation Berlin. That, and coming with a very nice Tombak badge made it irresistable for me.

[John R]

That is a nice grouping. Most of the post sinking Scharnhorst HSF badges that went to relatives appear to have been RSS types. So you have a very interesting grouping in that the sailor was alive when awarded this badge and the documents that went with it, vice the relatively (in years gone by) posthumous docs and award. Like you said, a very good price for the group.

John

I meant "vice the relatively common (in years gone by" above.

I agree Gordon, very interesting grouping from this famous warship and almost certain probability he was aboard during the Channel Dash. John

[2dresq]

A very nice grouping.

Best regards,

JustinG

[hucks216]

Very nice grouping - it seems quite common for Kriegsmarine citations to have the man's unit pencilled in near the top, as seen by the marking of U-66 just under the writing at the top. Very thoughtful of them!

Also interesting to think that just 2 months after signing the EK citation Lutjens would be at sea on the Bismarck.

Edited November 16, 2010 by hucks216

[kapten_windu]

nice groupings+data from a famous ship..!!

tell us more...:jumping:

[Gordon Williamson]

You can read the original action report on the sinking of U-66 here

http://www.uboatarchive.net/U-66BuckleyReport.htm

[Gordon Williamson]

Our man Grölz after being rescued is shown as a POW at far right in the front row here.

[Gordon Williamson]

And this is USS Buckley, the Destroyer Escort that sank U-66

[Gordon Williamson]

And Buckley's commander, Lieutenant-Commander Able receiving the Navy Cross for sinking U-66.

[Norm F]

A fascinating grouping and story. Thanks for posting, Gordon.

I wonder what happened to his U-boat badge -- possibly at the bottom of the sea?

Best regards,

---Norm

Edited November 18, 2010 by Norm F

[Gordon Williamson]

A fascinating grouping and story. Thanks for posting, Gordon.

I wonder what happened to his U-boat badge -- possibly at the bottom of the sea?

Best regards,

---Norm

Quite possibly Norm, if indeed he ever had one. We know he was on Scharnhorst and ended up on U-66. What we don't know is when he actually made his first war cruise on a U-Boat. If the cruise in which U-66 was sunk was his first, then he wouldn't yet have qualified for the U-Boat badge when he was captured.