Submarine U 21 Medal

[Black Dudley]

Bought this non-magnetic medal, 3,5 cms diameter. One side shows a portrait of Kapitänleutnant Otto Hersing, reverse side has sea-battle scene - sinking allied ships and their names Pathfinder, Straits of Gibraltar, Triumph, Majestic. Reading about SM U 21 (Wikipedia), it certainly has a history - During the war sunk 40 ships including 2 Battleships and 2 Cruisers, saw action off Gallipoli. My questions - on the medal, the ship sunk tally includes Straits of Gibraltar, I find no ship of this name being sunk in WW1, also would members know if the medal given as a memento to the crew or perhaps a public remembrance medal.
Any information welcome

[Dieter Zinke]

Hersing's record of success is certainly a german "Ruhmesblatt" [honourable page].
Why a british medal ???

Dieter Z.

[Black Dudley]

Hello Dieter,
No - its a German medal, all the 40 ships sunk were allied surface vessels. The named ships were Royal Navy ships. I want to know if the medal was awarded to the U 21 crew members or is it a public remembrance medal ?

[Dieter Zinke]

O.k., - but then it's not "Straits of Gibraltar" but "Straße von Gibraltar"

BTW: See
"Los 314" at http://www.sixbid.com/browse.html?auction=1045&page=4
https://www.numisbids.com/n.php?p=lot&sid=518&lot=4789


Dieter Z.

[Black Dudley]

Hello Dieter,
Thanks for the post and links. It would seem there were two medal variants bronze and silver, which makes me think, they were a public offer and not a exclusive presentation medal for the the crew.

[John G.]

Commemorative "non-portable" table medal... un-official "Souvenir" medal available to the public... sort of "the Franklin Mint" only circa 1900/1930s Germany for these Commemorative coins- some certianly were "official" Non-portable awards.. but not this one.

Obviously (looking at the auction links) has collector value... the WW 1 U-Boat association makes it interesting...certianly....

Would want to see the "edge" (rim) of this to be "sure" it's good... (no seam).
John G.

[Black Dudley]

According to Wikipedia's biography of U 21, apart from sinking so many surface vessels. The U 21 does have one unique claim to fame - it was the first submarine world wide ever to sink a ship using a self- propelled torpedo.