Youngest, Oldest, The First, The Most, and Other Records

[AlifRafikKhan]

Another longevity..

Oberstleutnant Wilhelm Walther, Ritterkreuzträger from Stoßtruppführer 4./BauLehrBtl z.b.V. 800 "Brandenburg"
Born: 27 January 1910
Died: 25 November 2010 (100 years old)
He was the first Brandenburg soldier to win the Knight's Cross, doing so in June 24, 1940. On May 10, 1940, he captured an important bridge over the Meuse river in Holland, after disguising in dutch uniforms...

Source:
http://forum.axishistory.com/viewtopic. ... &start=120
http://kegans-militaria.webstarts.com/t ... ggers.html
http://www.ww2f.com/roll-honor-memories ... 100-a.html

[Hardigan]

Knight's Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords winner Georg Bochmann was with 31 years old the youngest SS-Oberführer of the W-SS .

Born : 18 Sept. 1913
promoted to SS-Oberführer : 20 Apr. 1945

Bochmann '43.jpg (35.77 KiB) Viewed 2420 times

source photo : Bundesarchiv

[AlifRafikKhan]

Ministerialdirigent Hans Eduard von Heemskerck
Born: 28 Aug 1880 in Geestemünde
Died: 28 Aug 1942 in Berlin (Killed in an Air Raid), exactly 62 years after he was born!

Source: http://www.geocities.com/~orion47/WEHRM ... DUARD.html

[AlifRafikKhan]

Werner Streib (last rank Oberst) was known as "the father of the night fighters", both because he was the first to score a night victory and because he was the oldest among the other night fighter pilots...

Source: http://www.grevenbroekmuseum.be/new/ind ... 74&lang=en

[Doktor Krollspell]

Werner Streib (last rank Oberst) was known as "the father of the night fighters", both because he was the first to score a night victory and because he was the oldest among the other night fighter pilots...

Hello Alif!

I think that the honour of being "The Father of the Night Fighters" maybe more fits Wolfgang Falck, the first Kommodore of NJG 1 in 1940, and as such, Streib's commanding officer. (Falck was also one year older, born in 1910). When it comes to which german pilot who should be credited for the first night victory, then it could be Oberfeldwebel Förster or Oberfeldwebel Schmale, who both scored night victories in early July. Streib got his first on July 20. See the following link (go to entry for Werner Streib)...

http://www.ritterkreuztraeger-1939-45.d ... twaffe.htm


Regards,

Krollspell

[AlifRafikKhan]

Thank you for the information Herr Doktor, I stand corrected...

[Ste]

U-39 was the first U-Boot to be sunk during WW2; on 14 September 1939, the boat under Kapitänleutnant Gerhard Glattes attacked with 3 torpedoes the british carrier HMS Ark Royal, but all three torpedoes exploded before hitting the ship.
U-39 was then attacked and damaged by the 3 escort destroyers (HMS Faulknor,HMS Foxhound and HMS Firedrake) and forced to surface;the whole crew of 44 men managed to escape and went into captivity.

Source:http://www.uboat.net/men/commanders/361.html
Gerhard Glattes

[Doktor Krollspell]

The very thin line between the opportunity to become the first hero of the U-Booot-Waffe, but instead becoming it's first causulty. I guess that Kapitänleutnant Glattes pondered on this during 6 years of captivity...

[nobodyofnote]

The very thin line between the opportunity to become the first hero of the U-Booot-Waffe, but instead becoming it's first causulty. I guess that Kapitänleutnant Glattes pondered on this during 6 years of captivity...

He actually spent 7 and a half years in captivity. He was released on 8 April 1947. Second longest U-boat POW in captivity.

[Doktor Krollspell]

He actually spent 7 and a half years in captivity. He was released on 8 April 1947. Second longest U-boat POW in captivity.

So, after a combat patrol of just two weeks, missing the HMS Ark Royal because of defunctional torpedos, sunk by the Royal Navy and then 7 and a half years in captivity... I guess that the positive upside (from Glattes and his crew's point of view) is that they all survived, not only the sinking on September 14th, 1939, but also given the death rates in the U-Boot-Waffe during six years of war, they would probably not have been alive in 1945...

[AlifRafikKhan]

... and all because of three lousy torpedoes... :roll:

[nobodyofnote]

True, but then you think that all three torpedoes malfunctioning.. how lucky then was the Ark Royal? Had Glattes and the crew sunk the Ark Royal it's likely they still would have been depth charged, and captured.

[Doktor Krollspell]

True, but then you think that all three torpedoes malfunctioning.. how lucky then was the Ark Royal? Had Glattes and the crew sunk the Ark Royal it's likely they still would have been depth charged, and captured.

Most certainly so... The only possibility of a successful escape in this what if-scenario would have been the eventual need for the other Royal Navy vessels to assist the damaged/sinking carrier and it's crew...


Regards,

Krollspell

[Ste]

I don't know if he was more unlucky to have 3torpedoes not working or if he was more lucky to be a U-Boot man and survive the war.

[Ste]

By the way, U 39 shared that year the same fate of U 27 and U 36.
U 12 became the first U-Boot to be sunk with all hands lost (27), on 08.10.1939 (Kapitänleutnant Dietrich von der Ropp)
U 40 was the first U-Boot to be sunk, on 13.10.1939, both with dead and survivors.