Uboot-Kdt. with a pilots badge ?

[Peter]

A photo from ebay, I cant get the link to copy over and work.

Commissioning photo and the commander appears to have a pilots badge in addition to his EKI and Uboot-Kriegsabz., and possibly a Luftwaffe Flight Clasp. Can anybody ID him please ?

[graveland]

He is wearing the Luftwaffe Observer Badge.

[AginAf]

By 1944, the Kriegsmarine was taking leaders from the other services to make up the shortage of skippers & watch officers thanks to heavy losses in the Battle of the Atlantic. The Luftwaffe would not let them have fighter pilots because of their importance in air defense of the Reich , but logistic pilots assigned to Ju 52 squadrons, other admin pilots and even bomber pilots were taken. The V 1 & V 2 attacks on Britain & Belgium had rendered bomber formations less vital. These inter-service draftees were given basic deck officer training and a crash command course if they were senior enough to command, , and away they went to hook up with their boat & crew and set out on a patrol from which they would not likely return.
So the skipper in this photo is undoubtedly one of those dragooned into the U Boat service. Dead man sitting.

AginAf

[VtwinVince]

Many of these guys were ex-Naval aviators as well.