A Published Sketch Of U-Boat Commander And Kc Recipient Otto Schuhart

A drawing, measuring 184x266, near mint condition with minimal soiling. It shows a profile picture of U Boat Commander Captain Lieutenant Otto Schuhart, drawn in 1939 by artist Wolfgang Willrich.

Footnote 1: Otto Schuhart (1909–1990) was born in Hamburg. He joined the Reichsmarine in 1929, and, after basic training, served on the light cruisers “Emden” in 1930 and “Karlsruhe” in 1930/31. On the latter, he was promoted to Fähnrich zur See (Officer Cadet) on January 1, 1931. Upon their return, until late 1932, Schuhart passed several specific training courses, before being assigned to the pre-dreadnought “Schleswig-Holstein” in October. During this assignment, he received his promotion to Lieutenant on October 1, 1933. For his next assignment, he served as a company commander in the 3rd Naval Artillery Department from September 1934 to September 1937, during which he was promoted to Senior Lieutenant on June 1, 1935. Schuhart then joined the U Boat Fleet “Emsmann” and later “Hundius”. This turned out to be his calling. In 1938, he commanded U-8 of the U Boat school and was promoted to Captain Lieutenant on August 1. After briefly becoming commander of U-25 in late 1938, Schuhart went on to lead U-29, part of the U Boat Flotilla “Saltzwedel”. With U-29, he went on to go on nine patrols, sinking thirteen ships (almost 90,000 tons), among them the British carrier HMS Courageous on September 17, 1939, right after the beginning of the war. It was the war’s first carrier sunk by a German attack, resulting in the entire crew being awarded the Iron Cross 2nd Class and Schuhart receiving both Classes. Schuhart commanded U-29 until the end of 1940, winning the Knight’s Cross on May 16, 1940, the details are unknown. He then went on to teach at the U Boat School in Pillau for almost four years, eventually becoming commander of the 1st U Boat Training Division. The final months of the war, Schuhart spent at the Navy School Flensburg-Mürwik. After the war, he pursued several careers before joining the Bundeswehr, Germany’s modern post-war army, in 1955. When he retired in 1967, he was awarded the Bundesverdienstkreuz (Federal Merit Cross) 1st Class.