Germany, Kriegsmarine. A Collection Of Photos Of U-Boat Commander Reinhard Suhren (Kc With Swords)

The collection consists of twelve period photos and one propaganda postcard. Two photos show Suhren on his own, two others with crew members. In one photo, Suhren is shown with two other Kriegsmarine officers saluting to A.H., presumably at an award ceremony. One photo shows Suhren leading a procession of Kriegsmarine soldiers, presumably his crew after having returned from a successful patrol. One soldier can be seen wearing a US flag as a cape. The remaining six photos show a U-boat crew aboard their vessel in the harbour. Measuring between 86 mm (w) x 62 mm (h) and 180 mm (w) x 130 mm (h), presenting light warping and light scuffing of the edges, remaining near extremely fine.

Footnote: Reinhard Suhren was born on April 16, 1916 in Langenschwalbach (Hesse). He joined the Kriegsmarine in 1935. In 1938, in the rank of Leutnant zur See, Suhren entered the U-boat branch. At the beginning of the war, he was stationed on U-48, eventually the most successful U-boat of the Second War. Suhren was awarded the Knight’s Cross on November 3, 1940 as 1st Watch Officer (erster Wachoffizier), the first of this rank to do so. In April of 1941, Suhren was appointed commander of his own vessel, U-564. He went on six patrols, sinking 18 merchant vessels and a battleship. Suhren was awarded the Oak Leaves on December 31, 1941, and Swords on September 1, 1942. He also received the Submarine Badge with Diamonds, on January 1, 1942. In October of 1942, Suhren became an instructor. He would go on to become leader of U-boats in Norway and, after that, the North Sea. At the end of the war, he was taken prisoner by the British and imprisoned in Norway until April of 1946. Suhren died on August 25, 1984 in Halstenbek near Hamburg.