Adolf Piening
Encyclopedia
Adolf Cornelius Piening (16 September 1910 in Süderende
on Föhr
– 15 May 1984 in Kiel
) was a Kapitänleutnant with the Kriegsmarine
during World War II
. He commanded the Type IXC U-boat
, sinking twenty-six ships on nine patrols, for a total of of Allied shipping, to become the nineteenth highest scoring U-Boat ace of World War II, and receiving the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross
. The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross was awarded to recognise extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership.
in 1930, first serving aboard the armoured cruiser , and then spent several years in torpedo boats and minesweepers
before transferring to the U-Bootwaffe ("U-boat arm") in October 1940. He made one patrol in as a Kommandantenschüler ("Commander-in-Training") in June 1941, before taking command of . He subsequently sank 26 ships for a total of 140,449 GRT in 9 patrols, including the escort carrier , and also badly damaged the attack cargo ship . He became well known for developing the "Piening Route" in 1943, hugging the coast of France and northern Spain, to evade Allied patrol aircraft in the Bay of Biscay
. In March 1944 Piening was appointed commander of 7th U-boat Flotilla at Saint-Nazaire
. On 30 April 1945 Piening made one last patrol, laying mines off Saint-Nazaire in . After the war Piening spent more than two years in Allied captivity. In 1956 he joined the Bundesmarine, serving for 13 years before retiring with the rank of Kapitän zur See. He died in 1984.
Süderende
Süderende is a municipality on the island of Föhr in the district of Nordfriesland, in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany.-History:The place used to belong to Oldsum, being its southern edge...
on Föhr
Föhr
Föhr is one of the North Frisian Islands on the German coast of the North Sea. It is part of the Nordfriesland district in the federal state of Schleswig-Holstein. Föhr is the second-largest North Sea island of Germany....
– 15 May 1984 in Kiel
Kiel
Kiel is the capital and most populous city in the northern German state of Schleswig-Holstein, with a population of 238,049 .Kiel is approximately north of Hamburg. Due to its geographic location in the north of Germany, the southeast of the Jutland peninsula, and the southwestern shore of the...
) was a Kapitänleutnant with the Kriegsmarine
Kriegsmarine
The Kriegsmarine was the name of the German Navy during the Nazi regime . It superseded the Kaiserliche Marine of World War I and the post-war Reichsmarine. The Kriegsmarine was one of three official branches of the Wehrmacht, the unified armed forces of Nazi Germany.The Kriegsmarine grew rapidly...
during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. He commanded the Type IXC U-boat
German Type IX submarine
The Type IX U-boat was designed by Germany in 1935 and 1936 as a large ocean-going submarine for sustained operations far from the home support facilities. Type IX boats were briefly used for patrols off the eastern United States in an attempt to disrupt the stream of troops and supplies bound for...
, sinking twenty-six ships on nine patrols, for a total of of Allied shipping, to become the nineteenth highest scoring U-Boat ace of World War II, and receiving the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross
Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross
The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross was a grade of the 1939 version of the 1813 created Iron Cross . The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross was the highest award of Germany to recognize extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership during World War II...
. The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross was awarded to recognise extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership.
Career
Piening joined the ReichsmarineReichsmarine
The Reichsmarine was the name of the German Navy during the Weimar Republic and first two years of Nazi Germany. It was the naval branch of the Reichswehr, existing from 1918 to 1935...
in 1930, first serving aboard the armoured cruiser , and then spent several years in torpedo boats and minesweepers
Minesweeper (ship)
A minesweeper is a small naval warship designed to counter the threat posed by naval mines. Minesweepers generally detect then neutralize mines in advance of other naval operations.-History:...
before transferring to the U-Bootwaffe ("U-boat arm") in October 1940. He made one patrol in as a Kommandantenschüler ("Commander-in-Training") in June 1941, before taking command of . He subsequently sank 26 ships for a total of 140,449 GRT in 9 patrols, including the escort carrier , and also badly damaged the attack cargo ship . He became well known for developing the "Piening Route" in 1943, hugging the coast of France and northern Spain, to evade Allied patrol aircraft in the Bay of Biscay
Bay of Biscay
The Bay of Biscay is a gulf of the northeast Atlantic Ocean located south of the Celtic Sea. It lies along the western coast of France from Brest south to the Spanish border, and the northern coast of Spain west to Cape Ortegal, and is named in English after the province of Biscay, in the Spanish...
. In March 1944 Piening was appointed commander of 7th U-boat Flotilla at Saint-Nazaire
Saint-Nazaire
Saint-Nazaire , is a commune in the Loire-Atlantique department in western France.The town has a major harbour, on the right bank of the Loire River estuary, near the Atlantic Ocean. The town is at the south of the second-largest swamp in France, called "la Brière"...
. On 30 April 1945 Piening made one last patrol, laying mines off Saint-Nazaire in . After the war Piening spent more than two years in Allied captivity. In 1956 he joined the Bundesmarine, serving for 13 years before retiring with the rank of Kapitän zur See. He died in 1984.
Awards
- Wehrmacht Long Service AwardWehrmacht Long Service AwardThe Wehrmacht Long Service Award was a military service decoration of Nazi Germany issued for satisfactory completion of a given years of military service...
4th Class (2 October 1936) - Spanish CrossSpanish CrossThe Spanish Cross was an award of Germany given to Germans who participated in the Spanish Civil War, fighting for Franco.- History :With the outbreak of the Spanish Civil War, Germany sent the Condor Legion to give military aid to Francisco Franco's nationalist forces.On April 14, 1939, Germany...
in Bronze with Swords (6 June 1939) - Iron CrossIron CrossThe Iron Cross is a cross symbol typically in black with a white or silver outline that originated after 1219 when the Kingdom of Jerusalem granted the Teutonic Order the right to combine the Teutonic Black Cross placed above a silver Cross of Jerusalem....
(1939)- 2nd Class (22 November 1939)
- 1st Class (27 June 1940)
- U-boat War BadgeU-boat War BadgeThe U-Boat War Badge was a German war badge that was awarded to U-boat crew members during World War I and World War II.-History:The U-boat War Badge was originally instituted during the First World War on February 1, 1918. It was awarded to recognize U-boat crews who had completed three war patrols...
(1939) (28 March 1942) - Knight's Cross of the Iron CrossKnight's Cross of the Iron CrossThe Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross was a grade of the 1939 version of the 1813 created Iron Cross . The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross was the highest award of Germany to recognize extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership during World War II...
on 13 August 1942 as Kapitänleutnant and commander of U-155