Hans Jenisch
Encyclopedia
Hans Jenisch was a Kapitänleutnant with the Kriegsmarine
during World War II
. He commanded the Type VIIA U-boat
, sinking seventeen ships on seven patrols, for a total of 110,139 tons of Allied shipping, to become the 26th highest scoring U-Boat ace of World War II.
transferred to the U-boat arm in 1937. He served as 1.WO (second-in-command) of under Werner Lott
, before taking command of the U-boat in February 1940. During 7 patrols he sank 17 ships, including the 42,348 ton , for a career total of 110,139 GRT, as well as damaging 3 ships for 22,749 tons, including the cruiser .
Focke-Wulf
C 200 Condor
long-range bomber
, commanded by Oberleutnant
Bernhard Jope
. Jope's bomber strafed the Empress three times and hit her twice with 250 kg bomb
s causing severe damage to the ship. Jenisch had been informed of the location of the damaged vessel and intercepted her on the evening of 27 October. Jenisch fired three torpedoes, hitting her twice. The Empress of Britain sank at 02:05 AM on 28 October 1940. At 42,348 gross tons, she was the largest ship sunk by a German U-boat.
s and . Nine of her crew died, but 33 survived to be taken prisoner, including Jenisch, who spent the next six and a half years in British captivity before returning to Germany in June 1947.
Hipper for a few months. He retired in 1972 with the rank of Kapitän zur See, and died in 1982.
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 It superseded the Kaiserliche Marine of World War I and the post-war Reichsmarine.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 VIIA U-boat
German Type VII submarine
Type VII U-boats were the most common type of German World War II U-boat. The Type VII was based on earlier German submarine designs going back to the World War I Type UB III, designed through the Dutch dummy company Ingenieurskantoor voor Scheepsbouw den Haag which was set up by Germany after...
, sinking seventeen ships on seven patrols, for a total of 110,139 tons of Allied shipping, to become the 26th highest scoring U-Boat ace of World War II.
Career
Jenisch joined the Reichsmarine in 1933, and after serving in the cruiserDeutschland class cruiser
The Deutschland class was a series of three panzerschiffe , a form of heavily armed cruiser, built by the Reichsmarine officially in accordance with restrictions imposed by the Treaty of Versailles...
transferred to the U-boat arm in 1937. He served as 1.WO (second-in-command) of under Werner Lott
Werner Lott
Werner Lott was a German U-boat commander in World War II. He was taken prisoner on 29 November 1939 after his boat was scuttled in the North Sea at position after having been depth-charged by , and ....
, before taking command of the U-boat in February 1940. During 7 patrols he sank 17 ships, including the 42,348 ton , for a career total of 110,139 GRT, as well as damaging 3 ships for 22,749 tons, including the cruiser .
Empress of Britain
On 26 October 1940 the Empress of Britain was spotted by a GermanGermany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
Focke-Wulf
Focke-Wulf
Focke-Wulf Flugzeugbau AG was a German manufacturer of civil and military aircraft before and during World War II. Many of the company's successful fighter aircraft designs were slight modifications of the Focke-Wulf Fw 190.-History:...
C 200 Condor
Focke-Wulf Fw 200
The Focke-Wulf Fw 200 Condor, also known as Kurier to the Allies was a German all-metal four-engine monoplane originally developed by Focke-Wulf as a long-range airliner...
long-range bomber
Bomber
A bomber is a military aircraft designed to attack ground and sea targets, by dropping bombs on them, or – in recent years – by launching cruise missiles at them.-Classifications of bombers:...
, commanded by Oberleutnant
Oberleutnant
Oberleutnant is a junior officer rank in the militaries of Germany, Switzerland and Austria. In the German Army, it dates from the early 19th century. Translated as "Senior Lieutenant", the rank is typically bestowed upon commissioned officers after five to six years of active duty...
Bernhard Jope
Bernhard Jope
Oberstleutnant Bernhard Jope was a German World War II Luftwaffe bomber pilot. He was also a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves...
. Jope's bomber strafed the Empress three times and hit her twice with 250 kg bomb
Bomb
A bomb is any of a range of explosive weapons that only rely on the exothermic reaction of an explosive material to provide an extremely sudden and violent release of energy...
s causing severe damage to the ship. Jenisch had been informed of the location of the damaged vessel and intercepted her on the evening of 27 October. Jenisch fired three torpedoes, hitting her twice. The Empress of Britain sank at 02:05 AM on 28 October 1940. At 42,348 gross tons, she was the largest ship sunk by a German U-boat.
Capture
Jenisch was captured on 30 October 1940 after U-32 was sunk north-west of Ireland by the British destroyerDestroyer
In naval terminology, a destroyer is a fast and maneuverable yet long-endurance warship intended to escort larger vessels in a fleet, convoy or battle group and defend them against smaller, powerful, short-range attackers. Destroyers, originally called torpedo-boat destroyers in 1892, evolved from...
s and . Nine of her crew died, but 33 survived to be taken prisoner, including Jenisch, who spent the next six and a half years in British captivity before returning to Germany in June 1947.
Post-war
In 1956 Jenisch joined the Bundesmarine, holding mainly staff positions, but also commanding the frigateBlack Swan class sloop
The Black Swan class and Modified Black Swan class were two classes of sloop of the Royal Navy and Royal Indian Navy. Thirteen Black Swans were launched between 1939 and 1943, including four for the Royal Indian Navy; twenty-four Modified Black Swans were launched between 1942 and 1945, including...
Hipper for a few months. He retired in 1972 with the rank of Kapitän zur See, and died in 1982.
Awards
- 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 and 1st Class - 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 7 October 1940 as Oberleutnant zur See and commander of U-32 - Mentioned four times in the WehrmachtberichtWehrmachtberichtThe Wehrmachtbericht was a daily radio report on the Großdeutscher Rundfunk of Nazi Germany, published by the Oberkommando der Wehrmacht regarding the military situation on all fronts of World War II....
(12 September 1940, 1 October 1940, 3 October 1940 and 28 October 1940)