U-boat photo album, German (c 1939-45)

Title	U-boat photo album
Nationality	German
Period	c 1939-45

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This album belonged to a lucky U-boat survivor who appears to have served under KL Fritz-Julius Lemp on U30 (a type 7 U-boat) and possibly on U110 (a type 9). The first page shows him as a recruit and then as a petty officer proudly sporting his EK2 ribbon, U-boat badge and close combat submariner clasp (introduced May 1944).

There are some 146 photos in all, 63 relating directly to his U-boat service. There is a clear shot of the bleeding hand insignia of U30, shown on the sidecap of one of the sailors, pipe in mouth (2nd from the top of my photos). No other U-boat used this specific insignia. U30 was famous for the first kill of the war against GB, when the liner Athenia was torpedoed on the first day of the war.

The first boat in the photos is a type 7 U-boat, built by Blohm & Voss of Hamburg (see commissioning photos - insignia on conning tower). The second model in the photos is a type 9 U-boat on account of the large extension to the back of the conning tower, which was built to accomodate extra flak guns for aerial defence. This feature ties in nicely with the U-boat close combat badge awarded to the original owner of the album, as virtually all these awards were given for combatting aerial attacks.

Internally the album is in nice shape, all separator leaves present and the usual age yellowing to most of the photos, which each measure 7 x 9cm. The album covers have, sadly, separated somewhat, showing the card interiors (ie they are split around most of the edge). A little TLC with paper glue could sort this out. Otherwise, the album is in pretty good shape, with a little wear at both ends of the spine.

A lot of this supposition about the owner of the album has been worked out by carefully comparing an excellent portrait photograph of Lemp in Franz Kurowski's book Knight's Cross Holders of the U-Boat Service with the group photograph on the very first page of the album (9th from the top of my photos), where I believe that the tallest officer in the three groups is Lemp. He appears in various other photos throughout the album, on both types of boat.

If you want to comment on this item—re quality, age, etc—please email me.

[Ephemera : Photos : Third Reich : Navy]

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