Wilhelm Zahn | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | 29 July 1910 |
| Died | 14 November 1976 (aged 66) |
| Allegiance |  Nazi Germany |
| Service/ |  Kriegsmarine |
| Rank | Korvettenkapitän |
| Commands | U-56 U-69 |
| Battles/wars | Battle of the Atlantic |
Wilhelm Zahn (29 July 1910 – 14 November 1976)[1] was a German Kriegsmarine officer during the Second World War. He was U-boat First Watch Officer, then became U-boat commander and was finally promoted to Korvettenkapitän on 1 April 1943.[2] As commander of U-56 he was able to avoid detection by the destroyers surrounding HMS Nelson and came in close proximity to the British flagship, launching three torpedoes against her whilst she was carrying Winston Churchill and the high military command of the British Navy. Following that incident he became widely known as the "Man who almost killed Churchill" amongst the U-boat submariner corps.[3] He was one of the commanding officers during the sinking of MV Wilhelm Gustloff which has been described as "Adolf Hitler's Titanic".[4]
- ^ Helgason, Guðmundur. "Wilhelm Zahn". German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net.
- ^ "U-35 Watch Officer Wilhelm Zahn". U 35.com.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
BercusonHerwig2011was invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ "Cover story: "The Suppressed Tragedy"". Der Spiegel. 2002.
Some 9000 people lost their lives, most of them women and children. The Titanic was a testimony of the hubris of a civilisation that worshipped technology and thought it could conquer nature. The Gustloff, on the other hand, was the symbol of the German hubris, the dream of a greater German empire that ended in a nightmare. It was Adolf Hitler's Titanic.