Description:

U-BOAT CREWMAN'S PHOTO ALBUM
An extraordinary photo album assembled by a young crew member of U-103, approx. 185 original photographs generally 3 1/2" x 3" showing the young sailor, his friends, shore installations, training...but with th great majority showing his ship and crew while at sea in all types of conditions. The album, 7 1/2" x 8 1/2" overall with simple cardboard covers and string binding, has paper pages to which the sailor affixed his images. Only a few are captioned but it is abundantly clear that he served on U-103 under Capt. Viktor Schutze (1906-1950), awarded the Knights Cross with Oak Leaves for the 35 vessels he sent to the bottom. Lutze would later command the 2nd U-Boat Flotilla and head all U-boat training in the Baltic. The album opens with a photo repro of a signed quote from Lutze fixed to the inside front cover: "Target recognized - Full power!" There follow photos of crewmen in training, U-boats departing and arriving in port, merchant ships, presumably target, in the far distance, many images of U-boats at sea in rough and calm weather, in frozen, ice-packed seas and tropical climes, a submarine coated in heavy ice, U-boats meeting at sea, training vessels U-120 and U-121, below-deck engine room and crew area photos, men on deck watch, anti-aircraft, pistol and rifle training, leave with family, construction at a submarine pen, and much more. Fine condition. U-103 was laid down on 6 September 1939 at AG Weser in Bremen and launched on 12 April 1940. She saw overwhelming success, sinking 45 ships and damaging three other vessels. She ended her career as a training vessel and was sunk by Canadian bombers on Apr. 15, 1945.

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February 18, 2014 11:00 AM EST
Elkton, MD, US

Alexander Historical Auctions LLC

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$20,000 $49,999 $3,000
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