Description:

WOLFGANG LUTH PRESENTATION BOSUN'S PIPE COMMEMORATING THE DOOMED U-43
Sterling silver bosun's pipe used to pipe aboard visitors to a naval vessel, presented by the crew of Wolfgang Luth's doomed U-43, sunk with all hands on July 30, 1943 by a torpedo dropped by an American aircraft off the Azores. The pipe is 5 1/2" long and proof-and-hallmarked. It is engraved on one side: "UNSEREM KAPTL. W. LUTH" ("OUR CAPTAIN-LIEUT. W. LUTH") with the reverse engraved: "ZUR ERINNERUNG AN U-43" ("IN REMEMBRANCE OF U-43"). Very good condition. Sold with an unrelated book presented to Luth, also from his estate: "Neither King Nor Emperor" by Brun Brehm (Munich: R. Piper & Co.), 1933. The front flyleaf is fancily inscribed: "To the brave U-Boat commander and recipient of the Knights Cross in friendly memory March 28, 1941 from the Johann Heinrich Voss School" and is boldly signed by an unknown administrator. The cloth cover is torn at the spine, corners, and bottom of the spine. Two pieces. On 21 October 1940 Lüth took command of U-43, a long range Type IX U-boat. He carried out five patrols with this boat, totaling 204 days at sea, sinking 12 ships adding up to 64,852 GRT. On January 1, 1941 Luth was promoted to Kapitänleutnant and took command of U-43, at which time thiks gift was likely presented to him. After sending nine ships to the bottom, Luth turned over his command to Hans-Joachim Schwantkein late January, 1942. The submarine would undertake four more patrols before her destruction.

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December 8, 2015 10:30 AM EST
Elkton, MD, US

Alexander Historical Auctions LLC

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